AchieveAbility National Network

The vision of the AchieveAbility National Network is to work with practitioners and policy-makers to promote inclusive practice across all the educational sectors.

AchieveAbility is a National Network formed in 2004 as to promote awareness of the needs of those with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia or Specific Learning Differences (SpLD) in the learning environment and developed from the AchieveAbility Aimhigher National Project: a HEFCE funded activity undertaken by a group of partner organisations between October 2004 and July 2006. In 2007 AchieveAbility was launched as a National Network by Network President Barry Sheerman MP.

We will emphasis the qualities learners bring to education and training through action based research that demonstrates the underpinning knowledge of learning and challenges training provision for inclusive practice. The AchieveAbility research methodology statement is as follows:
‘AchieveAbility engages with action research as a method of "learning through doing" that is both reflective and inclusive and which aims to enhance practice through project based collaboration’.

The Network is built upon partnership and collaborative working and thus is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible and supportive working and learning environment for all involved.To this end the AchieveAbility National Network, has a strong commitment to embracing diversity and promoting equality within the working and learning environment based on mutual respect and dignity for all colleagues and learners. The Network is highly committed to ensuring that all central staff, members, partners and learners are treated fairly. We aim to create a barrier-free way of working and learning for all involved in the AchieveAbility National Network.

Goals:

To initiate and participate in discussion, research and develop projects to mainstream equality and access issues related to the educational involvement of all learners

To challenge and enhance Initial Teacher Training provision for inclusive practice

To undertaken research that demonstrates the need for an underpinning knowledge of learning differences across all sectors of education and training

To emphasis the qualities that neuro-diverse learners bring to education and training

Objectives:

To share and disseminate good practice and information across the educational sectors

To undertake collaborative research to bring value to the learning environment

To seek to better inform the process of policy formulation in this area through the dissemination and discussion of our research findings.

To provided access to and develop materials to support widening participation linked to teaching and learning for learners

To highlight key issues that reduce the effectiveness of neuro-diverse learners in their learning and develop strategies to address them

To identify and engage in proactive initiatives and comment to support neuro-diverse learner attainment

To promote collaborative activity amongst partners to reinforce capacity in policy formulation and professional practice.