EE5001 Leadership Skills for Inclusive Practice Assessment Part A and Part B Brief

EE5001 Assessment Part A and Part B brief

Completion Requirements

What is assessment A?

• Part A: (1500 words): Complete a quality audit of your educational setting (audit template provided).
• Part B: 1500 words):Write a reflective commentary based on your audit findings, justifying the importance of inclusive practice and evaluating your role as an agent for change.

Important Information

• Word count: 3000 words +/- 10% (Including in text references).
• Weighting: 100%
• Submission: Both part A and B are submitted together as one document via Turnitin.
• Due date: 7^thDecember 2025

Learning outcomes

1. Outline legislation and professional guidance related to equality and inclusive provision.
2. Justify the importance of inclusion for children’s development and life prospects.
3. Critically reflect on their own role as an agent of change to promote the culture of inclusion.
4. Examine, evaluate their own practice and workplace environment, and develop strategies to promote inclusion.

The assessment must demonstrate clear engagement with all four learning outcomes.

Structure & Guidance

Part A: Quality audit (1500 words)

Using the Audit template provided, assess the quality of the following areas:

• Area 1: Supporting students’ identity and sense of belonging.
• Area 2: Supporting equality through parental partnership.
• Area 3:Supporting equality through the learning environment.
• Area 4: Supporting equality through practice.

For each area:

• Rate current provision based off evidence (no/some/significant/ extensive).
• Identify challenges in your setting.
• Outline changes required (In this section, think about your role as an agent of change).
• Consider strategies such as UDL, restorative practice, trauma informed practice, and culturally responsive practice. Reflect on whether these approaches are already in use in your setting, what they look like in practice, and if they are areas you feel need to be developed further.
• Use the class notes, module reading and reflective activities for prompts and examples.

Part B: Reflective Commentary (1500 words)

This section should: !!!!!!!!

• Define and discuss the concept of inclusion.
• Reference relevant legislation and professional guidance (e.g. EPSEN Act 2004, Education Act 1998, United Convention on The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2006/2018, Equality Acts, NCSE frameworks, Aistear/Siolta, AIM, etc).
• Evaluate how a setting implements inclusive practice (support with links to your setting here).
• Reflect on the importance of Inclusive practice for children’s development, wellbeing, and holistic learning.
• Analyse your own role as an agent of change:
  o promoting inclusion
  o modelling leadership
  o advocating for children and resources
  o challenging biases.
  o engaging in CPD.

Exploring an embedding inclusive approach such as UDL, restorative practice, trauma informed practice, and culturally responsive practice. Consider how these approaches could enhance your professional practice and the culture of inclusion within your setting.

• Critically examine challenges in your practice and setting and identify strategies for improvement.
• Reflect on your own self-awareness and professional growth and the impact that has on quality practice.
• Use the class notes for further guidance and prompts.

Questions to get you thinking

Part A

 When completing the audit consider:

• How does your setting support students’ identity and belonging? (policies, curriculum, daily practice). Are culturally responsive approaches visible?
• Are the students voices and cultural identities acknowledged and represented/respected?
• How are parents recognised as partners in their child’s education? Are restorative approaches to partnership evident or needed? Are there any challenges/ barriers in this area? (e.g. language, time, and trust).
• Is the learning environment physically and emotionally inclusive? (e.g. accessibility, resources, curriculum, teaching methods, anti-bias practices). How could UDL and trauma informed practice strengthen access, wellbeing, and participation?
• Do the staff actively promote equality and inclusion in their daily practice? How could structured frameworks like UDL or restorative practice enhance this?
• What challenges prevent full inclusion? (e.g. staffing, resources, training, policies, attitudes etc).
• As an agent of change what specific action could be taken to strengthen inclusive practice?

Part B

 When writing part B consider:

• What is inclusive practice and what does it mean within your role?
• Which legislation and frameworks most influence practice and how are they visible within your setting?
• Why is inclusion important for children’s development, wellbeing, and holistic learning.
• How do settings reflect inclusion? Does your settings ethos and practice genuinely reflect inclusion or are there areas for improvement (e.g. embedding UDL, trauma informed, restorative or culturally responsive approaches)?.
• As an agent of change what specific action could be taken to strengthen inclusive practice?
• How do you see yourself as an agent of change? (e.g. modelling inclusive values, challenging inequalities, supporting colleagues, advocating for students, engaging in CPD, and exploring new inclusive approaches etc).
• How can educators/ SNA’s ensure children voices and rights are heard and recognised? Why is this important for inclusive practice.
• What leadership skills do you use (or need to develop) to promote inclusive practice?
• How has completing this audit enhanced your learning and practice?

Important notices

• In text citations are included in the 3000-word count.
• Reference list must be included and in adherence with Portobello Harvard Referencing Guide.
• Minimum 20 -25 academic sources
• Must include relevant Irish legislation, policies and academic literature.
• The reflective commentary must be supported with relevant, and credible academic literature.

Submission must include

• Cover sheet (new one provided on the dashboard).
• Completed audit (part A).
• Reflective commentary (part B) completed on the same document as the audit.
• Reference list.

Further Tips

• Engage critically with LO1-LO4 throughout.
• Use class and modular notes, unit readings and reflective tasks to support you.
• Avoid description- show evaluation, justification and reflection.
• Make links between audit findings and your reflective commentary.
• Support Reflective Commentary points with academic literature.
• Show evidence of engagement with module readings, and wider research.

Queries

Please place all module related queries on the discussion board.

Unit Task

• Engage with the module content and make motes when undertaking reflective tasks.
• Begin to think critically about inclusive practice in your school/setting to examine, evaluate  develop strategies to promote inclusion.
• Reflective on how you can lead and support inclusive practice even if you are not in a leadership role
• Complete the Audit Then
• Consider links between the content of the Audit and legislation, and relevant professional guidance
• Critically reflect on their own role as an agent of change to promote the culture of inclusion
• Justify the importance of inclusion for children’s development and life prospects
• Complete the Reflective Commentary.

Summary

This unit has examined the requirements for completing the module assessment: Audit and Reflective Commentary.