Inclusive Primary Teaching: A critical approach to equality and special educational needs and disability

About Helen ChilderhouseJanet GoepelSheila Sharpe

Janet Goepel has been a teacher for many years and developed an interest in special educational needs through having children with additional needs in her class.  She has taught children with profound and multiple learning difficulties who otherwise would have had to attend a special school.  She has also taught children with dyslexia dyspraxia ADHD as well as children who have social difficulties. Working with these childrenwas rewarding as well as challenging taught her a great deal and changed her practice as a teacher. She now teaches Inclusion at Sheffield Hallam University and hopes to pass on her passion for inclusive practice to trainee teachers. Helen Childerhouse is a senior lecturer in primary and early years teacher education at Sheffield Hallam University. She teaches on undergraduate modules that involve professional practice and supports trainees whilst they are on placement.  She also teaches on the modules which focus on inclusive practice. Sheila Sharpe is a Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. Her roles include Course Leader for the PG Cert Senco award and the Inclusion co-ordinator for the undergraduate and post graduate Primary and Early Years Teacher Education Programme. She has wide school experience in primary infant and nursery schools in two local authorities and has taught children from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures with a range of learning and emotional needs. She has been a SENCO in a primary school which provided insight in to the tensions that exist in schools surrounding inclusive education. She has also worked in an advisory capacity in a local authority giving support to teachers and schools for provision in meeting language and literacy needs of children. Her research interests are in enquiry-led learning for children and trainees.