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Lucie Wheeler is the Founder of RECAP and a Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University. I visit and work with lots of different education settings, and one of the things I am always interested in is what a school feels like. Yes we know that policies are important, and the curriculum a school provides is key and the way they do their provision is huge. But there are some things that are much harder to capture on paper: the interactions in the corridors, the relationships between adults and children, whether children appear comfortable approaching members of staff, and whether you get a genuine sense that people belong there. Recently, I was invited by Lucy Fox, Assistant Headteacher, to spend some time at Stoke Primary School in Coventry. During my visit, I met with Lucy alongside Headteacher Matthew Ascroft and Sarah Morris, Head of Inclusion, and had the opportunity to talk about the school's approach before being shown around both the main school and its Early Years provision. And I came away genuinely inspired. A team with a real passion for inclusion One of the strongest things I took from my visit was the passion of the leadership team. It is probably one of the most passionate teams I have met when it comes to creating a school where inclusion, welcome and belonging are not simply things written into policies, but something they are actively trying to build into everyday school life. And importantly, that sense of belonging wasn't spoken about only in relation to pupils. There was a real emphasis on creating a community in which children, staff and families all feel that they have a place. We talk a lot about inclusion in education, but genuine inclusion isn't just about providing additional support for a child who needs it. It is about thinking carefully about environments, relationships, teaching, communication and the structures around children so that as many children as possible can participate and feel successful. Stoke's own curriculum reflects this. The school describes inclusion as a cornerstone of its approach, with learning adapted and scaffolded so children can access the curriculum regardless of their individual starting points. There is also an emphasis on recognising the diversity of the school community and creating a culture in which children and families feel valued. But what impressed me most was seeing how those ideas translated into everyday interactions. Relationships everywhere you look As we walked around the school, one thing became apparent very quickly and that was that the adults knew the children. Matthew, Lucy and Sarah seemed to know every child we passed, and the children clearly knew them too. Children were comfortable stopping to talk. There were conversations in corridors, smiles, little exchanges and moments of connection that might seem insignificant in isolation but, collectively, told me a great deal about the culture of the school. Every classroom we entered felt warm, welcoming and inviting. I also really enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with some of the teaching staff about how they organise their classrooms and adapt what they do to get the best from the children in their care. There wasn't a sense that every classroom had to look or operate in exactly the same way. Instead, there seemed to be thought behind how spaces and approaches could work for the particular children using them. Even walking through the corridors, there was a strong sense of positivity, care and encouragement. For me, these everyday interactions are such an important part of inclusion. Children need to know that the adults around them see them, know them and are pleased that they are there. Learning beyond four walls Another thing that really stood out was the school's use of its environment. Stoke explicitly states within its curriculum that learning should extend beyond classroom walls, with the school making use of the whole building, outdoor spaces, Forest School and other learning areas. You can see that philosophy when you walk around. I was particularly impressed by the outdoor provision. The classrooms really did feel as though they extended beyond four walls rather than the outside being somewhere children simply visited at breaktime. This begins right from Early Years, where children are encouraged to learn through play, exploration, activity and creative and critical thinking, both indoors and outside. The school's Early Years approach also includes experiences such as growing food, engaging with the local community and learning about health, wellbeing and self-care. That emphasis on exploration and meaningful experiences continues into the school's wider thinking about teaching and learning. The Roundhouse: what happens when we take the screens away? One of the absolute highlights of my visit was seeing The Roundhouse. The Roundhouse is a unique learning environment used by Reception children. Each class spends part of the year using it as their main learning space, and its development has led Stoke to explore something particularly interesting: screen-free learning in Early Years. The school has intentionally moved away from screen-led teaching within its Early Years provision, prioritising interaction, communication and hands-on experiences instead. And I loved seeing this in practice. Rather than relying on interactive whiteboards and digital presentations, learning in The Roundhouse centres around conversation, storytelling, role play, music, movement, books, objects, artefacts and exploration. Language and communication sit at the heart of the approach, with adults using interactions to model vocabulary, encourage children to explain their thinking and create opportunities for sustained shared thinking. As a researcher, what I particularly liked about this wasn't simply that it was "screen free". It was the thinking behind it. Removing the screen hadn't meant removing learning opportunities. Instead, it had prompted the team to think differently about how those opportunities could be created. It is a really interesting example of a school being prepared to question its own practice, try something different, observe what happens and continue learning from it. The Aviary: support without separation becoming the default Another incredibly important part of my visit was spending time in The Aviary. The Aviary is Stoke's specialist provision for pupils with additional learning and communication needs. It provides a structured and nurturing environment, with personalised learning, small-group teaching, communication and language development, sensory-aware spaces, social and emotional support and opportunities to develop independence and life skills. But again, reading a description of provision and actually experiencing the space are two very different things. The children I saw there appeared happy, comfortable and cared for. I loved the flexibility around how the space could be used. For some children, The Aviary provides the level of support they need throughout their school day. For others, access can be more fluid – providing additional support or a place to regulate during more challenging periods while still enabling them to spend time learning alongside peers within the wider school community where appropriate. I really liked that! Inclusion doesn't have to mean that every child is physically present in the same classroom every minute of every day. Sometimes inclusion means recognising that a child needs something different at that particular moment. A quieter environment. More individualised support. A different way of communicating. Time to regulate. A smaller group... And then, where it works for that child, opportunities to reconnect with their wider peer group. The important question here is "Does this child have what they need to belong, participate and thrive?" The Aviary felt like a really thoughtful example of that principle. Inclusion is something you experience I think that is probably my biggest reflection from the day. Schools can tell us that they are inclusive. They can write it into policies, websites and vision statements. But inclusion is ultimately something that children and families experience. It is in whether a child feels safe approaching their headteacher in the corridor. It is in whether an adult understands that regulation may need to come before learning. It is in whether environments can change when children need something different. It is in whether outdoor spaces are recognised as legitimate places for learning. It is in whether staff feel able to question established practice and ask, could we do this differently? And it is in whether children get the sense that the adults around them genuinely know and care about them. That was what I saw repeatedly during my time at Stoke. The school's stated aim is to inspire children through creative approaches to the curriculum, helping them become lifelong learners with high aspirations for their futures. Its values – being solution focused, truthful, optimistic, kind and empathetic – are displayed prominently on its website. From my short time there, what struck me was how much of that philosophy could be seen in the everyday life of the school. There will never be one model of inclusion that works perfectly for every school or every child. Contexts are different, communities are different and children's needs are different. But there is so much value in seeing schools that are prepared to keep asking questions, experimenting with their practice and thinking creatively about what their children need. I left Stoke with lots to think about – which, for me, is always the sign of a worthwhile visit. You can find out more about Stoke Primary School, including their work around The Roundhouse and The Aviary. I also captured some of my visit on video, so head over to the RECAP social channels to see the reel and have a little look around Stoke with me. Finally, a huge thank you to Matthew, Lucy, Sarah and the wider Stoke team for inviting me in, sharing your work so openly and taking so much time out of your day to talk to me. You made me feel incredibly welcome and very much part of the Stoke family for the day. Thank you for having me.

Emma Jones is a SEND consultant, SpLD teacher and Associate Lecturer in Education. She delivers inclusion and neurodiversity training to health and social care professionals and is a trustee for Space4Autism. Her work focuses on improving social understanding and advocacy for neurodivergent people. Emma is passionate about inclusion and ensuring every child's right to a high-quality, enjoyable and relational education. I quit my job as a mainstream class teacher and SENDCo for many reasons, but by far the greatest was the feeling that I was always failing children. I was trying to put out the fire from within the house. I couldn’t defend children against a failing system whilst I was still part of it. So, I branched into SEND roles that allow me to have a wider systemic impact, alongside teaching roles that let me support children as individuals. Whilst in school, I fought desperately to stop children getting lost in the system. Many found their way with the right support, but a few still stand out as particularly heartbreaking because of the extent to which the system made them look broken, when it was that same system at fault. It has always fascinated me how we, as adults, naturally gravitate towards different careers, lifestyles and environments. Some people thrive in offices, but others couldn't imagine anything worse. Some need constant variety, whilst others love routine. Some build things with their hands, and others spend their days analysing data. We accept these differences as perfectly normal. In fact, society depends on them. Yet when it comes to children, we often expect the opposite. We place them in the same environment, ask them to learn the same things, in the same way and at the same pace, then wonder why some flourish while others struggle. The same contradiction exists in the way we think about movement and behaviour. Adults fidget, doodle during meetings, make endless cups of tea and wander over to colleagues' desks because that's how many of us regulate our attention. Some choose physically demanding jobs because sitting still all day would drain the life out of them. Yet children are often expected to remain seated for hours, and some are punished for responding to the same needs we quietly accommodate in ourselves. Our curriculum reflects a similar desire for uniformity. There is, of course, value in ensuring every child leaves school with a broad foundation of knowledge. Literacy, numeracy and a shared understanding of the world open doors and help people participate fully in society. But beyond that, it becomes harder to justify expecting every child to learn the same things, at the same time, in the same way, regardless of their experiences, interests or developmental stage. As adults, we're usually comfortable acknowledging that we're all different. We know our strengths, our weaknesses and the environments in which we do our best work. Yet when we assess children, those differences often become deficits rather than differences. When we combine all these layers of standardisation, we create a system in which some children have little chance of thriving, despite the extraordinary efforts of the adults around them. I've seen exceptionally talented children spend hours in interventions designed to close gaps, when the system had simply failed to recognise where they already excelled. I've seen children labelled as underachieving when they were developing at a different, but equally valid, pace. The hardest cases are those who struggle not only academically but socially and emotionally. Again, these children are often offered interventions to fix them when they were never the problem. They are fish out of water and their flailing is inevitable. Of course, interventions absolutely have their place. Helping a child develop literacy, communication or social understanding can transform their opportunities, provided that support is delivered in a child-centred, inclusive way. Educators work incredibly hard to give children the best possible chance. But I often wonder how much easier life would be if we spent less time changing children to fit the system, and more time changing the system to fit children. There was one conversation I had repeatedly with several families in my time as SENCo: "Will my child always struggle like this?" a parent would ask. "No," I would say. "I genuinely don't think they will." "I think they'll leave school, find an environment that values the way they think, and realise they're actually very good at something. They'll find people who appreciate them, work that suits them and a place where their strengths make sense." I believed that every time I said it. The difficult part was knowing that, before they reached that point, they still had years left in a system that often measured them by how closely they resembled everyone else. This all sounds extremely negative, but recognising this problem also points us towards a solution. Rather than asking only how we can help a child pass their Year 6 SPaG test or achieve a particular GCSE grade, we should spend more time asking a different question: Where is this child trying to go? Not because childhood is simply preparation for adulthood. It isn't. Children's lives matter now. Their friendships, interests, wellbeing and sense of belonging are every bit as important as the people they'll become. But school was never meant to be the destination. The curriculum, assessments and qualifications are vehicles. They are tools that help children travel. Sometimes they're exactly the right vehicle. Sometimes they need adapting. Sometimes another route will get a child much further. If we mistake the vehicle for the destination, we end up measuring children by how well they fit school, rather than asking whether school is helping them become who they are. For some children, the most useful route will be an academic one leading to university. For others, it might involve vocational learning, creative pathways, supported employment, entrepreneurship or skills that don't fit neatly into a national curriculum. Some children need alternative ways to communicate what they know. Others need more time. Others simply need adults who can see beyond the next assessment point. The destination is different for every child. School is the vehicle, not the destination. Our responsibility isn't to produce children who fit one narrow definition of success. It's to build an education system flexible enough to help every child travel towards a future that is uniquely their own. Connect with Emma here: Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/emma-jones-322a77166 Website: https://www.brighterdayseducation.co.uk/

Lucie Wheeler is a Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University and Founder of RECAP. She is currently leading the pre-pilot phase of Unlocking Heritage, a collaborative project with English Heritage and Anglia Ruskin University exploring how heritage sites can better engage and support home educating families. When people hear the word research, they often imagine surveys, statistics and long reports. But some of the most valuable research begins with something much simpler. Listening. Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of travelling to Carlisle, Scarborough and Corbridge to meet home educating families as part of the pre-pilot phase of my latest research project, Unlocking Heritage. Working in partnership with English Heritage and Anglia Ruskin University, the project aims to explore how heritage sites can become more welcoming, accessible and meaningful for home educating families. At this stage, we haven't started the research pilot project - we're still seeking funding outcomes to deliver the full pilot later this year. These visits were part of what we have called the pre-pilot phase - listening before designing. Starting with the people who matter - Home Educating Families One of the biggest mistakes organisations can make is assuming they already know what people need. It's easy to think that because you've worked with families before, or because something works well for schools, it will naturally work for everyone else. Home education challenges that assumption. Every family I spoke to was different: Different educational philosophies. Different reasons for home educating. Different children's interests. Different support needs. And yet, despite all of those differences, some remarkably consistent themes emerged. It isn't about creating "special" heritage experiences Very few families asked for completely new activities. Instead, they asked for more flexibility. They wanted heritage organisations to understand that home education doesn't usually happen according to a timetable or a curriculum plan. One parent summed it up perfectly when explaining why booking educational visits weeks in advance can be difficult: "We don't know what our children will be interested in six weeks from now." For many home educating families, learning follows curiosity. A child's fascination with Romans, castles or archaeology might last a weekend - or six months. Being able to respond to those interests is one of the strengths of home education. Current booking systems don't always make that easy. Heritage is about much more than history Another thing that really stood out was how families described their visits. They weren't talking about ticking off curriculum objectives. Their visits were about about spending time together, building memories, exploring, asking questions, running around and playing. "Children don't want to just be learning all day." Learning doesn't only happen when someone is being formally taught. Children learn through climbing castle walls (or wishing they could!), pretending to be knights, dressing up, asking impossible questions and noticing tiny details that adults often overlook. Learning and enjoyment aren't opposites. They're often the same thing. The children had some of the best ideas Whenever adults are asked about improving services, we naturally hear adult perspectives. One of my favourite parts of these visits was asking children what they thought. Their ideas were imaginative, practical and wonderfully honest. They wanted: More dressing up. Archery. Treasure hunts. Climbing opportunities. More people in historical costume. Places where history felt alive. One child suggested: "The dead people should come alive and guide us around the castle." I absolutely loved that! Behind the humour is a really important message though... children want immersive experiences. They don't just want to be told history. They want to feel part of it. Small changes can make a big difference Some of the most powerful discussions centred around inclusion. Parents spoke about booking systems that unintentionally reflected school assumptions. Others talked about having children of different ages, making age-restricted activities difficult to access. Families of autistic children described both brilliant examples of inclusive practice and experiences that left them feeling excluded. One parent shared how a member of staff quietly handed them a sensory bag without drawing attention to their child. "No fuss," they said. "It made all the difference." Inclusion isn't about expensive resources, it's about understanding and feeling seen. Listening before leading And actually, my biggest takeaway wasn't about heritage at all. It was about research. As researchers, we can spend months reading literature, analysing policy and reviewing existing evidence. And yes, that is important. But nothing replaces sitting down with people over a cup of coffee and asking: "Tell me about your experiences." Many of the conversations I had confirmed things I'd read. Others completely challenged my assumptions. That's exactly what good research should do! What happens next? The community listening visits have already shaped the funding application for the main pilot. Ideas shared by families have directly influenced proposed activities, staff training, resources and project design. If funding is successful, the next phase will include a national survey, focus groups and co-produced activity workshops with families and English Heritage staff. The aim isn't to create new activities, it's to develop a better understanding of how heritage organisations can work alongside home educating communities to make historic places feel welcoming, flexible and relevant. If there's one thing these visits have taught me, it's this: The answers don't always sit in policy documents or academic journals. Sometimes they come from a child who wants Romans to come alive. Or a parent explaining why flexibility matters. Or a family simply saying they want heritage sites to be places where they can learn, explore and belong together. And that's exactly why listening should always come first. Thank you to all the families who spoke with me as part of my visits - your stories are what shapes this work! If you are a home educating family in England and you want to hear about how you can get involved when the pilot goes live, pop your email on this form and I will be in touch: https://forms.gle/o6ek4LdfyZc7XpMz7

One to one sessions can be a really useful tool for an individual who feels a bit stuck and unsure of what next steps to take to achieve their goals and aspirations.  Whether this be through the professional route with those working with children to find ways to support and empower through their work, or via the parent support route where we can support discussions around their child's education, how to manage specific parenting struggles or who to turn to to get advice and support. 1:1 Support 1:1 sessions and mentoring can be a really useful tool if you feel a bit stuck and unsure of what next steps to take to achieve your goals and aspirations. 1:1 RECAP has been designed to give parents a safe, supportive space to explore challenges, reflect on what’s working (and what’s not), and find clear, achievable steps forward - whether that’s around your child’s education, behaviour, confidence, or simply balancing the many demands of family life. We can work with you to help you identify clear goals and achievable, self led, targets to help you get there. 1:1 Support Sessions Choose from the following sessions: RE ~ CHARGE A one-off, focused support session designed to address a specific, pre-identified challenge. Together, we’ll explore the issue in depth and develop clear, evidence-informed strategies tailored to your unique context—giving you practical tools you can apply with confidence. Book Now RE ~ FOCUS A three-session mentoring program designed to help you regain clarity, build confidence, and move forward with renewed momentum. Each session is tailored to your needs, offering space for reflection, practical guidance, and achievable next steps. Book Now RE ~ ACTIVE A continuous mentoring approach designed to offer structure and support, while remaining adaptable to the changing needs of your family. Stay on track with guidance that evolves as you do. Monthly mentoring sessions. Book Now

Explore effective strategies for Inclusion in the Classroom. Learn from Chelmsford's leading Education Research Center on inclusive education. Inclusion in the Classroom What does it really mean to feel included at school and what gets in the way? This resource simplifies a rich study that explored how secondary school students and teachers experience inclusion during lessons. It looked at what helps young people feel like they belong, what makes them feel left out, and how teachers navigate the challenges of creating inclusive classrooms. Through interviews, reflections, and discussions using real classroom photos, the study uncovered the emotional, relational, and practical layers of inclusion, showing that it’s complex, changeable, and deeply personal. 💬 You'll find out what inclusion looks like in real classrooms, why it’s not just about special educational needs, and how relationships and emotions play a crucial role. 📌 Whether you're an educator, parent, or policymaker, this resource offers thoughtful takeaways and practical steps to help you support more inclusive learning environments for all students. 🔗 Want to explore the full research? Comparing young people with and without SEND and teaching staff’s experiences of ‘inclusions’ in English secondary school classrooms.

RECAP Ltd offer a range of First Aid training packages to suit your needs. Whether you are looking for face to face, online or a blended version of the two, we can help you. RECAP Foundations is the training arm of RECAP Ltd. Built on the same values that underpin everything we do, RECAP Foundations takes research, evidence, and real-life experience and brings it into practical, accessible training for families and those who support them. It’s where knowledge becomes action. Through workshops, courses, and hands-on sessions, RECAP Foundations focuses on building confidence in everyday life skills - from first aid and safety to wellbeing, communication, and beyond. Every session is designed to feel relevant, realistic, and rooted in the situations families actually face. At its core, RECAP Foundations is about empowering people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate real life - not just theory, but what it looks like day to day. What we offer RECAP Foundations works directly with both families and the professionals who support them. We know that children and young people don’t exist in isolation - they are supported by a network of parents, carers, educators, and practitioners. That’s why our training is designed to reach across this whole system, creating a shared understanding and consistent, confident approaches. Whether we’re working with parents in a relaxed, real-life workshop setting, or delivering training to teachers, school leaders, and healthcare professionals, our focus remains the same: to make evidence-informed knowledge practical, accessible, and genuinely useful. By bringing families and professionals together through a shared foundation of skills and understanding, we aim to create stronger, more connected support around every child. Parents / Carers 1:1 Support 1:1 support has been designed to give parents a safe, supportive space to explore challenges, reflect on what’s working (and what’s not), and find clear, achievable steps forward - whether that’s around your child’s education, behaviour, confidence, or simply balancing the many demands of family life. Family First Aid RECAP Parent First Aid Workshops are designed to make that knowledge accessible, practical and reassuring. Our workshops strip away medical jargon, focus on real-life scenarios, and create a calm, supportive space to practise the skills that matter most. Online Webinars Coming Soon Find out More Find out More Businesses, Settings & Organisations First Aid Qualifications For those requiring a formal, recognised qualification, RECAP is a registered PorTrainings First Aid Centre #92403. These accredited courses are designed for professionals working with children and families, ensuring you meet statutory requirements with high-quality, compliant training. If you’re looking to gain or renew a regulated first aid qualification, get in touch to find the right course for you. Find out More Supporting ND Employees- workshop Many organisations want to support neurodiversity but aren’t always sure what that looks like in practice. This training bridges the gap between intention and implementation, helping you understand how neurodiversity shows up in everyday working life. Grounded in research, lived experience, and real-world application, you’ll leave with practical, realistic strategies you can put into place straight away—supporting both your people and your organisation to thrive. Find out More Online Webinars Coming Soon Children Be Your Own Hero! Workshop Be Your Own Hero is a dynamic, interactive workshop designed for children aged 9–11 (Year 5/6), focused on building emotional literacy, confidence, and positive relationships through creative and engaging activities. This session creates a safe, supportive space where children can reflect on their strengths, explore their emotions, and develop practical strategies to support their wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. First Aid workshops - for children Coming Soon Life Skills Development Coming Soon If you are interested in one of our training packages, please contact us for booking information. First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!