IN-hub

IN-hub is an engagement project led by the University of Exeter to improve resource provision for school-staff and increase inclusion for neurodiversity in schools.

^{“Neurodivergent” – umbrella term for a range of conditions}

Why is this project important?

Current schools census data shows that ~17% children in mainstream education have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England. Most of these children are considered “neurodivergent” – a term which encapsulates a wide range of brain differences (see image to the left).

With neurodiversity present in most classrooms, it’s crucial to support pupils with attainment, well-being and relationships – domains which many neurodivergent students struggle with in comparison to their peers.

School staff trained in education often report not knowing how best to support neurodivergent pupils or manage their symptoms in an education setting. In addition, many don’t know where to search for this information or resources which can help.

Our aim

To address these gaps in education, we want to create an “INclusive learning support HUB” – a free, searchable database, housing evidence-informed neurodiversity resources for educators. These resources will include:

Training materials
Curriculum plans
Fact sheets
Classroom strategies
Classroom resources (worksheets, activities etc.,)
… and more!

^{Initial concept for IN-hub search function}

We want these resources to be trust-worth, and easy for school staff to use. To do this, each resource listed in the database will be rated and appraised in 3 ways:

THEARI standards

We are going to give each resource a rating out of 5 stars for their use of evidence. We will adapt the Theoretical, Empirical, Applicable, and Replicable Impact (THEARI) standards for evidence in policy decision-making so that they are more relevant for educational resources to rate each resource.

You can find out more about the THEARI standards by clicking here.

Academic rating

An academic researcher with expertise in neurodiversity and education will rate each resource based on it’s relevance and the use of evidence to inform the creation of each resource.

Teacher/parent/child rating

A teacher, parent of a neurodivergent child, or a child will rate each resource for it’s ease or use, practicality, the length of time it takes to understand/implement the resource, and it’s relevance.