Telling a compelling story: managing inclusion in colleges of further education

Abstract

Taking as its starting point a series of interviews with senior and middle managers in FE colleges across the country, this paper argues that the values and practices which reflect a commitment to inclusive education and training are unlikely to become effectively embedded within the organisational structures and ethos of a college simply through requirements for compliance with appropriate or ‘fashionable’ classroom practices; or through hard ‘selling’ by senior management; or through claims made in policies and mission statements. It suggests instead that a sense of meaning and shared values can be created most effectively and authentically when managers at all levels undertake to explore the ways in which organisational values and the personal values of their teams can be brought into alignment.