Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Inclusion4Schools (School-community Partnership for Reversing Inequality and Exclusion: Transformative Practices of Segregated Schools)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-05-01 bis 2025-01-31
The emerging European context is characterised by deepening inequalities and the disintegration of communities, especially in Central-Eastern Europe. In contrast to the power-relations of exclusion, the project aims to foster and promote pedagogical practices of inclusion, a culture of dialogue, and the transformation of unjust structures through education.
As a Coordination & Support Action, the Inclusion4Schools project extends its role to three main areas in the four countries of the consortium and in Europe.
- The first one is supporting educational research and development activities to address social inequalities.
- The second one is support for communities, social groups experiencing exclusion and for elementary schools dealing with vulnerable children through various activities.
- The third one is support for public education development programs, creators of school-models and pedagogical good practices to strengthen school-community cooperation.
As a Coordination & Support Action, the Inclusion4Schools project extends its role to three main areas in the four countries of the consortium and in Europe.
- The first one is supporting educational research and development activities to address social inequalities.
- The second one is support for communities, social groups experiencing exclusion and for elementary schools dealing with vulnerable children through various activities.
- The third one is support for public education development programs, creators of school-models and pedagogical good practices to strengthen school-community cooperation.
An extensive study of over 300 pages was produced to explore the factors influencing school segregation in four countries. To support the clarity of the project, a glossary was created defining frequently used terms. Additionally, the first methodology and monitoring workshop was successfully held. A comprehensive survey was carried out using a range of techniques, targeting 1,358 schools identified as being at risk of segregation across the four countries. The findings of this survey were compiled into a detailed 120-page report. Alongside this, an impact analysis ran throughout the project, with the results presented in a separate report.
To better understand the quality of statistical data available to measure social inequalities, 12 cross-sectoral think tanks were organised across Europe. These involved 195 key stakeholders from various backgrounds and sectors. Based on this work, a set of recommendations was developed. These recommendations were then shared publicly to encourage wider discussion and invite input from stakeholders and the general public.
In schools facing segregation, community-building activities were carried out across four countries. These reached 3,213 participants directly and over 70,000 people more broadly. A multilingual online platform was developed to help schools communicate with one another and share transformative and successful practices. This platform now contains 129 examples of good practices and 181 institutional profiles. Furthermore, 62 open school class sessions were held, with 2,023 participants attending across the participating countries.
To support stronger connections between schools and universities, eight focus group discussions were organised in three countries. The qualitative data collected from these discussions has been used in a comparative analysis to identify key insights.
A new School Self-Evaluation (SSE) method was developed to support schools in identifying their specific needs and areas for improvement. This approach encouraged self-reflection and allowed for bottom-up improvements within school communities. Interactive online seminars were held to introduce the method, and these were supported by teacher training sessions held during both summer and winter periods.
The project also built strong connections with more than 140 related initiatives. Thirteen awareness-raising events were organised, along with several awareness visits. These activities helped to spread the project's findings and inspire other future initiatives.
Collaboration with other research and innovation partners was supported. Two major outcomes of this were the creation of the online knowledge-sharing portal connecting with other projects, and the publication of a handbook titled Equity in Education: A Handbook for Participative Approaches in Research and Development to Address School Inequalities.
Various communication activities were carried out, including the launch of a website, social media channels, and the production of printed materials. More than 3,000 stakeholders were involved in events, and over 20,000 materials were distributed. Social media campaigns, policy briefs, and international conferences helped to further amplify the project’s impact.
To better understand the quality of statistical data available to measure social inequalities, 12 cross-sectoral think tanks were organised across Europe. These involved 195 key stakeholders from various backgrounds and sectors. Based on this work, a set of recommendations was developed. These recommendations were then shared publicly to encourage wider discussion and invite input from stakeholders and the general public.
In schools facing segregation, community-building activities were carried out across four countries. These reached 3,213 participants directly and over 70,000 people more broadly. A multilingual online platform was developed to help schools communicate with one another and share transformative and successful practices. This platform now contains 129 examples of good practices and 181 institutional profiles. Furthermore, 62 open school class sessions were held, with 2,023 participants attending across the participating countries.
To support stronger connections between schools and universities, eight focus group discussions were organised in three countries. The qualitative data collected from these discussions has been used in a comparative analysis to identify key insights.
A new School Self-Evaluation (SSE) method was developed to support schools in identifying their specific needs and areas for improvement. This approach encouraged self-reflection and allowed for bottom-up improvements within school communities. Interactive online seminars were held to introduce the method, and these were supported by teacher training sessions held during both summer and winter periods.
The project also built strong connections with more than 140 related initiatives. Thirteen awareness-raising events were organised, along with several awareness visits. These activities helped to spread the project's findings and inspire other future initiatives.
Collaboration with other research and innovation partners was supported. Two major outcomes of this were the creation of the online knowledge-sharing portal connecting with other projects, and the publication of a handbook titled Equity in Education: A Handbook for Participative Approaches in Research and Development to Address School Inequalities.
Various communication activities were carried out, including the launch of a website, social media channels, and the production of printed materials. More than 3,000 stakeholders were involved in events, and over 20,000 materials were distributed. Social media campaigns, policy briefs, and international conferences helped to further amplify the project’s impact.
A detailed study was carried out to explore the factors contributing to school segregation in four countries. To support a shared understanding throughout the project, a dedicated glossary was created. This glossary offered clear definitions specific to the project’s themes and became a foundational resource used in several areas of the work.
To gather diverse expert input on how to identify the key drivers of segregation, 12 cross-sectoral think tanks were held across 16 European countries. These events successfully brought together social researchers from across Europe to exchange views on how educational inequalities are perceived in different contexts. The outcomes of these discussions informed a set of policy recommendations that addressed the main issues raised by participants.
In schools affected by segregation, community involvement emerged as a promising approach for long-term transformation. Pilot projects were implemented using specially designed methodologies developed within the Inclusion4Schools project. Over the course of the project, a total of 80 community-building events and 62 open school classes were held in participating schools. These activities were closely monitored, and their outcomes led to the development of methodological recommendations to guide future practice.
To foster stronger collaboration between schools and universities, focus group discussions were organised in several partner countries. These discussions aimed to encourage open dialogue between teachers and academic professionals, helping to bridge theory and practice.
A key part of the project was supporting schools in evaluating their own progress. A framework was developed to help schools carry out self-evaluations, particularly focusing on transformative practices. This framework was adapted by each partner organisation to fit their local and institutional contexts and then put into practice.
Two major outputs further strengthened the knowledge base and outreach of the project. First, a knowledge-sharing portal was developed to support collaboration with other research and innovation initiatives. Second, a handbook titled Equity in Education: A Handbook for Participative Approaches in Research and Development to Address School Inequalities was published, offering guidance for researchers and educators engaged in tackling school inequalities.
The project's website and social media platforms continued to operate actively throughout. Promotional efforts were highly effective, exceeding expectations in terms of website reach, collaborative efforts, and community engagement. The project not only met its goals but surpassed them, significantly enhancing its visibility and impact.
To gather diverse expert input on how to identify the key drivers of segregation, 12 cross-sectoral think tanks were held across 16 European countries. These events successfully brought together social researchers from across Europe to exchange views on how educational inequalities are perceived in different contexts. The outcomes of these discussions informed a set of policy recommendations that addressed the main issues raised by participants.
In schools affected by segregation, community involvement emerged as a promising approach for long-term transformation. Pilot projects were implemented using specially designed methodologies developed within the Inclusion4Schools project. Over the course of the project, a total of 80 community-building events and 62 open school classes were held in participating schools. These activities were closely monitored, and their outcomes led to the development of methodological recommendations to guide future practice.
To foster stronger collaboration between schools and universities, focus group discussions were organised in several partner countries. These discussions aimed to encourage open dialogue between teachers and academic professionals, helping to bridge theory and practice.
A key part of the project was supporting schools in evaluating their own progress. A framework was developed to help schools carry out self-evaluations, particularly focusing on transformative practices. This framework was adapted by each partner organisation to fit their local and institutional contexts and then put into practice.
Two major outputs further strengthened the knowledge base and outreach of the project. First, a knowledge-sharing portal was developed to support collaboration with other research and innovation initiatives. Second, a handbook titled Equity in Education: A Handbook for Participative Approaches in Research and Development to Address School Inequalities was published, offering guidance for researchers and educators engaged in tackling school inequalities.
The project's website and social media platforms continued to operate actively throughout. Promotional efforts were highly effective, exceeding expectations in terms of website reach, collaborative efforts, and community engagement. The project not only met its goals but surpassed them, significantly enhancing its visibility and impact.