As primary classrooms become increasingly diverse, particularly with a significant cohort of students presenting with Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties (SLCD), effective collaboration between educators is paramount. This includes class teachers, Special Education Teachers (SETs) and allied health professionals, especially Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs). This collaboration is crucial for fostering inclusive learning and unlocking the full potential of all learners.

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study conducted in Irish primary schools, involving principals, class teachers, SETs, and SLTs. It rigorously employed Lave and Wenger’s Communities of Practice (CoP) theoretical framework as a lens for analysis, exploring how inter-professional practice can significantly support inclusive education.

Findings highlight the transformative potential inherent in cultivating collaborative ecosystems when SLTs are meaningfully integrated into school communities. Within these dynamic CoPs, a crucial two-way knowledge exchange is fostered. Teachers gain practical strategies to effectively support SLCD, while SLTs deepen their understanding of students’ real-time classroom experiences and needs. This synergistic approach significantly improves student learning and outcomes, enhances teacher confidence and efficacy, and measurably reduces professional isolation.

The research advocates for a strategic shift towards embedding robust collaborative structures, exemplified by initiatives like the In-School and Early Years’ Therapy Support Demonstration Project. Its nationwide rollout is recommended to bridge existing gaps between health and education services, enabling a more cohesive, structured, and sustained collaborative model. This would facilitate the organic cultivation of true Communities of Practice, where all stakeholders can mutually engage, share repertoires, and learn with and from each other in pursuit of shared goals.

Ultimately, this study offers a compelling framework for cultivating collaborative ecosystems and fostering inter-professional practice in primary education - one that profoundly enhances inclusion, supports continuous professional development (CPD), and directly improves outcomes for all students within diverse learning environments.

Keywords: Education, Collaboration, Inter-Professional Practice, Speech Language and Communication Difficulties, Special Education, Communities of Practice.