![11444 [leading-an-inclusive-school.jpg]](/assets/inclusive-education/guides/featured-images/_resampled/ScaleWidthWyIzMjAiXQ/leading-an-inclusive-school.jpg)
Leading schools that include all learners
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Updated
Strategies to ensure all students are supported to engage, participate, and achieve in ways that honour and value diversity.
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Understanding inclusive practices
Key concepts, terms, and Government priorities relating to inclusion.
Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Summary of important concepts:
Strategies for action
Three key strategies for developing an inclusive school where all students are supported and diversity is valued
Leading with moral purpose
All educational leaders, including middle and senior leaders, are responsible for leading a school that that values the presence, participation and achievement of every learner.
![8737 [The-educational-leadership-model.jpg]](/assets/inclusive-education/example-images/The-educational-leadership-model.jpg)
The educational leadership model (ELM).
Six suggestions for implementing this strategy:
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Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Model the use of inclusive language
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Have high expectations for all learners
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Partner with external agencies
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Meeting students' learning support needs
Includes:
- Resources
Strategically resourcing for inclusive practices
Principals, with the support of effective boards of trustees, coordinate time, money, people and actions to maximise the effectiveness of school-wide inclusive practices, including harnessing expertise in the community.

These guidelines are a valuable resource for boards on how to show moral leadership and build an inclusive school with confidence.
Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Four suggestions for implementing this strategy:
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Identify and plan how to meet students' learning support needs
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Plan actions and resourcing with BOT
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Support professional learning in inclusive practices
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
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Includes:
- Resources
Leading learning to support inclusive practices
How do we lead learning in inclusive practices “where everybody’s in and not excluded intentionally, by design, or unintentionally?” (Edgar Schmidt).
Edgar Schmidt discusses how to create a school district where everybody’s deliberately included.
Closed Captions
Four suggestions for implementing this strategy:
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Review inclusive practices, transitions, and pathways
Includes:
- Resources
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Provide vision and active oversight of teaching and learning
Includes:
- Video
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Make decisions informed by data
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Support collaborative planning and problem solving
Includes:
- Video
- Resources
Key resources

Success for All – Every school, Every child
Read time: 9 min
This strategy has been developed to support the vision of a fully inclusive education system.
Publisher: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
- Download PDF
What an inclusive school looks like
Read time: 5 min
This information sheet describes what an inclusive school looks like and feels like. Use it to help reflect upon and review the inclusive values, policies, and practices in your school.
Publisher: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
- Download PDF

Wellbeing for success: A resource for schools
Read time: 34 min
This Education Review Office (ERO) resource has been developed to help schools evaluate and improve student well-being. It highlights the need for systems, people, and initiatives to respond to wellbeing concerns for students who need additional support.
Publisher: Education Review Office | Te Tari Arotake Matauranga

Implementing an inclusive curriculum
From the NZ Curriculum Online resource: Inclusive Practice and the School Curriculum
Publisher: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Index for Inclusion Network: Developing a framework of values
The framework of values approach is a process to spur communities from identifying shared values to action. The ideas and processes can be used as whole-school initiatives or by individual teachers, managers, and boards of trustees. This tool is part of the UK's Index for Inclusion.
Publisher: Index for Inclusion Network
Responding to neurodiversity in the education context: An integrative literature review
This report presents findings of an integrative literature review designed as one response to Priority 4: Flexible supports for neurodiverse children and young people, articulated in the New Zealand Learning Support Action Plan 2019 – 2025. The review explored research and other resources to identify new or innovative strategies or approaches to neurodiversity with the potential to be implemented in primary and secondary school contexts in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Publisher: Donald Beasley Institute
- Download DOCX (137 KB)
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Leading inclusive schools
Understand:
Strategies for action:
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Leading with moral purposeShow suggestions for Leading with moral purpose
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Strategically resourcing for inclusive practicesShow suggestions for Strategically resourcing for inclusive practices
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Leading learning to support inclusive practicesShow suggestions for Leading learning to support inclusive practices