"......fostering resilient communities through inclusive practice"

In our present times of global upheaval, our school communities need to be places of security and stability for our children. All schools work with children and families who face many challenges as they interact with an education system that struggles to accommodate diverse needs. Increasingly, schools have become the only remaining ‘universal service’, open to all and free at the point of access, with increased pressures on school staff as other services have fallen away or ceased to exist at all.

“It takes a Village to raise a child…” is an African proverb meaning that an entire community of people must interact with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. Equally, if that community neglects or forgets about some of their children and young people, life chances may be diminished with an impact that can become lifelong.

Our Inclusion Matters conference this year offered an opportunity for school staff, education professionals, educational psychologists, parents and carers to come together and consider what it means for a school to be at the centre of the ‘village’, to listen to ideas from others seeking solutions, to experience different ways of coming together as a community and to gather strategies and resources to sustain educational professionals, parents and carers through the coming months.

On Friday 24th June, adults from a variety of backgrounds, with an interest in education gathered together at Gorton Monastery after 3 years since our last Catalyst Psychology conference. This conference asked participants to reimagine how school might become a place where the pressure to be identified, rehabilitated and conform to the dominant culture, can feel less overwhelming for all. 

The Digital Age has brought about rapid changes to our way of life often compared in scale to the Industrial Revolution. The so-called Digital Revolution has profoundly changed how we all learn, work and play. We don't yet fully understand how these developments will influence the future for our children, but we do know that the pace of change and development is a cause of anxiety and concern.

This conference offered a time for teachers and psychologists to come together to pause and reflect on what we need to know and do to help our children survive and prosper in this new age. We brought together thinkers and educators who are engaged in research in this area, alongside providers of technological solutions to educational challenges.

Belonging means thinking about the difference we can make by connecting with people in our communities. For schools, this means reaching out and embracing our diverse communities. In Manchester, we have hugely diverse communities, living alongside each other in close proximity. The diversity of our Manchester communities presents opportunities as well as challenges, and very many of our schools engage in an inclusive way with their communities to promote tolerance and understanding.

The theme for our fifth annual Inclusion Matters conference was Resilience and Belonging.

On Friday 25th November around 100 adults with an interest in education gathered at Gorton Monastery to consider what "Resilience" means for children and young people.

During the day we reflected upon the need to nurture our own wellbeing before we can look after others; considered the importance of enabling children to be active, curious and reflective learners; thought about the value of play and being outdoors; understanding the whole child, knowing that emotional needs must be met before learning can take place; and reminded ourselves of the necessity of developing resilience both in ourselves and in the young people we work with.