The importance of leaders embedding inclusion as a vital and integral element of their school's culture
When I became headteacher in my second special school, I knew it all and I was ready—or so I thought. Armed with a fresh vision for supporting children with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, I hit the ground running, ready to tick all the right boxes and prove that I had what it took to lead. It all seemed so straightforward— do what I did last time, stick to the policies, manage behavior, and make sure the staff were on board.
And then, well... reality struck. Literally.
The “Bean-Bag Incident” That Made Me Rethink Everything
I remember one particular day when things went pear-shaped. I had planned this lovely inclusive activity to involve both pupils and staff in creating a “safe space” within the school. The idea? A room where kids could go to feel calm and supported. It had worked in my last place when my predecessor set it up. I briefed staff on the idea and handed over a ‘crib sheet’ for them to discuss it with pupils. Feedback suggested there was real buy-in from everyone. I thought it was foolproof.
What could go wrong?
Well, everything. Within 10 minutes of the grand opening, one of our more, let’s say, enthusiastic pupils found a way to disassemble the soft furniture. Another pupil decided to launch a “safe Space Olympics,” hurling bean bags like they were shot put. The door was barricaded and as a group, the staff stood outside the room and watched, unsure whether to intervene or let the chaos unfold.
I realised, in that moment, exactly what the issue was. I’d made such a big thing of emphasising to staff and pupils that it was ‘The pupil’s space’ that I’d forgotten to underline the need to have responsibilities running alongside it, and both the staff and pupils were operating under the mistaken belief that once in the ‘safe space’, pupils were no longer under the jurisdiction of any of the school rules!! What a way to learn that inclusion wasn’t something I could manufacture by just replicating the result rather than the process. by handing out a crib sheet and introducing a shiny new initiative as a fait accompli. It was about relationships, and I had to rethink how we built those across the school—both with staff and pupils before taking action.
From Chaos to Collaboration: Turning Things Around
It became clear that simply providing the physical space wasn’t enough. I needed to foster an environment where pupils and staff felt genuinely supported, and that wasn’t going to happen by ticking off a list of “good ideas".
So, what did I do next? I swallowed my pride (hard to do when you’ve just been beaned in the head with a foam ball) and called a meeting with the staff. We had an honest discussion about the challenges of working with SEMH pupils, the absolute need to factor in the Speech Language and Communication needs of our pupils when developing ideas with them and the emotional strain it placed on everyone when our own communication broke down.
At the same time, I realised that staff support was just as critical as pupil support. That meant creating opportunities for staff to talk about their own well-being and making sure they had the training and tools needed to feel confident in their roles. It wasn’t about compliance anymore—it was about culture.
A Lesson in Adjustments (for Everyone)
This commitment to real inclusion extended to how we approached recruitment and retention of staff. Supporting pupils with SEMH needs is a team effort, but what if the team itself isn’t fully supported? One thing I noticed early on was that we weren’t doing enough to attract and retain staff with disabilitie—those who might have their own unique strengths and perspectives to offer. Sure, we were meeting legal obligations, but were we going beyond that to foster real inclusivity? Probably not.
Take, for instance, one of our most dedicated staff members—a teaching assistant who had medical issues. It took me an embarrassing amount of time for it to come to light that our school setup wasn’t ideal for her. Simple things, like considering the proximity of her class base to staff toilets to cut down on walking time weren’t just “nice to have” adjustments—they were essential for making sure we weren’t missing out on her incredible contributions. That experience taught me that reasonable adjustments, no matter how small they seem, can have a huge impact on making staff feel valued and empowered.
Inclusion: It's About More Than the Children
Let me tell you: nothing teaches you the value of listening like an anonymous staff survey. After the safe space fiasco, I started sending out a 10-question survey every month to get a sense of how my leadership was impacting staff wellbeing. If you want to know the truth, ask your team (but be prepared—it’s not always what you expect). Staff feedback taught me that inclusion isn’t just about the children we serve—it’s about the adults too. Creating an inclusive environment for pupils means supporting your staff to feel included, valued, and able to bring their full selves to work.
One piece of feedback I’ll never forget was from a staff member who felt like the realities of their chronic back pain weren't being properly acknowledged. They didn’t need special treatment—just a little flexibility, like moving the staff meetings and CPD sessions to a room that had enough space for them to bring their specially fitted chair in, rather than using the bog-standard classroom chair. That simple adjustment made a world of difference, not only for that staff member but for our team as a whole, as they saw we were happy to adjust, but because that very impactful staff member became an absolute dynamite in meetings as a result of simply being comfortable.
Inclusion isn’t a policy or a procedure; it’s a relationship. As leaders, our job is to build genuine, empathetic relationships with our whole school community. That means being willing to listen, make adjustments, and, when necessary, admit when we’ve got it wrong (and believe me, I got it wrong a lot).
But getting it wrong is part of the process. You learn you adjust, and eventually, you create a school where both pupils and staff feel valued—not because you’ve ticked the right boxes but because you’ve built the right relationships.
Leading a truly inclusive school is about more than compliance—it’s about culture. And that culture is built one relationship at a time, whether it’s with the pupils we serve or the incredible staff who make it all possible.
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