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The BERA Guide to Implementing Inclusive Education offers a critical exploration of how inclusive education is understood, shaped, and enacted across the four countries of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Bringing scholarly debate into dialogue with legislation, policy, and practice, the book reveals how devolution has produced distinctive national approaches, while exposing the shared challenges that continue to define inclusive education across the UK.
Drawing on rich case studies of promising practice alongside barriers that can hinder meaningful inclusion, contributors from across the UK—including academics, school practitioners, and early career researchers—offer a rigorous and wide-ranging account of each country’s policy landscape. Chapters map the legislation and research shaping inclusive education today, while critically assessing how national context influences both ambition and implementation.
Published in partnership between the British Educational Research Association (BERA) and Emerald Publishing, The BERA Guides series provides concise, research-informed, and accessible introductions to key interdisciplinary issues in education.
Chapter 1. Implementing Inclusion: Setting the Scene; Rhiannon Packer, Megan Hicks, and Laura Williams
Rhiannon Packer is a Senior Lecturer in Additional Learning Needs (ALN) at Cardiff Metropolitan University, where she also leads the ALN pathway for the National Doctor of Education (EdD) programme. With a background in secondary education and a PhD focused on Welsh-medium education, Rhiannon’s work bridges inclusive practice, bilingualism, and learner wellbeing.