I am concerned about the increase in special units being created in mainstream schools under the banner of ‘inclusive education’. I am told by DfE insiders that politicians love it. My worry is that, in some contexts, this may be yet a further move to segregate some learners.

Introducing Pete Robinson, the new Belfast Community Research and Innovation Network Coordinator who will be working alongside QCAP and six inner-city communities in Belfast. More about Pete here: tinyurl.com/z9fewtfh UK Research and Innovation The Young Foundation

🚨 New app launch! 🚨 Explore every primary school in Ireland, 1824–5, with an interactive map 📜🏫 Find details on each school's master, building condition, number of pupils, and religious affiliation. 👉 ceph.shinyapps.io/prenatschool/ #IrishHistory #DataVisualisation #Ireland

A County Armagh school is bidding to be the first outside Belfast or Londonderry to be named a School of Sanctuary bbc.in/4k55qpX

Today we are publishing a report, commissioned by Pobal, on social inclusion in Ireland. We examine how potential barriers to social inclusion have changed over time (2016-2022) and if disadvantaged communities are particularly adversely affected. esri.ie/publications/b…

"We should be revisiting the education system and looking back to policies that once demanded our attention and promised a brighter future for the arts sector and society." Hugh Odling-Smee is this week's guest contributor to Pivotal Platform. pivotalppf.org/our-work/pivot…

🚨Job Opportunity🚨 The Market Development Association are currently recruiting a Housing Development Coordinator. See link below for more information👇 communityni.org/job/housing-de…

New paper published today! In it I look at how different members of school staff view working conditions in their school (including TAs, teachers, office staff). Important as only half of school staff are teachers! Lets not forget the other half! tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

Today, Niki and Pete are in London, representing Belfast Community Research and Innovation Network (BCRIN), at UKRI The Young Foundation "Pushing Boundaries" conference, focusing on community-driven research and innovation. #PushingBoundaries

Huge congratulations to the Government of Lao PDR, UNICEF & Arm! This is what innovation for impact looks like. Empowering young people & communities with real-time data is a big step toward healthier futures. UNICEF Laos UNICEF East Asia Pacific UNICEF UK

QCAP PhD student Amy O'Riordan reflects on her three-month placement with Market Development Association tinyurl.com/mwaawrc9

It's summer, but our research on post-primary transfer doesn't stop! We're still keen to speak to parents in Belfast and Newry whose children will be going into P7 or Year 8 in September. Please share! forms.office.com/e/9QeTwDryqJ

There is a broader debate outside of bonfires that we need to have about what we are happy for all working-class areas to put up with. Would this honestly have been left without action for years in a more leafy area of the city? Probably not is the answer.

Just out in EMAL Journal: this study explores how school leaders in Scotland manage the complex task of boundary-spanning, building relationships across different sectors & hierarchies to foster collaboration and drive school improvement. 🔓#OpenAccess doi.org/10.1177/174114…

We’re committed to helping people across Northern Ireland reskill, upskill and thrive in a rapidly changing job market. That’s why we’re offering free postgraduate courses through SKILL UP. What’s stopping you from levelling up? Funded by the Department for the Economy, SKILL UP

Why do so many schools sit empty after 5pm? Let’s design them as community hubs — with crèches, 4G pitches, gyms, & flexible spaces for all. Health, childcare, education & sport under one roof = savings + stronger connections. Schools should serve everyone, not just students.

Dr Katherine Gulliver University of Plymouth Göteborgs universitet / University of Gothenburg Ulster University Dublin City University Angeliki Kallitsoglou, PhD, CPsychol University of Exeter Alton Community Playschool/ Cristina M. Dr Dr Stephanie Maguire and Dr Gareth Robinson (Queen's University Belfast 🎓) Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP) Dr Dr Catherine Wilkinson (Liverpool John Moores University) Dr Steve Watson Steve Watson and Alastair Amos, M.Ed. candidate Cambridge University Leventhorpe School, Hertfordshire

'The wealth of the world’s richest increased by $34trillion since 2015. If we took that money - not their entire wealth, just the interest on their wealth over ten years - we’d end global poverty 22 times over' 👇