Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils in schools in the UK: inclusion and ‘good practice’

Abstract

This paper examines inclusionary processes and examples of ‘good practice’ in primary and secondary schools for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils in one inner London Borough in the UK. It will explore the role of the Traveller Education Service (TES) and argue that the support provided by the TES to schools is essential for the development of ‘good practice’, but at the same time it stresses that the TES is not a substitute for the school’s educational and welfare responsibilities. The paper will also argue that the commitment of the head teacher and senior management team to the inclusive ethos of the school is crucial in setting the tone of the school towards positive treatment of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils. Where an inclusive ethos works successfully it is often the result of a wider social engagement between the school and community. The paper will draw on qualitative interview data with parents, head teachers, deputies, heads of year, teachers, and classroom assistants at the schools.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the London Borough of Greenwich (Education and Inspectorate Advisory Service) and the University of Greenwich (School of Education and Training) for providing funding to carry out the research. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not the funders. The authors would also like to thank the schools, the parents, and the TES for their time and willingness to participate in the research. They are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

Notes

1. The name of the school has been anonymised.

2. All names are pseudonyms.

3. All schools must provide this information since the publication of the Macpherson Report (Macpherson et al., 1999), which argued that all organizations in the UK were marred by institutional racism.