CSIE - Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education

19/02/2026

We are proud to present "Because they’re worth it" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPnj_yRGNT4), a short film bringing together five powerful collages created for CSIE by Sharon Smith

In response to 2024 media reports blaming parents for the financial pressures on the education system, last year CSIE teamed up with a mental health expert and delivered workshops for parents in Bristol, with the help of a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Parents who attended our workshops shared their stories and we promised to find a way to amplify their collective voice in an engaging way. While the details of their stories were very different, we noticed important similarities, such as the need to become a fighter, the emotional toll on families, and recognising pressures on teachers and the education system. We invited Dr Sharon Smith to represent these visually, which is how these collages were born.

"Because they’re worth it" presents the five collages, describing the common themes from these parents' stories and the process of creating the collages.

We extend our most heartfelt thanks to Dr Smith for translating parents’ shared experiences into such thoughtful and evocative artwork, and to every parent who attended the workshops and entrusted us with their stories. We hope this film honours your voices and encourages others to listen deeply. Many thanks also to The National Lottery Community Fund for making this work possible. We remain grateful to you all!

02/02/2026

Happy Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Trans History Month UK! Standing up for equality, respect and human dignity for every LGBT+ person, every day, in every corner of every school, college and university. This year's theme is Science and Innovation. More info at https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk.

Emmett de Monterey's memoir "Go the Way Your Blood Beats" (2023) is one more stark reminder of how diversity impacts our rich, multi-issued lives, and how our multi-issued struggles can have a cumulative effect on identity, inclusion and belonging.

19/12/2025

...and to send season's greetings far and wide!

19/12/2025

We've had to take an unavoidable break from social media and today take a brief break from our break to honour and celebrate Nnena Kalu, the first learning disabled artist to win the Turner Prize...

Step into the world of Glasgow-born Nnena Kalu who transforms her innate need to wrap, layer, and build into a powerful artistic language. From her earliest ...

26/11/2025

Very excited to be sharing this collage, the first of five, one to be shared in each week of .

In spring and summer 2025 we ran free workshops in Bristol for parents of children who have labels of SEND. Parents who attended our workshops shared their stories and we promised to find a way of amplifying their collective voice in an engaging way.

This short video describes one of five collages created for CSIE by Dr Sharon Smith, researcher and parent carer, as a visual representation of the collective voice of parents who attended our workshops. We extend our most heartfelt thanks to her, and to all the parents who came to our workshops and shared their stories. We hope we have honoured your voices and encouraged others to listen. Thanks also to the National Lottery Community Fund for making this work possible.

In spring and summer 2025 CSIE ran free workshops in Bristol for parents of children who have labels of SEND. Parents who attended our workshops shared thei...

20/11/2025

Happy 20 Nov - 20 Dec 2025! Standing up for equality, respect and human dignity for every disabled person, every day, in every corner of every education setting.

This year's theme, Disability, Life and Death, invites us to reflect deeply on our values and beliefs, including to explore carefully what assumptions or unconscious bias may lie behind our thoughts. For more information please visit https://ukdhm.org/.

Look out for our regular posts, including weekly spotlights on collages created from the stories we heard earlier this year from Bristol parents of children with labels of SEND.

25/03/2025

Tell a parent in Bristol: we are offering a workshop for parents of children with labels of SEND, which focuses on strategies for parental wellbeing and on advocating for children's rights in education. "Paving the way to better outcomes for our children" is a 2-hour workshop, offered FREE of charge thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. It will run on multiple dates and locations across Bristol from the end of March until June. Places are limited, and must be booked in advance. For more information and to book a place, please see https://csie.org.uk/news/index.shtml #200325.

21/01/2025

We are delighted to share our new film on the development of inclusive education in this country, and CSIE's contribution to it:

A short film about the work and legacy of the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE), in the context of the unfolding story of developing inclusive...

03/12/2024

Happy - standing up for equality, dignity and respect for every disabled person, every day, in every corner of every school.

This year's theme is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/events/2024-international-day-persons-with-disabilities

26/11/2024

Calling all film makers: CSIE is looking for someone to create a short about CSIE and its contribution to the inclusion movement over the past 42 years. Brief attached, deadline is this Friday, 29 November. Many thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this project possible.