Inclusion continues to be a hot topic in education, and while schools have made tremendous strides in fostering inclusivity, several barriers remain, particularly league tables and Ofsted defining school intent.

In our latest episode of the SENDcast, Dale speaks with Maria Dawes, CEO of the Schools Alliance for Excellence. Maria shares valuable insights on how schools can leverage self-evaluation to drive continuous improvement in inclusion, especially for underserved learners.

What resonated with me was Maria's approach to shifting the focus from proving effectiveness to genuinely improving practices and being experts in your own setting. She emphasises that by fostering a culture of robust self-evaluation, school leaders can take ownership of their actions and create an environment where all students feel included and supported, regardless of their backgrounds or needs.

Maria developed the Surrey Inclusion Framework to facilitate meaningful discussions and thorough self-assessments around inclusion. As she aptly states, “There are things that you can do that don't make you fundamentally more inclusive; inclusivity is a culture.”

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About Maria Dawes

Maria is the CEO of Schools Alliance for Excellence and STSN, a school-led company that provides school improvement, curriculum and leadership development for schools in Surrey and other local regions. She has a strong track record of working collaboratively and in partnership with a range of agencies to support schools to improve rapidly and sustain improvement. 

Maria is passionate about a school-led system, believing bringing all schools, providers and partners together creates an educational landscape that is more than the sum of its parts.  She also believes strongly in equity of opportunity and inclusion. She has an unwavering desire to ensure that all young people get the education they deserve including those with additional needs, and those that are vulnerable and underserved.  

Her previous roles included a number of senior leadership posts in schools, Senior HMI and Deputy & Regional Schools Commissioner.

 

Contact Maria

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/company/schools-alliance-for-excellence/

 

Useful Links

VLOG  - a new way for school accountability

Blog - inclusion self evaluation 

 

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