Jennifer Evans

Inclusive education: are there limits?

Over the past 10 years there has been a growing impetus worldwide towards ‘full inclusion’. More recently this has been balanced by desires to ensure ‘responsible inclusion’ and an awareness that there may be some pupils for whom ‘inclusive’ schools are inappropriate, at least at some stage in their school career. The study aimed to find out the views of a range of professionals in relation to ‘inclusion’. A questionnaire was sent to Principal Educational Psychologists in England and Wales, and focus group discussions of mixed groups of professionals were arranged to address questions of ‘inclusive education’. The study suggests that there are considerable obstacles in the way of ‘full inclusion’ and that schools as currently organised frequently find it difficult to meet the wide range of individual needs. The apparent conflicts in government policy between the ‘standards’ and ‘league tables’ discourse and the ‘inclusive schools’ discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive.

Collaboration: The big new idea for school improvement?

This paper traces the trajectory of New Labour education policy since the formation of the first New Labour government in 1997. During that time the policy discourse has moved from a position of individualized school improvement through competition, to one where there is an emphasis on ‘partnership’ and ‘collaboration’ as key mechanisms for improvement. We note, however, that ‘specialism’, ‘diversity’ and ‘choice’ are still key components of policy and that ‘partnership’ often denotes a deficit model, with more successful schools supporting (or in some cases taking over) less successful ones. Although there are the beginnings of a recognition that social class and social deprivation are factors which make achievement at school more problematic, generally New Labour policy has not attempted to alleviate the tendency to social polarization which has emerged as a result of school choice policies.

Making a Difference?: Leadership Development for Headteachers and Deputies—Ascertaining the Impact of the National College for School Leadership

This article discusses of some of the methodological issues involved in attempting to ascertain or measure the impact of the National College for School Leadership on the leaders of English schools and leadership development more generally. It does so with specific reference to the findings of two surveys of heads and deputies of English state schools conducted in 2001 and 2003, the first commissioned by the (then) Department for Education and Employment, and the second by the NCSL. The findings of the two surveys, specifically those relating to: a) the adequacy of preparation for headship; and b) the role of the college, are compared and used to illustrate the value and limitations of baseline and follow-up studies as impact measures. Methodological approaches and research designs which could be developed to help ascertain more rigorously the impact of the college are also briefly considered.

Women, men, VDU work and health: A questionnaire survey of British VDU operators

Abstract This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey of male and female VDU operators distributed through Health & Safety at Work magazine. 3819 questionnaires were analysed using the SPSS computer program. 57% of the sample were female, 68% were under 35 years old and 73% were members of a trade union or staff association. The large number of male respondents meant that it was possible to compare work patterns, types of work and health effects for men and women. It appears that women are engaged in more repetitive and less varied tasks at the VDU and that they work longer hours and for longer periods without a break than men. The most frequently reported health problems were eyestrain, painful or stiff neck and shoulders, fatigue and irritated eyes. The incidence of symptoms was related to hours of work at the VDU. Women were more likely to report health effects than men. This difference remains when hours of work, type of work and hours worked without a break are taken into account. Ergono...

The market forces? The effect of local management of schools on special educational needs provision

Abstract This paper explores the approaches taken by local education authorities (LEAs) to the funding and organisation of provision for special educational needs (SEN) under local management of schools (LMS). LMS is seen as playing a central role in the new rights attempts to introduce market ‘realities’ into public sector organisations. It is argued that a more market‐oriented discourse, with its concomitant emphasis on individualism, is taking hold in LEAs, and this is illustrated by references to developments in special education in two case study authorities. The two LEAs respond differently to this situation. However, it is concluded that, despite these variations, LEAs are increasingly in a position where they are having to adapt to a more market‐oriented culture. One element of this is that responsibility for pupils with special needs (particularly those without statements) is increasingly becoming that of the school alone. However, arrangements for ensuring and monitoring that provision remain u...

What's New?: Identifying Innovation Arising from School Collaboration Initiatives.

In this article we ask ‘how can we judge whether a policy initiative produces innovation?’. We focus first on the concept of innovation, touching on some aspects of its recent development, noting a resurgence of interest in it over the past few years in the schools policy field in England and proposing a tentative definition. We then refer to the national initiative known as Diversity Pathfinders (DP), of which we are conducting an evaluation, and briefly consider the implications of the idea of ‘pathfinding’ and related notions. Finally we describe some possible examples of innovations from our DP case studies and draw some conclusions for thinking about and researching innovations.

Professionals Under Pressure: the administration of special education in a changing context

Abstract This paper explores the role of professionals employed in the special education section of local education authorities (LEAs). Its examination of the political, cultural and financial contexts in which decision‐making occurs is illustrated by data collected in interviews with LEA personnel in five local authorities. The first section of the paper examines the nature and effects of professional control in special education. Depoliticisation, individualisation and a concentration on technical solutions are seen as the main outcomes of professional control. The second section of the paper analyses the discourses which underpin professional notions of special education. The paper argues that it is the nature of these discourses which renders special education vulnerable to incursions by recent public sector reforms; namely managerialism and the concomitant shift towards rule‐based decision‐making. It concludes that the dominant discourses in special education are ill‐equipped to penetrate beyond proc...

Clusters: inter‐school collaboration in meeting special educational needs in ordinary schools

This article reports the findings and discusses the implications of a research project on school clusters, a system of inter-school collaboration to meet special educational needs (SEN) in ordinary schools. The project was in two stages. The first stage involved detailed qualitative case studies of four different kinds of cluster arrangement. These were analysed in terms of antecedents, processes and outcomes based on documentation and interviews with key participants as informants. The second stage surveyed a wider sample of cluster arrangements in three regional meetings using a group interview methodology. The overall findings are summarised in terms of the conditions and factors which promote SEN inter-school collaboration and the outcomes for schools, teachers, local education authorities (LEAs) and support services. The significance and implications of these forms of inter-school collaboration are finally discussed in terms of the current changes to the school system and the education of pupils with SEN.

Leading and Managing Schools: A comparison between independent and state school leaders (Part 2)

on state schools, was funded by the DfES, and published a report in April entitled Establishing the Current State of School Leadership in England’ (Earley et al, 2002).The second, jointly commissioned by the five Independent School Heads’ Associations (HMC, GSA, SHMIS, IAPS, ISA), used a similar approach and addressed many of the same issues as the research carried out in the state sector (Earley and Evans, 2002). This article draws upon the two data sets, especially that derived from questionnaire surveys, to investigate how headteachers are currently prepared for leadership positions. Attention is given to background factors such as age and gender, the career patterns of heads in the state and independent sectors and the ways in which they prepare themselves for their leadership roles. Similarities between the two sectors are also discussed. The second part of the article, in the next edition will give an analysis of the current situation for leadership development in the UK and suggests a number of areas that training providers and others might wish to give further consideration. The heads background factors and career preferences Whilst the size of the achieved sample of heads for the

Patient room considerations in the intensive care unit: caregiver, patient, family.

The Patient Room is one of the most important and costly rooms in the design of an inpatient bed unit. As a result, the patient room mock-up requires knowledge of the components that inform the patient room environment. This article provides the intensive care nurse with questions about patient care processes and unit policies that should be considered in a mock-up. The mock-up outcome should align with the projects goals and objectives of the health care system, infuse the principles of evidence-based design, and ensure that the design accommodates the best workflow for the patient population that will be served. The template will serve as a guide to evaluate the various features of the patient room and for the mock-up discussion between the nurse and the architect.