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A parallel system of inclusive and special education persists in Ireland despite attempts to move towards integrated provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) along a flexible continuum of support. Even in mainstream schools, duality exists and discrete delivery of special education continues to create 'siloed' approaches to education for some students. This paper outlines a research and knowledge exchange initiative involving a higher education institution and a management body for post-primary schools in Ireland attempting to develop integrated, school-wide, systematic and collaborative approaches to inclusive and special education. Theoretically underpinned by Hornby's model of Inclusive Special Education (2015) and a conceptualisation of the SENCO role in the Irish context, a pilot process was implemented to support the development of an integrated response to a continuum of need. A year after initial implementation a review was undertaken. Focus group and individual interviews with SENCOs, Curriculum Leaders and Principals in six schools indicate that the initiative, while still in its infancy, raised awareness about inclusive special education amongst staff and provided data-informed approaches to education. The centrality of leadership in promoting school-wide approaches to inclusive special education also emerged. Finally, the importance of situated community of practice approaches to professional learning were identified as critical to leading change in schools.

This paper explores factors influencing leadership for inclusive and special education in secondary schools (for students aged between 12-18 years) in Ireland. Specifically, it spotlights the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher often tasked with leading provision. A qualitative study involving interviews with principals and SENCOs in six schools was undertaken. The complexity of the SENCO role is revealed in findings which capture inherent tensions associated with attempts to formalise it in a system promoting a universal response to inclusive education, while also providing special education. Hornby's model of Inclusive Special Education (2015) is used to interrogate findings and provide a framework for further conceptualisation of the role in a system where inclusive and special education co-exist. Notwithstanding tensions, this study argues strongly for formal recognition of the SENCO role and advocates the development of SENCOs' leadership capacity within an integrated system promoting a collective approach to inclusive special education. It presents a conceptual model of the SENCO role which serves as a framework for further debate, refinement and discussion about the SENCO role.

This paper considers the role of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in mainstream post-primary schools (12-18 years) in Ireland. Little is known of the role in the Irish context and it is hoped that this research will inform policy. The Irish educational landscape has witnessed seismic change recently with further transformation imminent. The SENCO role is a recent phenomenon in Irish schools and while much is known of the role internationally, Irish SENCOs tend to operate in a policy vacuum. This paper draws on research with a purposive sample of twenty-seven SENCOs. A lengthy postal questionnaire served as the method of data collection, where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Findings reveal the complexity of the role in an evolving education system. SENCOs continue to fulfil largely operational roles and are limited in their capacity to effect change in inclusive practice from a whole-school perspective. Lack of formal recognition of the SENCO role has led to its ad-hoc development. This research makes the case for the formalisation of the role at policy level and recognition of the need to develop the SENCO as strategic leader, firmly situated within school management. Otherwise, Irish SENCOs risk being victims rather than agents of change.

Worldwide, considerable emphasis is currently being placed on the provision of appropriate classroom-based preventative interventions and in-class literacy support, in preference to withdrawal methods of educational support. Many schools in Ireland are currently implementing Literacy Lift-Off in their classrooms. Literacy Lift-Off is an adaption of the well-known Reading Recovery programme. The current study aims to establish whether Literacy Lift-Off improves students' literacy skills. It further seeks to determine what impact Literacy Lift-Off has on students' reading self-concept levels. Ninety-two students aged between five years and six years six months (52 boys, 40 girls) attending four Senior Infant classes were recruited for this study. Two class groups were randomly chosen to act as an intervention cohort (n = 47) and two class groups were randomly chosen to act as a wait-list control cohort (n = 45). This experimental study evaluated the Literacy Lift-Off intervention on students' letter identification, word attack skills, word reading, and reading self-concept beliefs. Intervention students were compared with control students who did not receive the Literacy Lift-Off intervention at pre-test and post-test levels. Results showed that while both groups showed significant change on all dependent variables from pre-intervention to post-intervention, those in the experimental group showed significantly more improvement on word attack skills, word reading and reading self-concept beliefs. This study showed that a whole-class reading recovery programme can be effective in improving literacy skills and reading self-concept.

Radical transformation of Ireland's special education system has occurred over the past three decades. National and international policy and legislative drivers for a more inclusive approach to education have resulted in greater levels of mainstreaming, with one exception. Provision for autistic children is increasingly provided through special classes: discrete classes attached to mainstream schools. This paper presents findings from a qualitative exploration of the benefits and challenges attributed to autism class provision in mainstream primary schools in Ireland, from the perspective of teachers and school principals. The findings reveal a role for autism special class teachers that is multi-faceted, rewarding, challenging, and directly related to the extent to which the special class is systematically included with whole school policy and practice. The significance of leadership and collaboration in promoting inclusive approaches to autism class provision features strongly in the findings and influences schools' willingness to establish special classes. Micro-exclusion emerged as a theme and is linked to school culture and ethos. Findings contribute unique perspectives of school personnel, and recommendations create awareness of the benefits and challenges associated with autism special class provision and inform future innovation at a time when inclusive policy agendas and practices relating to autism provision arguably contradict each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many autistic children in Ireland and elsewhere attend schools where staff working with them may have limited access to information on autism and the adjustments that might help aid their learning and success. The national charity for autism (AsIAm) therefore developed an Autism Friendly Schools Initiative to provide information, professional development and a toolkit designed to evaluate and enhance practice within mainstream schools and special provision. The authors were funded by AsIAm to evaluate the value and impact of this initiative. It has now been used in over 100 schools over a three year period and there is a requirement that at least two staff members from each school take part. A survey was designed to gain the views of the participants which included Likert scales and short open-ended questions on different aspects of the ASFI. A total of 31 participants (55 per cent) from year one completed the survey and their responses are presented in the paper. Participants particularly valued hearing directly from autistic people and made increased efforts to seek the voice of the autistic students they worked with. About half the participants valued the toolkit as a way of auditing whole school practice. Others did not comment and it may be that they had not found the time to engage sufficiently with this. The key message within the paper is that teaching staff are keen to learn more about autism and that ways need to be found to spread good practice throughout the whole school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]