Preparing future educators for truly inclusive practice

Bensham Manor school is a maintained Special School in the London Borough of Croydon, providing outstanding education for 245 young people with complex special educational needs (SEN). We have established a strong and purposeful partnership with the Citizenship PGCE programme at UCL, centred on hosting trainee teachers annually and supporting their professional development as well as offering PGCE student placements. We are uniquely positioned to provide trainee teachers with meaningful exposure to inclusive practice in action.

The partnership

Each year, we welcome a group of PGCE students into our school, offering them opportunities to observe, engage, and reflect on teaching strategies tailored to diverse learners. This collaboration is rooted in a shared commitment to preparing future educators who are confident, reflective, and skilled in meeting the needs of all pupils, particularly those requiring additional support.

The partnership is both structured and responsive, combining in school experience with ongoing collaboration at programme level. PGCE students participate in a visit to our school in September at the start of their PGCE journey, where they observe lessons, interact with staff and pupils, and gain insight into adaptive teaching approaches. Alongside this visit, we provide a training session at UCL IOE which coincides with the start of their next placement, a point in the year for students to think and connect about their experiences and what they have learnt so far. Our partnership with UCL is focused specifically on deepening trainees’ understanding of teaching pupils with complex needs, including those SEND.

In addition to hosting students, we work closely with the Secondary PGCE Deputy Programme Leader (CPA) for Citizenship. Through this collaboration, we have contributed to the development of modules to support Citizenship, ensuring that our shared expertise informs the training of future teachers.

The results

This partnership has had a wider impact by enabling us to showcase our work as a school community and to share our expertise as a SEND setting. In particular, we have supported the programme in demonstrating how sustainability can be meaningfully promoted through a wide range of school-based projects. We have also contributed ideas and resources that can be embedded across subjects, supporting trainees and teachers to apply this learning across the whole curriculum.

The partnership is ongoing and highly collaborative, underpinned by regular professional dialogue. This ensures that the programme continues to evolve in response to the needs of trainees and schools, while maintaining a strong focus on inclusive and sustainable practice.

For our school, the partnership provides an opportunity to contribute to the development of the next generation of teachers while strengthening professional links with higher education. It also fosters a culture of reflection among our staff, as engaging with trainees encourages ongoing dialogue about best practice.

The impact of this partnership has been significant for both the trainee teachers and the wider PGCE programme. We know that, unlike UCL, many teacher training providers do not have the same level of commitment to supporting trainees to develop their understanding of SEND. For students, the experience provides valuable, practical insight into teaching in a setting that prioritises inclusion and personalised learning.

Exposure to pupils with complex needs helps to build confidence, challenge assumptions, and develop a more nuanced understanding of differentiation, behaviour support, and communication strategies. Many trainees student teachers report that the experience enhances their preparedness for the classroom and influences their approach to inclusive teaching in mainstream settings. It also provides insight into working within a SEN setting, and has already led to one trainee securing a teaching position at Bensham Manor.

At programme level, our contribution has supported the integration of SEND focused content into the Citizenship PGCE curriculum. The resources developed through this collaboration equip trainees student teachers with practical tools and strategies that they can apply in diverse educational contexts. This ensures that inclusive practice is not treated as an add on, but as a core component of effective teaching.

Overall, the collaboration has created a mutually beneficial relationship that supports high-quality teacher education and promotes inclusive values across both institutions.