Transition, Inclusion and Partnership: Child-, Parent- and Professional-led Approaches in a European Research Project

Abstract

This paper utilises qualitative and quantitative findings from the Facilitating Inclusive Education and Supporting the Transition Agenda (FIESTA) project that carried out a survey of professionals and focus groups/interviews with parents and children to understand the context of transition, inclusion and collaborative working. The paper contrasts parent, professional and pupil views of different approaches to transition for pupils with additional support requirements in the partner EU countries of the FIESTA project (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Catalonia/Spain and Scotland/the United Kingdom). Transition from pre-school to primary school and from primary to secondary school is a period where professionals begin to meet and exchange knowledge. Although many significant developments have taken place, transition remains very challenging for European countries. This paper differentiates between transitions led by professionals, parents and children. It analyses transition practices in order to make recommendations on how we can move beyond rigid approaches to inclusion, shift power relations in service settings and enable more flexible, participatory and inter-relational approaches.