Inclusive education has become a corner stone of many government policies in an increasing number of countries, yet teachers have been found to hold mixed attitudes towards its implementation and usefulness. This paper, using English terminology and thinking, aimed to extend previous research on the effect of teacher attitudes towards inclusion in classroom learning environments, and to explore perceived adequacy of support, levels of stress, and willingness to include pupils with certain difficulties. Teachers (N=95) completed questionnaires on attitudes to inclusion, classroom learning environment, support, and stress.Pupils (N=2,514) completed a questionnaire on classroom learning environment only.Teacher attitudes towards including SEN pupils in mainstream settings were found to have a significant impact on how they managed their classroom learning environments and how adequately they perceived available support. Teachers with more positive attitudes towards inclusion were reported by their pupils to have classroom environments with greater levels of 'satisfaction' and 'cohesiveness', and lower levels of 'friction', 'competitiveness' and 'difficulty' than for those with teachers who held less positive attitudes. Teacher attitudes towards inclusion increased with greater perceived adequacy of both internal and external support. Teachers were less willing to include pupils with behavioural difficulties than pupils who were able/gifted or had physical difficulties, irrespective of attitude to inclusion.

This action research project considered whether significant improvements in child and young person behavioural and emotional mental health could be achieved using school-based play workers as opposed to qualified therapists. This was seen as being an important practice question as access to qualified play therapists was severely restricted with long waiting lists. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used as a pre-and post-intervention measure to identify any changes following non-directive play sessions with school staff. Significant improvements were found across all SDQ scales, with the most marked improvement observable in children and young people identified as having a high need for intervention. Number of play sessions attended and age group did not significantly affect SDQ scores according to teacher and child/ young person ratings. Parent SDQ ratings indicated greater success of the play intervention for children aged between three and eight years compared with children aged between 11 and 15 years.