The Guiding Principles of Relational Inclusion

Relational Inclusion is at the heart of everything that we do.  The following document sets out how we support our schools with supporting all children.

Our Pilot with Victorious Trust funded by the Laurel Trust

The Laurel Trust is a charity with a track record of supporting schools serving disadvantaged communities to make sustainable differences to children’s learning and life chances. They provide grant-funding and work together with schools and other agencies to put evidence informed research into practice.

Their approach is characterised by ethical leadership, moral integrity and a commitment to raise hopes and horizons for vulnerable children and their families.

The Laurel Trust supported Tameside Pupil Referral service and Victorious Academies with a research Pilot which explored:

What difference to suspension, attendance and attitudes to self and school can be made through the adoption of the principles of Relational inclusion.  A 3-11 case study.

Link with Manchester University

We have been collaborating with Dr. Kelly Burgoyne at Manchester University on developing and measuring the implementation, process, and impact of relational inclusion.

Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Education at Manchester Institute of Education, teaching on the BSc Educational Psychology programme. Her research focuses on reading and language development and disorders, and she has particular interests in the development and evaluation of educational interventions, and working with parents and children with Down syndrome. Her research work includes experimental studies of language and reading, large scale longitudinal studies of children’s cognitive development, and Randomized Controlled Trials of educational interventions. Kelly is lead author on 3 evidence-based educational intervention programmes: Reading and Language Intervention (RLI) for children with Down syndrome, Parents and Children Together (PACT), a parent delivered early language teaching programme, and PACT-DS which is an adaptation of PACT for children with Down syndrome. Kelly is co-convenor of the Education and Psychology research group at the Manchester Institute of Education.

Ambition Community Trust has commissioned a three-year research project in collaboration with the University of Manchesters Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology programme, to evaluate the impact of the Relational Inclusion approach. Dr Leanne Jackson Taft has worked in education for twenty years, as a secondary maths teacher, and for the last six years as an Educational Psychologist, working in local authorities across Greater Manchester. Leanne is also an Academic and Professional Tutor on
the Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology at the University of Manchester and has published research on community cohesion.

Educating Everyone: An Introduction to Relational Inclusion in Schools – Anthony Benedict and Alan Braven

Schools are currently grappling with significant challenges related to poor behaviour. Consequently, they have implemented increasingly stringent rules and stricter disciplinary measures. As a result, the number of exclusions and suspensions has risen, and schools are increasingly resorting to the special education pathway as they believe they lack the necessary resources to address students’ mental health needs. The purpose of this book is to explore the underlying causes of these behavioural issues and present a variety of strategies to support schools in better catering to the diverse needs of their students. Throughout the book, we will examine recent research and challenge the outdated perspectives that have remained largely unchanged since the inception of compulsory state education. We firmly believe that there are no “problem children,” but rather children who are dealing with various issues and challenges.

This book will appeal to educationalists across the educational sector, including headteachers, policy leaders as well as staff charged with the carrying out school improvement of transformation, as well as behaviour leads and educational researchers.  Outside of direct education it will appeal to anyone who works with young people.

Click here to view and purchase the book.