Working collaboratively together : including pupils with individual educational needs : a case study of one government primary school

Abstract

This project examined collaborative teamwork between the various stakeholders in supporting the inclusive education of pupils with Individual Educational Needs (IEN) in a mainstream primary school. The study sought to investigate the nature of the collaboration taking place between the various members and what helped or hindered the members from working collaboratively together. One case study In one primary school undertaken Involved puplls with ILN, their parents, class teachers and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Lile Inclusive Coordinator (INCO) or the school together with a number of support professionals. Interviews were held with the assistant head In charge of Inclusion, the INCO, three class teachers, three LSAs, one counsellor, one Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and one Teacher of the Deaf (TOD); focus groups were held with four pupils with a statement of educational needs and another with six parents/carers of no relation to the pupils participating in the other focus group but they had their own children with IEN; while a number of observations of collaborative meetings were held by the researcher. The main findings of this study suggest that the majority of the participants agreed to being an integral part of the team which improved their individual and collective performance towards the inclusion of the pupil. In their view, this leads to a more holistic education of the pupil. In spite of these findings, this project strongly highlights the need for the school's staff and support professionals to be better trained with respect to inclusion and teamwork. As regards the more mature pupils, they should be encouraged to voice their opinions and participate in decision-making. A number of recommendations have been made to help address the key issues which emerged in this study and which wlll help to facilitate more effective teamwork and consequently better social and academic outcomes for pupils with IEN in inclusive sellings.