Teachers' Experience of Special Educational Needs and Inclusion
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REFLECTION, RENEWAL AND REALITY: TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCE OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND INCLUSION Prepared by Simon Ellis, Canterbury Christ Church University Professor Janet Tod, Canterbury Christ Church University Dr Lynne GrahamMatheson, Canterbury Christ Church University Peer Review Christopher Robertson NASUWT The Teachers’ Union The largest teachers’ union in the UK First published in the UK in 2012 by NASUWT Hillscourt Education Centre Rose Hill Rednal Birmingham B45 8RS www.nasuwt.org.uk © NASUWT Copyright 2012 All rights reserved ISBN 9781906611187 Printed in the UK by Clarkeprint Ltd 4547 Stour Street Birmingham B18 7AJ Authors Simon Ellis is a Senior Lecturer with Canterbury Christ Church University’s Centre for Enabling Learning within the Faculty of Education. He has previously worked as a Key Stage 3 National Strategy Behaviour and Attendance Consultant and a Local Authority Behaviour Support Service Manager. He originally trained and taught as a primary teacher and also has experience of working as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Janet Tod is an Emeritus Professor of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. She was formerly Head of Educational Research at the University. She is a BPS (British Psychological Society) chartered educational and clinical psychologist and a qualified speech and language therapist. Lynne GrahamMatheson is Principal Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. She has worked on numerous funded educational research projects. Prior to joining Canterbury Christ Church, Lynne worked in human resource management before becoming a tutorcounsellor for the Open University and a lecturer. Peer Review: Christopher Robertson Christopher Robertson lectures and researches in the field of special and inclusive education at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, and has a particular interest in education policy and teacher development. He is also editor of SENCO Update. Christopher’s role in relation to this research project has been to provide advice and comment, independent of both the research team and the NASUWT. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank all the headteachers, SENCOs, teachers and others who completed the online survey or took part in the case study interviews. Disclaimer: Any views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Canterbury Christ Church University. Special Educational Needs – Reflection, Renewal and Reality 3 Contents Executive summary ....................................................................................................................7 Background and aims of the research ...................................................................................19 Methodology .............................................................................................................................23 Chapter 1: The relationship between the definition of SEN in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and the identification of SEN Exploration of the literature.........................................................................................................29 Presentation and discussion of data ..........................................................................................35 Findings.......................................................................................................................................43 Emerging issues and implications for policy ..............................................................................44 Chapter 2: Training, support and development needs Exploration of the literature.........................................................................................................49 Presentation and discussion of data ..........................................................................................54 Findings.......................................................................................................................................66 Emerging issues and implications for policy ..............................................................................68 Chapter 3: Policy and guidance for SEN and inclusion Exploration of the literature.........................................................................................................73 Presentation and discussion of data ..........................................................................................78 Findings.......................................................................................................................................89 Emerging issues and implications for policy ..............................................................................90 Chapter 4: The deployment of support staff Exploration of the literature.........................................................................................................93 Presentation and discussion of data ........................................................................................100 Findings.....................................................................................................................................102 Emerging issues and implications for policy ............................................................................103 Chapter 5: Behaviour and SEN Exploration of the literature.......................................................................................................107 Presentation and discussion of data ........................................................................................111 Findings.....................................................................................................................................119 Emerging issues and implications for policy ............................................................................120 cont’d Special Educational Needs – Reflection, Renewal and Reality 5 Chapter 6: Local authority and other external support Exploration of the literature.......................................................................................................123 Presentation and discussion of data ........................................................................................126 Findings.....................................................................................................................................129 Emerging issues and implications for policy ............................................................................129 Concluding thoughts and core messages............................................................................131 References ..............................................................................................................................139 Abbreviations and acronyms used .......................................................................................145 Appendices .............................................................................................................................147 6 Special Educational Needs – Reflection, Renewal and Reality Executive Summary Background The 1997 Green Paper Excellence for all children (DfEE, 1997) outlined the Labour Government’s commitment to high quality education for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), within the context of inclusion. Whilst the Coalition Government’s 2011 Green Paper Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability notes that there is ‘much that is excellent in the support for these children, young people and their families’ (DfE, 2011, p2), it expresses concern that ‘children and young people with SEN don’t achieve as they could’ and claims that the ‘case for change is clear’ (DfE, 2011, p2). The 2011 Green Paper offers an ‘ambitious vision for reform’ (DfE, 2011, p13) and ‘includes wide ranging proposals to improve outcomes for children and young people who are disabled or have SEN, minimise the adversarial nature of the system for families and maximise value for money.’ (DfE, 2011, p13). In 2006, the NASUWT commissioned research1 on SEN and inclusion in order to explore the impact of policy on teachers’ experience in their schools. Stage 1 of the research was a literature review (Ellis et al., 2008) published in 2008. This concluded that the field was complex due to both ‘SEN’ and ‘inclusion’ being broad terms and subject to interpretation. Gaining evidence through empirical research on teacher experience and interpretation of national legislation and guidance was therefore considered important for the second stage of the research. Research aims The main aim of the research was to explore how teachers are experiencing policy and practice for SEN and inclusion in their schools. The predominant focus was the variability inherent within the identification, provision and outcomes in relation to SEN. In order to explore political, professional and personal differences in attribution of causes and solutions to this variability, the following research questions were explored: 1. How are teachers interpreting and implementing policy for SEN and inclusion? 2. How are teachers experiencing teaching pupils with SEN in a policy context of inclusion? 3. What are the training and support needs identified by teachers in relation to SEN? Purpose of this report Drawing on data gathered through the empirical research phase of the project, this report seeks to offer an insight into teachers’ experience of and opinions on the current policy