Leading Inclusive Education: The Impact of a City’s Place-Based Pedagogical Partnership with Higher Education on Secondary School Inclusion

The focus of this article is leadership for inclusive education. The work presented explores a three-year (2021–2024) place-based pedagogical partnership (PBPP) with schools and higher education (HE) leading change for inclusion and school improvement across Plymouth city’s secondary school network. National and international governments emphasise the role HE has in partnering with its local communities to achieve equal education access, inclusive pupil progress and student equality. The aims of this project and partnership were firstly to build meaningful relationships across secondary school leadership teams, local council, regional government and two city universities, and secondly to develop sustained practices that had evidenced impact on inclusion. The data reported highlights how the project co-created new practices, communication channels and policies, which contributed to school improvement, inclusive education and the development of new pedagogy. A pedagogical partnership model was established, taking a critical collaborative approach in aims and working from a place-based, contextual space. Findings show how the partnership impacted on the collaboration style of school leaders; improved pupil attendance, attainment and achievement developed new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes; developed alternative education provision; and established a mentoring programme for school pupils. Outcomes and findings contribute knowledge to the evolving discourse of inclusive education, emphasising the relevance and impact of place-based pedagogic partnerships working across institutions to lead inclusion.