Paris 2024
During November, Clare Stanton, Head of Inclusive Practice for the Foundation received a phone call from Daniel Sobel: Inclusion Expert and Founder of International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP). Mr Sobel invited Clare to the IFIP and UNESCO World Inclusion Conference due to take place in March 2024, in Paris.
Excitedly accepting the invitation, Clare was delighted to be representing the Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) across the Foundation and recognised the opportunity the event could bring.
Day 1:
The first day began with a celebration of the Salamanca Treaty.
Created in 1994, the Treaty calls for Inclusion to be the norm for Special Educational Needs. This was driven by the desire to help remove discrimination and has led to many more inclusive movements in education to date, However, there is still much more to be done! Representatives from across the globe, including Mr Moinina Sengreh and Chief Minister, Sierra Leone, spoke about the improvements being made towards inclusive practice. The inspiring talk addressed the need for “Radical Inclusion” and the potential to achieve so much more globally.
Day 2:
Opening up the event was Ms Min Jeong Kin, Director of Education 2030, UNESCO and Daniel Sobel, Inclusion Expert and Founder of International Forums of Inclusive Practitioners (IFIP) Mr Sobel, in particular, enthused the audience with his passion for Inclusive Education.
Dr Shirley Woods-Gallagher, who also attended the conference, was noted by Clare for challenging the perceptions of people with Autism, provoking further discussions and insights. Also joining the event on Day 2, to represent the King Edward VI Foundation, was Julie Waddington, Director of Education.
Day 3:
Day 3 saw the opportunity to summarise overall discussions and be involved in small seminar groups. Leading on from this, Clare and Julie had the privilege of listening to people talk about their inclusion journeys from all over the world, giving a global perspective on experiences.
The event was closed by Daniel Sobel, who invented a new word: #Inclusionistas; encouraging everyone in the room to become ‘Inclusionistas’ in response to the journey towards inclusivity.
Both Julie and Clare were extremely proud to share their passion and drive for inclusive education, noting how aligned it was with SENCOs’ vision across the Foundation. .
The event has reinforced the work that is tirelessly carried out by our SENCOs, staff and students, with Inclusion always at the heart. From the work of the EDI teams, SENCOs, SEND teams, every member of staff, students, and friends, across the Foundation, we have a clear vision for an Inclusive future.
The event paved way for global partnerships and opened up future opportunities for the Foundation to be represented at similar events in the future.
