Five ways of identifying a setting Essay

My essay will examine five ways of identifying a setting as inclusive. I work as a nanny in a sole charge role, in a family home. I work with a family of 3 children, one of the little girls has additional needs and she attends a special needs school. I will reflect on my life experiences and the course material within this essay and how this has influenced my understanding of inclusion. Inclusion is about feeling like you belong, being valued and feeling happy within the setting and the local community, regardless of social backgrounds, age and ability. The five criteria I have chosen are The name of the setting, social inclusion, the curriculum, setting funding, and the view of inclusion presented. I have chosen these criteria as I believe they can form the basis for a setting to be seen as inclusive. I believe that the name of the setting says a lot about what is taking place, if you are sending a child to a special unit attached to a school my view is that it should have the same name as the school. Social inclusion is important because everybody has the right to be treated the same, everybody should be interacted with and spoken to in a kind and friendly manner. I think its important that the same curriculum should be followed in all educational settings and then adapted as required for individual needs. It sets a baseline for the educational system so that essential fundamentals are met. I feel that the settings funding needs to be provided equally between main school and special units. I understand that special settings require additional equipment to support their children and needs to be taken into consideration. However, the amount of money spent for teachers should be the same. I think peoples own opinion on inclusion is important as everybody needs to work to the same guidelines in early years provision. If perspective parents are not presented with an adequate view of inclusion it could greatly effect their standpoint on certain settings. All of the five criteria are important to me when thinking about inclusion, and my own understanding of what inclusion involves. Part B Name of setting Pen green has its own name which is unique to the setting, where as Aspen 2 a special needs school has given the name as an addition to the main stream school. Aspen 2 used to be referred to as the mobile which wasnt seen as inclusive. Aspen 2 is now in the main stream school and has it owns unique unit. Deri View is a newly built primary school with a childrens centre attached the local community had a say in the design and structure of the  building. The school and childrens centre is in a poorly deprived part of Wales. Social inclusion Pen Green is a centre for under 5s and their families in Corby in Northamptonshire. Pen green shows social inclusion through its video clips. Pen Green has an open community, providing team building and meet and greet sessions. Pen Green focuses on the whole family, it allows children to progress from a very young age offering groups such as baby massage. The centre offers a wide range of groups and drop in classes, there are options to go to something everyday. Pen Green cares about all the children at the centre and gives them all equal chances at learning and play. Sheena Griffiths-baker a teacher at Pen green explains that we will being these observations to plan for him as an individual (E214,DVD2) which tells me that the setting is inclusive . Pen green offers classes for parents to learn GCSEs or computer courses, which has helped the parents to gain confidence and independence. At Aspen 2 the children all have additional needs they are included in some main stream school lessons. The Aspen 2 students are treated equally in main stream lessons they are given the same work load but are provided with learning support assistants (LSA) to help them to understand. The Aspen 2 students take part in P.E all together and its adapted to their needs. Deri View is a school with the Acorn Childrens Centre attached to it. The school offers primary aged teaching with the Acorn Centre ranging from pregnancy to 13 years old. The Acorn Centre works with the local community to provide children with a breakfast club. The centre offers adult learning and services for parents to use e.g. the crche for when they go to study at the centre. Maggie Teague the head teacher at Deri View comments 70 of our pupils parents were unemployed now that has gone down to between 30 and 40. I am certain the school has an impact, because of the number of parents who have started with us through family learning are now in employment (E214,DVD2). The curriculum The Pen Green centre offers a wide and varied curriculum staff members observe childrens patterns of learning and make action plans on the children to help with planning activities that are age and stage appropriate. The centre records videos of the children which is known as the PICLE involvement, this allows parents to view what their children have been doing at nursery and can link in with what the child is doing at home. Sheena Griffiths-baker explains about the PICLE group There are several PICLE groups, so there will be  morning afternoon and evening PICLE groups so it as available as possible to many parents, so during that time they watch of video of him, the worker discusses whats happening with the parent and then the parents reciprocates with there information of what is happening at home.(E214,DVD2) There are courses for parents to gain an education and learning together groups for adults. At Aspen 2 the local educational authority aims to develop and provide inclusion at the school. The children work to the same curriculum as the main stream school, the activities are adapted to the students needs. Sarah Wilmshurst a teacher at Aspen 2 comments I take the abilities of all children into consideration (E214, DVD2). Children are allowed to sit nearer to the front that allow for sight problems and hearing needs. Some of the children in Aspen 2 work on the gold curriculum which is part of the main stream school programme for children who are struggling. Aspen 2 children are included in sports days, music and art lessons. Richard and Sam two students talk about the Aspen 2 course programmes and that the students gain a course certificate at the end. A teaching assistant called Mary Fellows talks about how some of the children can not access the mainstream education, especially the PMLD students that she works with.(E214,DVD2) At the Deri View school and the Acorn Centre they work together to give the families the best support available, they provide respite care and work with health visitors and the local authority. The butterflies pre-school provided free childcare for children ages 2 and half to 5 years on five mornings a week. The Acorn Centre has credit union service that comes in to the centre to help parents and give advice. The children also have their own saving scheme available to them. Funding and recourses The Pen Green setting provides funding for childrens groups and adult learning courses to allow everybody to be given a chance to attend the services provided by the centre. Pen Green uses the European social fund. Deri View and the Acorn Centre work together with the welsh assembly to provide free breakfasts for children in the area, all children are included. The centre has access to the community fund. Aspen 2 is given money from the local authority to help with special equipment needed to teach the lessons. The PMLD group has bought equipment to make them inclusive. The course materials state that the mechanisms that local authorities use to distribute their resources can have an impact on the development of inclusive practices (E214, Unit 12, p.209)  Views of inclusion The community around Pen Green see that the centre is for parents, grandparents, males and females of all ages and cultures, it provides groups to suit the needs of everybody and the centre represents new schemes in the area. Pen green provides partnerships with local schools and the community. At Pen Green, Donna the Community Education Manager says Pen Greens unique as it grew out of a community and planned by the community (E214, DVD2.) Sure start is used within the centre sign language groups provide people to learn how to communicate with the deaf. The centre has been used for generations. The Aspen 2 setting is for children with serve learning difficulties. One to one LSA support teachers are provided to students. Main stream teachers provide hints on work sheets to allow the Aspen 2 children to be able to do the work. Lynne Mills a teaching assistant at Aspen 2 says in the last 8 years I have had to do a lot more training, (E214,DVD2) This is so that she has the skills provided to teach individual children. Deri View and the Acorn Centre work together and share joint management. The sure start centre is part of the Acorn Centre. The Acorn Centre provides a food co-op, midwifes and speak and language classes. There is a community bus that goes around the people who are unable to make it to the centre and has rhyme times and story sessions on board. The centre has a drop in area for parents where they can go to get a hot drink, have a chat or use the parents forums. Conclusion I feel that a setting needs to treat children, parents and adults as equals to allow the setting to be fully inclusive. All settings need to be offered the recourses needed and given funding to all departments justice. References The Open University, E214 Equality, participation and inclusion learning from each other views, 2011 The Open University, E214 Equality, participation and inclusion learning from each other, DVD 2, 2010