Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools

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This is a short, compelling book that education leaders should read. The author was a hyperactive, disruptive, mostly unlikable child. He flunked out of school. But he went on to be accepted to Harvard. How does that happen, and what can we learn from his experience?

We should all be grateful to Square Peg for all they do to advocate for children who need most help, and for showing how schools and parents can work together with children to provide a positive environment to learn. Every child deserves the best start in life, and positive outcomes for all children must be at the heart of a successful education system. Square Peg arrived on my doorstep at the right time. My son is struggling in school and one of the reasons why is because he is bored with worksheets. Rose's book has given me a new outlook and strategies to help him and encourage his teachers to think "out of the box" when they teach him. Key features of the compelling, insightful and at times challenging book is that it encourages practitioners at the coal face, in a wide range of roles, to discuss what works for them by offering positive and practical strategies for teachers at all levels. The book challenges readers to think deeply about the experiences of children who are labeled as "square pegs" in their education. It highlights the need for a supportive and inclusive environment in schools, where every student is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. The contributors to the book show us that by providing such an environment, square pegs are given the chance to thrive and be proud of who they are. This not only benefits the individual pupil but also enriches the entire school community, creating a diverse and accepting atmosphere where everyone is valued for their unique contributions.After his article and TED talk, I thought, "Yeah, but not everyone will work for Google. Not everyone will be president of the United States or even of a company. I'm not sure you can change the whole system to supposedly meet the needs of a handful of students and the expense of all students."

His story reads like some of the stories I've read in special needs forums online...some horrid teachers, some amazing teachers & mentors, and a very patient and perceptive (and long-suffering) mother. It is extremely well-written, and I particularly liked the chapter summaries and tips for parents. Our education system is failing our children and young people. It is a one size system that does not fit all (far from). Square Pegs is a compelling metaphor that cuts right to the heart of the emotional barriers preventing so many from attending school. It is also a great book which brings together a range of voices to provide an essential toolkit for anybody working with or living with square pegs. It contains practical advice, useful resources and, most importantly, a poignant insight into not fitting in. I am sure that this book will make the lives of lots of children, young people and their families easier. I also hope that it and the wider square peg movement will ultimately lead to a reform of education so that our system allows everybody to not only fit, but to thrive.Rose's book is simultaneously a memoir and a textbook which teaches parents and teachers how to cater to individual learning styles. He has great ideas for using all of the technology available today to help the students that struggle in a traditional learning environment. I liked how he had 'Big Ideas' and 'Action Items' after every chapter. I liked even more that the action items often included things like "give your child a hug!" Rose, who was diagnosed with ADHD as a youth and consequently dropped out of high school with a 0.9 GPA, is now a faculty member of the Harvard School of Education. His story is inspiring, and his ideas for our children even more so. For the good of every child and, indeed, of educators themselves (most of whom want to provide the best possible learning experiences and strive to do so in spite of our one-size-fits-all model for education), it’s time to listen to the canaries in the cages – the children who simply cannot cope, let alone thrive, within our restrictive, reductive system. Change made for those who suffer most will benefit the whole school community. A book for educators who find themselves torn between a government/Ofsted narrative around behaviour, attendance and attainment, and their own passion for supporting square pegs and their families.

The author of several books, and the editor of many more, Ian is known by thousands of teachers and young people across the world for his award-winning Thunks books. Thunks grew out of Ian's work with Philosophy for Children (P4C), and are beguiling yet deceptively powerful little philosophical questions that he has created to make children's – as well as their teachers' – brains hurt. Reading this book reinforced in me how essential it is that we prioritise supporting our ‘square pegs’ and work towards a more inclusive and equitable education system. More than that, it’s a valuable resource with a host of insightful and empowering perspectives on the experiences and challenges faced by these students. As a teacher, I can get defensive when faced with a critique of the profession and this book certainly doesn’t shy away from that. However, I made a conscious decision to leave my teacher hat at the door and to give the book a fair shot. This is an outstanding book in terms of content, awareness and relevance of the issues facing schools with increasing numbers of learners falling by the wayside. The authors enable the reader to reflect on real issues that arise and ways forward to promote potential. The book will be a major asset for teachers and lecturers at all levels to develop confidence, awareness, and personal safe practice to promote change. In particular, it serves as a reminder to all senior managers to change the mind set from re-shaping the square peg to broadening the round hole. This is a book that is firmly on the side of children as they try to come to terms with a school system that is designed to encourage conformity. It highlights the way some schools manage to set the child at the heart of what they do in every sense of the term. There are case studies that shine a light on the child's perspective and solutions offered for other schools to try. Reading it is both heart-wrenching and uplifting ... but uplifting wins.The two authors primarily act as editors, as the book is a collection of works from a wide variety of over 50 individual contributors, including headteachers, lawyers, parents and people with lived experience. Fundamentally, the book is a guide for schools and is aimed at teaching staff. However, the content is not weighed down with heavy educational jargon and is therefore easily generalisable to parents or those working outside of direct education such as social workers or support workers...