The search for a model of effective inclusive practice through the Young Enterprise Scheme

Abstract

Many practitioners are now grappling with the practical realities involved in collaborations between mainstream and special schools. Colin Gladstone is a teacher at Greenside, a special school in Hertfordshire. In this article he describes his experience of running a Young Enterprise Scheme project linking teenage students with severe learning difficulties with students from a mainstream secondary school. Colin Gladstone used a Best Practice Research Scholarship (BPRS) and his MEd studies to carry out sustained research into the processes and outcomes of this project named, by the students, ‘The Green Team’. The project was clearly a success on many levels, promoting teamwork, collaboration and friendship between the students. It led to accreditation for some and enhanced personal autonomy for others. Colin Gladstone's conclusions will be relevant to practitioners wishing to expand the curriculum for students with and without learning difficulties; to policy makers who wish to promote more active links between mainstream and special schools; and to researchers who wish to engage students in enquiry processes.