School Inclusion – From theory to practice was founded by Loren Swancutt, a specialist in the field of inclusive education in Australia. Loren’s work exists to support schools and educators to advance inclusive education practices.
Working with School Inclusion:
School Inclusion is a leading consultancy and professional learning service in the field of inclusive education. We support schools and educators to initiate, strengthen, and sustain inclusive education in the Australian context.
School Inclusion’s work is driven by knowledgeable and highly skilled inclusive educators and school leaders who have extensive experience implementing and leading inclusive education practices in Australian schools.
Our Purpose:
School Inclusion’s purpose is to enhance the confidence and capability of Australian education professionals – school leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, allied health professionals, and pre-service teachers – to provide an inclusive education for all students.
We are focused on the realisation and advancement of inclusive schools and systems across Australia, and on implementing research-informed and innovative leadership and instructional practices.
Our work aligns with human rights frameworks including the principles embodied in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the most authoritative expression of the human rights of people with disability, including the right to inclusive education under Article 24 which is defined and clarified in General Comment No. 4 (Right to Inclusive Education).
Our Values:
At School Inclusion we value the following aspects:
Focused – our practices align with the authoritative definition of inclusive education as articulated in Article 24, General Comment No. 4, of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD)
Collaborative – we partner with education professionals, schools, and systems leaders to provide contextual professional learning that leads to transformative thinking and practice
Research Informed – we maintain currency with contemporary research and innovative ideas relating to inclusive education
Impactful – we seek to have a positive influence on the confidence and capability of education professionals and on student experiences and outcomes
Practical – as our motto suggests, we are focused on transforming theory and research into practice by ensuring all content is transferable and sustainable amongst the needs and priorities of busy classrooms and schools
About Loren Swancutt
Loren is a highly experienced inclusive educator and school leader who is committed to advancing the realisation of inclusive education within the Australian context. She has 15 years experience working with diverse students in a range of capacities across primary and secondary schools. This work has included classroom teacher, support teacher, and school leadership roles. She has designed and led successful whole-school inclusive reform at a complex and challenging high school, and has fulfilled system level coaching roles focused on building the capability of Principals and school leaders to engage in inclusive school improvement.
Loren is well known for her work regarding inclusive school reform and inclusive teaching and learning. She possesses a unique ability to interpret and consolidate theory and research into practical implementation that is effective, scalable, and sustainable in schools. This has led to Loren being consider an innovator and leader in the areas of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), inclusive instructional strategies, and curriculum adjustments. Loren also has a particular interest and skill set centred on supporting students with complex learning profiles to engage with grade-level, academic curriculum and regular classroom experiences.
Loren is a sessional academic for initial teacher education and Master level university courses, and presents on inclusive education topics at conferences around Australia. She is the co-fonder and national convener of the School Inclusion Network for Educators (SINE), which is a collaborative and supportive network of over 6000 likeminded inclusive educators from across Australia. She is the co-founder and Board Chair of Inclusive Educators Australia, a new Australian-first professional organisation centred on valuing, recognising, supporting and representing inclusive educators. Loren has a Master of Inclusive Education and is undertaking her Doctorate of Education (EdD) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She is a research student member of the Centre for Inclusive Education.
Master of Inclusive Education
Bachelor of Education (Primary & Special Education)
Research & Publications
Loren is currently undertaking doctoral research in the area of inclusive curriculum provision. Her research aims to investigate a systematic way that teachers can include students with complex learning profiles in grade-level, academic curriculum alongside peers in Australian classrooms.
Loren is the leading co-author of the chapter, Making Adjustments to Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment in Inclusive Education for the 21st Century edited by Linda J. Graham. She is currently writing a new chapter for the second edition of the text which will be released in 2023.
Presentations
Loren regularly presents on the topic of inclusive education at conferences and events across Australia. Below are examples of presentations that have been recorded and made publicly available.
School Inclusion 