3.10. Targeted support - special educational needs and learning difficulties

The project partners designed and implemented a new anti-bullying programme in schools in five EU countries. It drew on the experiences of existing programmes and practices originated by the project partners working in different cultural contexts.  It provided further evidence of effective approaches to the reduction of bullying in schools that will inform the development of improved child centred, whole school strategies for adoption at European level.

This monograph analyses and describes successful educational actions with a specific focus on vulnerable groups. Concrete data that shows success in school performance is provided, as well as on children, teachers and families accounts of the impact of this success. Alongside, there is an analysis of the relationship between these childrens educational performance with their inclusion or exclusion from different areas of society. This monograph provides actions for success identified through the INCLUD-ED project, thus providing both, contrasted data and solid theoretical background and development. Some examples of these actions are interactive groups, extension of the learning time, homework clubs, tutored libraries, family and community educative participation, family education, or dialogic literary gatherings. All these actions have been defined as successful educational actions, which mean that they lead to both efficiency and equity. Finally, recommendations for policy and practice are included and discussed.

Interactive Groups is one of the Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) identified in the research project INCLUD-ED. INCLUD-ED analysed educational strategies that contribute to overcoming inequalities and promote social cohesion, and those generating social exclusion, particularly focusing on vulnerable and marginalised groups. Interactive Groups are used to improve the education of children and youth in different contexts. They consist of grouping students in a class into small heterogeneous groups, each of them supported by an adult. Each of these groups is organised around four or five students, in a heterogeneous way regarding ability level, gender, culture, language and ethnicity. This example provides an understanding of IG and the results of their practice.

Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLG) is one of the Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) identified in the research project INCLUD-ED. DLG are used to improve education of children and youth in different contexts around the world. DLG is a dialogic reading activity based on two principles: reading a classical literature book (as Romeo and Juliet, the Odyssey, Don Quixote) and then sharing meanings, interpretations and reflections with the dialogic learning methodology. It can involve children and their family members. This example provides an understanding of DLG and the results of their practice.

The InScool methodology is designed to flexibly guide schools through the start of a journey towards inclusion, improving personal and academic outcomes for all children and young people by focusing on their access to – and participation in – quality, relevant education.

The Junior Job Coach project was created to help young vulnerable students who may lack social experience and skills when taking their first steps into the workplace. The project carefully matches them with a well-trained junior coach who at a distance from the workplace can offer immediate support and advice.

Manchester Communication Academy (MCA) works to improve outcomes for children, families and the community. This secondary academy opened in 2010 to serve one of the most disadvantaged inner-city neighbourhoods in England. From the outset, the academy’s sponsor, a large employer in the city, wanted the school to help to contribute to a vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood, and committed to addressing the many inter-related economic, social and physical challenges which characterise the neighbourhood. This mission has directly shaped the academy programme, which places equal importance on ‘teaching and learning’ and ‘social investment’. The school’s social investment department is a highly distinctive feature of its overall strategy for addressing the impacts of disadvantage on young people’s education and wider life chances.

This paper seeks to examine evidence regarding the potential for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams to play a key role in the prevention of early school leaving. As part of developing a strategy for such multi/interdisciplinary teams, an important focus is on necessary and supportive conditions for their effectiveness, rather than a deterministic assumption of their inevitable effectiveness. The report highlights the need to provide strong strategic guidance to the teams on important issues to be engaged in by the teams such as mental health support, alternatives to suspension, marginalized families outreach, teacher conflict resolution and diversity training skills, bullying prevention skills, positive school climate promotion, engagement with parenting skills and a focus on children?s language development etc.

The Prometheus project addresses the need for career counselling and guidance to be more relevant to the needs and attitudes of a new generation of digital natives. It provides an online platform with peer networking opportunities and offers a repository of best practices and online guides and toolkits for counsellors.

The main project results include:
• Career Pathways Research and Analysis Report
• 100+ Enlightenment Best Practices e-Book
• PROMETHEUS Peer Network
• Empower Talk Movies
• PROMETHEUS-EU.NET
• Online Career Counselling Guide
• PROMETHEUS Toolkit
• PROMETHEUS Final Multipliers’ Conference
The project team includes organisations from 6 European countries: BFE (Bulgaria), CIAPE (Italy), BEST (Austria), IED (Greece), Aspire-i Ltd. (UK) and CIT (Ireland).