Inclusion and continuity in education (The best practice of continuing inclusive education after primary school)

<< Background >>Jurmala Vaivari Primary School, as the project coordinator, applied for this initiative to address an urgent and long-standing need: ensuring continuity of education for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) after graduating from inclusive primary school. Despite its strong expertise in inclusive education, the school has faced repeated challenges in supporting pupils transitions—several graduates, including highly capable blind students, were unable to continue their education in Latvia because secondary schools were not prepared to accommodate them. This highlighted a systemic gap and motivated us to search for sustainable solutions. By forming a partnership with schools from the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain, we aimed to exchange good practices, strengthen teachers’ and principals’ capacity, and create recommendations to improve the transition process for pupils with SEN. The project directly addressed the shared European need to reduce discrimination, promote inclusion, and equip professionals with practical tools to guide SEN students and their families through this vulnerable transition stage.<< Objectives >>Through this project we aimed to strengthen inclusive education by ensuring a smoother transition for students with special educational needs (SEN) from primary to secondary school. Our main goal was to establish a strong partnership among four schools from Latvia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain, allowing teachers and principals to exchange practical methods and share good practices that support SEN students and their families. As the coordinating school, Jurmala Vaivari Primary School aimed to develop solutions to long-standing challenges where inclusive primary school graduates often faced barriers to continue their education at highschools in Latvia. By collecting and disseminating successful approaches, we wanted to equip teachers with effective tools, raise awareness in local communities, and prepare recommendations to improve the system of continuity in education especially in Jurmala City. We also aimed to promote equality and non-discrimination by providing open seminars and making good practices available to the wider public. Above all, we would like to ensure that every child, regardless of disability, has access to supportive, continuous, and high-quality education beyond primary school.<< Implementation >>During the Erasmus+ project, we implemented diverse activities combining international mobilities, local seminars, and online collaboration. The first meeting in Latvia, hosted by Jūrmala Vaivari Primary School, focused on inclusive classroom practices, cooperation with local authorities and university experts, and national approaches to supporting SEN pupils. Together, partners designed and translated surveys for teachers and school leaders on inclusion practices.In Spain, participants observed inclusive lessons, met guidance and psychology teams, and joined a seminar with parents and professionals. In Italy, partners explored multicultural pedagogy, met university experts and local authorities, and learned to use social media for awareness-raising. The visit to the Czech Republic showed lifelong inclusion — from early care centres to universities — with meetings at the Czech Parliament and Ministry of Education.The final meeting in Latvia included a large-scale closing conference, evaluation sessions, and visits to SIVA College and the inclusive preschool Podziņa, strengthening cooperation and ensuring project sustainability.<< Results >>The project built a strong partnership between Latvia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain, focusing on inclusive education and smooth school transitions for pupils with SEN. An official logo — I.C.E. (Inclusion and Continuity in Education) — was chosen through a joint pupil and teacher competition.Two survey tools for teachers and school leaders were created, translated, and implemented across partner schools, with data analysed in Jūrmala and shared in charts and summaries. A separate pupil survey (grades 5–9) explored students’ attitudes toward inclusion.Four graduate interviews were conducted and analysed, complemented by an interview guide developed by CEIP Francisco Pino to support smoother primary–secondary transitions. A comparative brief on inclusive education systems in CZ, IT, and ES was prepared.The final conference in Jūrmala (73 participants) and a local seminar generated a recommendations document for Jūrmala Municipality, while the schoolwide art project “The Old Man’s Mitten” celebrated inclusion and unity.Together, these results strengthened inclusion, continuity, and cooperation, providing practical tools for teachers and policymakers.