Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

The challenge

Powerful social, cultural and economic arguments exist for inclusive education, ranging from the high cost of academic failure to the overall superiority of education systems in which inclusive principles are embedded. Wales has aims of an inclusive education but faces challenges in both conceptualising and implementing an inclusive education system.

Research impact – a case study of emerging national-scale education system reform

Wales, one of the four nations of the UK, has undergone major education system-level reform with a renewed focus on inclusive education – including the introduction of a new national curriculum and additional learning needs (ALN) system in 2022.

This impact story reports on a series of research projects on these reforms and offers a valuable case study of emerging national-scale education system reforms. The research suggested that while within Wales, there are clear steps being taken towards an inclusive education system, there is a lack of coherence and consistency. Additionally, while there have been significant political, social, cultural, and even legislative levers for driving change, it remains to be seen if these steps toward education reform will create a more inclusive education system in Wales. More broadly, this research provides a tractable framework and approach for developing further insight into the challenges of moving from policy to practice in the development of inclusive education systems in other regions and jurisdictions.

Dr Knight has shared the findings widely, bringing them to the attention of key stakeholders and policy makers in Wales. She was invited to provide a keynote presentation and chair Policy Forum Wales 'Next steps for the Additional Learning Needs system in Wales' session (June 2023). At this event, key and policy officials from Department for the Economy, NI; HMPPS; Senedd Cymru; and the Welsh Government discussed the priorities for Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision in Welsh education, and the study's findings formed a key piece of evidence guiding the transition to a new ALN system in Wales by August 2024.

She produced a Policy Briefing on results of a Nuffield Foundation funded project from population level data analysis on the predictors and influence of special educational needs identification in the previous system and produced a number of policy and practice recommendations from this analysis which have been shared with the Welsh Government and wider.

In January 2024, Dr Knight hosted 'Inclusive education in the UK and Ireland: An evidence-based discussion' which brought together over 50 policy makers across the UK and Ireland to discuss approaches to inclusive education. This work has ongoing aims to create a cross-country network of academics and policy makers to explore best practice in inclusive education.

As part of an ESRC IAA Fellowship Dr Knight and Dr Carmel Conn (University of South Wales) meet regularly with the Additional Learning Needs team within the Welsh Government. They will be working with the Government over the next 18 months to provide resources which will facilitate knowledge development, identifying examples of best practice across the education sector in Wales.