Challenges and opportunities for including EU migrant pupils in English educational system.

Schools in England are experiencing changes in pupil composition as a result of the current influx of EU migrant pupils in education. They are transforming themselves to meet with challenges of inclusion and standards for all pupils. However, there are increasing concerns by schools, individuals and local authorities on their background and the processes of meeting their needs. The main purposes of this research are to (a) explore the processes for including EU migrant pupils; (b) assess the challenges and opportunities faced by teachers and their leaders in schools; and (c) suggest fruitful ways for inclusion of EU migrant pupils. This study particularly examined the role of the school leaders and teachers in inclusion, the responses and reorganisation in teaching and learning to meet the needs of the EU migrant pupils, and the requirements of policies of inclusion and standards. The study adopts exploratory qualitative study utilising two stages of study whereby the first stage was designed to inform the second stage in order to explore the associated research objectives and questions. The study adopted multiple case methodology which consists of four case study schools. It also utilised critical review of literature to explore leadership ideas, education policies, teacher beliefs and values and pedagogical practices. Document analysis was used to analyse schools policy documents. In-depth interviews were carried out to get the views and experiences of head teachers and teachers. The data analysis was based on interpretivist approaches and underpinned by institutional theory concepts such as loose coupling, legitimacy and sensemaking.There are evidence that although schools change leadership structure and made provision for leading inclusion, there were traces of weak commitment. Teachers believe that inclusion of EU migrant pupils is enhanced by teaching assistants (TAs). Continuing professional development (CPD) was mostly internal. Mainstreaming and pull-out programs are jeopardized by best practices that seem not to work. The findings suggest evidence of loose coupling across the macro and micro domains. However, schools recoupled to face the challenging and uncertain future of EU migrant pupils through novel teaching and learning practices such as Pre-teaching, Teaching and Post teaching (PTP) approaches, and LOVE writing. This study contributes to theory building through an integrated look at inclusion problems across shifting policy epochs. It suggests pathways for improving the coupling and intervention processes with respect to inclusive education. This is the first time that such an in-depth look at inclusive learning is conducted across key policy and intervention domains.