1. The Inclusive Curriculum at Manchester Met
This resource is designed to support faculties, departments, programme and unit teams in considering the essential elements of Inclusive Curriculum design.

2. What do you understand by these terms?
Similar but different?
What do you understand by these terms?
Use three post-its to construct a ‘word equation’ using symbols or words and phrases to connect the three terms:
Diversity
Inclusion
Equality
Then annotate to construct a ‘manifesto’ for achieving change in your context.

3. An Inclusive Curriculum
Disability Service
One possible ‘manifesto’ might read like this:
An ‘Inclusive Curriculum’ is one that is accessible to all (INCLUSION), designed through a commitment to an inclusive culture in teaching & learning.
We must offer a curriculum that, through excellent design and consideration of student characteristics (DIVERSITY), addresses factors that make it more / less likely that a student will progress through their studies Creating a sense of belonging (for students and staff) in inclusive academic communities.
We believe that if we strive for the above, we will embed opportunities for ALL students to be successful (EQUALITY).

4. The Equality Act (2010) provides legal protection for a number of ‘Protected Characteristics’ (e.g. gender, age, disability, race). However, inclusive practice in teaching and programme delivery goes well beyond these characteristics, and includes all students.
An inclusive curriculum should reflect the multiple identities of the student body, shaped by prior experience, circumstances, disposition, and culture.
An inclusive programme will also acknowledge that this diversity influences each student’s ability to study, their effort, engagement, motivation, attainment, strengths and weaknesses, and overall performance.

5. The Case for Change – why do we need to make our curriculum more inclusive?
In your team discussions, you need to consider:
the ‘case for change’
criteria for success
how you will achieve and evaluate your success

6. Inclusive design and practice in curricula is in itself anticipatory of a diverse student population, and enables us to embed quality enhancements within the overall programme structure. There is generally clear advice and guidance available to support the design and delivery of inclusive teaching but designing and managing programmes to be inherently inclusive and ensure they deliver equality and support success among diverse student populations is much more of a challenge. . . You will need to consider:

7. DIVERSITY PRIOR TO UNIVERSITY and ON TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY
Educational
Dispositional
Circumstantial
Cultural
Use this to consider students’ prior experiences and how they might influence their experience of starting at the university
Figure 1: Dimensions of diversity (Based on Thomas and May, 2010)

8. Level / type of previous qualifications Skills and abilities Knowledge
Educational
Level / type of previous qualifications
Skills and abilities
Knowledge
Educational experience
Life and work experience
Approach to learning
Dispositional
Identity
Self-esteem and self-awareness
Confidence
Motivation
Expectations
Attitudes and beliefs
Circumstantial
Age
Disability
Employment
Caring responsibilities
Location and environment
Financial
Cultural
Language
Religion and belief
Country of origin
Ethnicity/race
Social background
Figure 1: Dimensions of diversity (Based on Thomas and May, 2010)

9. But what about the signalling effects of expectations throughout students’ learning? What about our own unconscious biases?
To what extent has a student been categorised as more / less likely to succeed by the time they arrive in HE? Has categorisation (by teachers, society, family) determined a particular pathway through every stage of learning?
For example, is a student with Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) more likely to be directed into vocational courses at an earlier stage? Do we compound a sense of ‘second class learner when they join the university?
To what extent do our own expectations of students in different groups inform our thinking about how likely they are to be successful.
To what extent to we design and deliver our curriculum based on what we have always done, or for the students we wish we had?

10. DIVERSITY WHILST AT UNIVERSITY ManMet has funding from the ‘Addressing barriers to student success’ HEFCE Catalyst Fund for the Student Ambassadors project, which is focusing on the experiences of BAME students and those who have previously studied BTEC qualifications. The HEFCE commissioning report highlighted four types of explanatory factors for differential outcomes for students
Curricula and learning, including teaching and assessment practices
Different student groups have different levels of satisfaction with what they learn and with the user-friendliness of learning, teaching and assessment practices.
Relationships between staff and students and among students
A sense of ‘belonging’ is a key factor that influences student outcomes.
Social, cultural and economic capital
Recurring differences in how students experience higher education, how they network and how they draw on external support. Students’ financial situations also affect their student experience and their engagement with learning.
Psychosocial and identity factors
How far students feel supported and encouraged in their daily interactions within their institutions and with staff members was found to be important. Such interactions can both help and limit students’ learning and attainment.
What can you do, in the design and delivery of your curriculum, and the learning experience, to alleviate these factors?

11. Principles for Inclusive Curriculum Design
Transparent
Collaborative
???
Equitable
Anticipatory
Accountable
Flexible
???
Questions to consider:
What other principles are important in your context?
How do these principles translate into practice in your area?

12. Meeting the Needs of Our Students
Manchester Metropolitan University expects all programmes to design and deliver an inclusive curriculum that reduces the need to make individual adjustments for many students. Changes to government funding mean that a smaller group of students with very specific learning support needs receive additional resources.
Embedding Reasonable Adjustments Across the Curriculum (ERAC) was an attempt to address the needs of a larger group of student with mild to moderate learning support needs within an inclusively designed curriculum.
Where ERAC has been implemented, it has worked well but there are inconsistencies in how has been rolled out and adopted so a re-focusing of the core requirements through the Inclusive Curriculum Project is timely.
Whilst it is possible to design and inclusive curriculum that meets the broad expectations of a diverse student cohort, some students require specific support and adjustments to the curriculum to meet their needs (Fig. 3).
Within the Inclusive Curriculum guidance, there are a number of Core Expectations identified by the Disability Service that ensure disabled students are able to access the curriculum – these are referenced in standardised and individual PLPs for disabled students and students will be made aware of these expectations.

13. Students with PLP Complex
The Inclusive Curriculum
Staff are responsible for ensuring recommended reasonable adjustments are implemented alongside core elements of the Inclusive Teaching Checklist which are essential for this group of students.
Inclusive Curriculum Programme Design
Inclusive Teaching Checklist
PLP Rationale Document
Essentials for Disabled Students
Students with PLP Complex
This PLP contains more detailed reasonable adjustments designed to meet the needs of disabled students with more complex conditions.
Staff are responsible for ensuring reasonable adjustments are implemented alongside core elements of the Inclusive Teaching Checklist which are essential for this group of students.
Inclusive Curriculum Programme Design
Inclusive Teaching Checklist
PLP Rationale Document
Essentials for Disabled Students
Students with PLP
This PLP contains reasonable adjustments which meet the needs of a large group of disabled students. This includes students with mild/moderate Specific Learning Difficulties.
All Students
Staff are responsible for ensuring the core elements of the inclusive curriculum are in place. This is achieved by designing inclusive programmes which incorporate inclusive teaching, delivery and assessment.
Inclusive Curriculum Programme Design
Inclusive Teaching Checklist
All Students are entitled to an inclusive curriculum, which enables them to achieve and be successful regardless of individual attributes and characteristics .
This approach replaces ‘ERAC’.

14. Elements of Curriculum Design Use this model as the basis of your action planning, together with the ‘Inclusive Curriculum Programme Planning Checklist’
Programme Aims
Intended learning Outcomes
Academic / Competence Standards
Syllabus Content
Teaching and Learning Resources
Teaching Methods
Learning Activities
Assessment and Feedback
Concept
Plan
Delivery
Student Feedback
Review

15. The Inclusive Curriculum Charter Mark