Deborah Robinson is a Professor of Special Educational Needs, Disability (SEND) and inclusion in the Institute of Education at the University of Derby. Deborah began her career working in an Inner London primary school and her first class included children with disabilities and exceptional needs This was because the Local Authority (the Inner London Education Authority or ILEA) implemented a progressive policy of inclusion. Deborah became very interested in how mainstream classes could become more inclusive for pupils with SEND and she worked as a SEND Co-ordinator and Deputy Head and her leadership work focussed on inclusion. She has worked as a teacher educator for SEND and inclusion for many years and her specialist research has explored inclusive teacher development in the context of a school/university partnership. Her recent research has investigated school leadership for inclusion and SEND in collaboration with 62 schools in the City of Derby. She has also directed research on policies for inclusion for the Government of Ireland Deborah has also edited a special issue of the British Journal of Learning Disabilities focussing on how education might develop as a more powerful catalyst for social inclusion.