Inclusive education is the cornerstone of educational psychology service (EPS) work in Hillingdon – and the principal educational psychologist who leads the service, Ingrida Stankeviciene, has as clear a conviction of what the service isn’t about, as she does of what it is. “Inclusion is not just being allowed to come to school,” Stankeviciene says. “Inclusion is about making sure that every child has an identity within that setting. They feel they belong there. They sense they are being accepted and not judged. And they are not being reminded of what they cannot do, but also being praised for the things they’re making progress on.”
It is a philosophy that underpins the local authority’s provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), and its investment in the EPS to bring about positive change in the lives of children and young people.
