Taking an inclusive turn

This special edition of the journal focuses on what is, arguably, the biggest challenge facing education systems, that of developing practices that will reach out to those learners who are failed by existing arrangements. Specifically, the papers look at ways of using the views of stakeholders in order to move schools and other centres of learning in a more inclusive direction. My own contribution is to provide an overall context for the ideas presented by the authors. I do this by first reflecting on what inclusion in education means and then outlining my own thoughts on what research suggests about strategies for moving thinking and practice forward. This leads me to stress the importance of evidence as a ‘lever for change’ (Ainscow, 2005, p. 111)