Achievement for All in International Classrooms: Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs

Description

The organisation Achievement for All engaged in international projects in England, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, the United States of America and Wales with the aim of raising the aspirations, access and achievements of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people. These projects were united in bringing Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) back into the classroom by focusing on the relationship between parents, leaders, teachers and wider professionals. Achievement for All in International Classrooms examines these projects, looking at the context of each and the research findings, before considering how this could enhance knowledge and understanding in other international settings. Sonia Blandford examines the policy implications needed to bring SEND into the classroom, understanding of the scale of the issue, moral purpose, belief, commitment, collaboration and determination, through evaluation, research and practice. She also considers what it takes to change practice, bringing Achievement for All and SEND into the classroom, looking in particular at the implications for: - Leadership - Teaching and learning - Parent and carer engagement - Wider outcomes and opportunities - Professional development for all staff Drawing on her wealth of experience and expertise, Blandford then makes recommendations on what it would take to introduce Achievement for All in policy to bring SEND into the classroom, with particular reference to changes at national, regional and school level, as well as parental and carer engagement and a desire to improve outcomes for all children and young people.

Sonia Blandford is Founder and CEO of Achievement for All 3As, Professor of Education and Social Enterprise at the IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, UK, and Honorary Professor of Education, University of Warwick, UK. She is also a member of the European Agency Expert Group on Raising Achievement and advisor to the UK government, European Commission, and several international governments.

Written with a sense of moral purpose ... this book makes a strong case for the importance of aspiration, access and achievement, and takes an evidence-informed approach to the implementation of the framework in different contexts. It will be of great value and interest to school leaders who wish to adopt a wholeschool approach to inclusion and school improvement. * International School Magazine * Achievement for All in International Classrooms introduces the outstanding work of Professor Blandford and her team at the charity Achievement for All 3As. The AFA3As model is based on a fundamental belief in every child's ability to learn coupled with a clear framework for supporting and motivating the learner. The model engages parents, children and teachers in shaping the individual child's learning journey in order to maximise their personal potential. It is recommended to teachers, parents and policy makers alike. * Marilyn Leask, Professor of Education, De Montfort University, UK * Achievement for All has had a measurable impact on the education and the lives of more than three million children since the charity was founded in 2011. This book explains how AfA has benefited children and young people in seven nations. It explains how the core principles of Aspiration, Access and Achievement and the elements of leadership, teaching and learning, parent and carer engagement, and wider opportunities lead to successful education for all, particularly those children and young people with SEND and others that are vulnerable to underachievement. It will be essential reading for all school leaders. * Tim Cain, Professor in Education and Director of the Research Centre for Schools, Colleges, and Teacher Education, Edge Hill University, UK *