Dundee graduates lead the way in inclusive education

Four staff members from the city’s Kingspark School, a specialist school for children and young people with additional needs, graduated from the University of Dundee in June 2025 after completing the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology.

Their work was already helping pupils across Dundee, but now as graduates they are helping to lead a transformation in how assistive technology is used to support inclusive teaching.

Paul Dow (Headteacher), Bev Sellars (Teacher), Mandy Hamilton (Teacher), and Paula Kane (Lead Assistive Technologist) all completed the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology, developing their knowledge and understanding of how to embed inclusive technology into classrooms across the school.

Working with children who have additional needs is deeply rewarding, but because it’s a specialist area, educators often find it hard to access opportunities to develop their skills in ways that directly meet the needs of their learners.

This course, however, offered by the University’s School of Science and Engineering, is delivered in a distance learning format (on either a full- or part-time basis) which means that it is easier to study whilst continuing in employment. Since the course was developed in partnership with educational and industry experts, it meets the requirements of professionals supporting learners with additional needs, giving them the practical skills they can apply directly to their roles.

Leading the way in Scottish special education

For Paula Kane, the qualification marked a remarkable career shift. She started the course as a learning and care assistant and is now Kingspark’s first-ever Lead Assistive Technologist - a newly created role and the first of its kind in any Scottish special school. Paula's hard work was also recognised when she won the award for best student on the course. 

Whole-school impact

This investment in staff development is already making a tangible difference at Kingspark. Eimer Galloway, Depute Head Teacher and herself a 2024 MSc Educational Assistive Technology graduate, describes the ripple effect across the school:

"Our graduates have been able to train, support and mentor their colleagues through specific Assistive Technology staff training and sharing good practice events. Pupil achievements involving the use of AT are celebrated constantly through regular emails, videos, photos and ‘Wow moment’ posts."

She adds that Kingspark now has a high-profile focus on assistive technology, which has significantly increased staff awareness, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Collaboration between the University of Dundee and Kingspark School

Kingspark’s collaboration with the University of Dundee goes back several years. Dr Rohan Slaughter and Professor Annalu Waller provided expert support to the school through a consultancy project that reviewed existing technologies and staff skillsets. This led to the creation of two key roles: the Lead Assistive Technologist position and a Link IT Engineer role, currently held by Sean Mann, a second-year MSc student.

Thanks to this ongoing partnership, Kingspark has improved how it uses assistive technology. Pupils now have more support, and staff are better trained to help them. However, Eimer Galloway says the journey is far from over:

“We plan to build on this momentum by expanding our AT service over the coming years with support from the University of Dundee, Dundee City Council and partnership working with NHS professionals. The aim is to ensure that all our learners can access and benefit from the transformative potential that the right AT can provide.”

City-wide impact

These achievements go beyond personal success. They show how this course is making a real difference to a local school and helping to improve the life chances of children with additional needs across the city. It's a powerful example of what can happen when education, teamwork, and vision come together.