Conclusion

Recognising that ontology drives our epistemology, pushing beyond exclusion means pushing beyond binary thinking. This is not simply a matter of reinvigorating existing debates but rather a necessity to create entirely new relationships and abandon the normative social categories that condemn people to be either ‘in’ or ‘out’.

In this context naming and recognising enabling spaces means recognising the powerful work they do, both on the ground and also in terms of the growth edge that they present to educators conceptually.

Creating enabling spaces for learning for all young people means recognising the value of both school and alternative settings outside of schools. But it also means pushing beyond this dichotomy, to create new enabling spaces within schools and pushing beyond existing policies that serve to reinforce these binary categories by restricting discussion, funding, and ultimately innovation. While supporting the powerful practice that is already happening in all of these sites, it is time to embrace the question of how schools might become more enabling spaces for all students.