Promoting voice and inclusion

Inclusion is an ongoing process of anticipating, identifying, affirming and welcoming difference to support all children in participation and belonging. A commitment to inclusion should underpin all aspects of the design of educational programmes and the structuring of environments, as well as positively influencing everyday experiences and interactions with children, parents, carers and professionals. Inclusive early years practice is about paying attention, responding to and reflecting on the interests, differences and needs of all children in developmentally informed ways to create enriching environments that are attuned to children’s strengths, differences, needs and disabilities.

Settings should ensure their policies and practices align with the 0-25 SEND Code of Practice (DfE, 2015), Children and Families Act 2014 and the Equality Act (2010). Providers should also develop their own inclusive ethos that reflects their context, community and type of provision. Children should experience accessibility, belonging and equitable opportunities to learn in ways that align with their developmental profile. A diverse range of provision matters, as different settings may be better placed to support different children at different times

Understanding each child and listening to the range of ways children share their perspectives is fundamental to inclusive practice. This means developing a holistic picture of every child, including their interests, strengths, traits, differences and support needs. Building on what children already know and can do and their lived experiences will provide a strong foundation for meaningful progress.

Practitioners learn how to offer support through observation, tuning in and active listening in inclusive provision, which:

• has high expectations of children and presumes competence
• is interest-led so that children can play, learn and engage on their own terms
• is built on a strong commitment to diversify practice to affirm children with lifelong differences and disabilities
• understands the starting points of every child, regardless of their chronological age
• accepts and understands children for who they are, including their capabilities and their agency to choose the things they like and enjoy doing, as well as identifying the things they do not like or enjoy
• takes a strengths-led approach to observation that is child-centred, holistic and draws on a network of insights including from parents and other professionals
• recognises a child’s voice can be communicated in multiple ways, including being non-speaking or using augmentative and alternative forms of communication
• uses the EYFS framework and Birth to 5 Matters or other guidance to support understanding of typical development, and to enable practitioners to have confidence to observe, question and consider why a child may be developing differently
• bases practice on the understanding that development is not linear and does not progress at the same rate for all children, promoting thoughtful decision-making about suitability of provision and resources for individual children
• works in partnership with parents and professionals to provide developmentally informed support and shared decision-making.

Children develop within relationships and communities. Inclusive practice is strengthened through connection with parents, carers and other professionals to provide well-matched support and belonging. Learning about what children already know and bring with them (funds of knowledge) including who and what matters to them, as well as their interests, likes and dislikes, is a key part of understanding their development and supporting their learning.

Making sure that early years practice meets the needs of all children means thinking about children in context. As well as making sure that the environment reflects the range of developmental experiences of all children, it also means recognising the connections with children’s homes, localities and communities, weaving these into practice, and listening to families including parents and carers, siblings, grandparents and others who may be important in the child’s life.

Resources