Shaping Diversity, Enabling Participation – Index for Inclusion

Inclusion does not begin with isolated measures, but with attitude.
The Index for Inclusion – developed by Tony Booth and Mel Ainscow – is a practice-oriented tool to co-design participation, diversity, and equity in educational institutions. In this unit, you will learn how to use the Index with your team to initiate concrete change – supported by shared values and dialogue.

Warm up

Inclusion is a continuous process. It begins with language, relationships, and attitude – and becomes visible in co-design, flexibility, and diversity.

  • Where do you (unconsciously) contribute to exclusion?

  • Which of your routines are inviting – which are excluding?

  • What does “Everyone belongs” mean to you concretely?

Exchange with your buddy:
When have you personally felt excluded?

 

Learn

All children and adults – regardless of origin, gender, language, religion, age, abilities, sexual orientation, or behaviour – should feel welcome, safe, seen, and involved.
 

The Index for Inclusion was developed in 2002 by Booth & Ainscow in Great Britain and is used worldwide.

Its goal is to support schools and early childhood centres in inclusive school development – with the help of guiding principles, reflection questions, and practical ideas.

Three dimensions of the Index:

  • Shaping culture inclusively: shared values, belonging, respectful relationships

  • Developing structures inclusively: resources, responsibilities, decision-making processes

  • Implementing practice inclusively: didactics, participation, differentiation, feedback

It is not “children with deficits” who should adapt – but the institution should change so that everyone can belong.

MORE INFO ABOUT THE INDEX 

HERE


Read the first 10 guiding principles.

The first 10 guiding principles of the Index for Inclusion     

HERE

Or download the Index 

HERE

Mark three statements that particularly appeal to you – and one that irritates you.

Done?

Exchange with your buddy:


Where does this show up in your everyday life?

 

Dive in 1

Inclusion is not a static condition, but an active, ongoing design process. It begins with the conscious attitude that difference is normal – and that educational institutions are responsible for recognising barriers and actively enabling participation for all.

The Index for Inclusion offers not only inspiration in this process, but also concrete guiding questions and action perspectives.

Key elements of successful inclusion:

  • Participation of all groups: children, parents, staff, leadership – all must be involved in decision-making processes, not only informed. Participation is an attitude, not a method.

  • Reflection on routines: Who is allowed to speak? Who participates in decisions? Which habits may be excluding?

  • Dialogue culture instead of individual case solutions: Instead of reacting to problems with isolated measures, structures are needed in which diversity is considered from the outset.

  • Barrier awareness: Inclusion also means recognising and jointly removing linguistic, digital, spatial, social, and emotional barriers. This starts with simple wording, extends to materials, and ends with the question: “Who can safely show themselves here?”

  • Inclusive didactics and learning settings: Flexible methods, individualised task formats, visual and linguistically simplified materials enable participation at different levels. Quiet children, neurodivergent learners, and multiply marginalised young people must also be considered in planning.

Creating framework means: Children do not have to “adapt”; instead, they may co-design their form of participation. Inclusion means changing the space so that it accommodates and integrates different behaviours, perspectives, and needs.

Transfer 1

Choose one guiding principle question from the Index together with your buddy.

Index questions for practice

  • Observe your institution over one week with a focus on this aspect.

  • Record: What strengthens inclusion – what hinders it? What would be a concrete next step?

Transfer 2

Sharpen your individual “inclusion lens”:

  • Choose an everyday situation (e.g., greeting, parent meeting, group transition).

  • Analyse it in terms of participation: Who is addressed – who is not?

  • Use the reflection framework from the Index (e.g., “room design”, “decisions”).

  • Formulate a concrete step for change.

Here you will find a selection of reflection frameworks 

 

In the Index you will find much more.

HERE

 

Reflect

Reflect

Select an area (“Develop structures inclusively”) – and plan concrete change:

  • e.g., How can decision-making processes become more participatory?

  • Which barriers are certain children currently experiencing?

Plan a team meeting with evaluation and goal setting.

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