Education

Résumé du document

A critical analysis on the changes to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) legislation in the UK. This essay focuses on what changes have been made to legislation, if they have been effective and if 'total inclusion' is possible in all schools and settings.
This essay scored a 2:1 at undergraduate level.

Extraits

[...] Introduction Inclusion is an essential aspect of education. Therefore, it is important to understand the key terms surrounding it: `inclusion' and `Special Educational Needs and Disabilities' (SEND). The Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) defines inclusion as `education that includes everyone, with non-disabled and Disabled people (including those with "special educational needs") learning together in mainstream schools, colleges and universities' (ALLFIE online). The NHS defines SEND as: learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support' (online, no date). [...]

[...] Much of this was introduced alongside the new National Curriculum in 2014. The pieces of legislation most relevant to inclusion are the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (updated from the SEND Act, 2001) and the Children and Families Act (CAFA, 2014). The SEND regulations (2014) are the main set of regulations that underpin CAFA (2014). It is important that teachers and practitioners are aware of the contents of these and ensure they are applied in the classroom. [...]

[...] However Ofsted's research has its limitations. For their research, they only visited 41 non-selective secondary schools and three selective. This is a very small sample number, so it is unlikely to be representative of the whole school population. Another limitation is that they did not visit schools in every Local Authority (LA). This could bias the results as each LA provides specific advice and support to the schools in their area, so the level of support and advice provided to each school will be different depending on the area they are in, their strengths and areas to improve and the focus of the LA at a given time. [...]

[...] The positive effect they have on pupils and their families is clear to see when it is obvious how much pupils are succeeding socially, emotionally and academically. Ideology of `total inclusion' `Arguments can be made for individual children to be placed either in special or mainstream schools depending on their particular circumstances and needs . mainstream should be the first option for children with SEN is perceived by many to be a positive first step.' (Lansdell, as edited by Moyles and Robinson p.277). [...]

[...] Crucially, all colleagues, both internal and external, must be included in ensuring that the `Ideology of Total Inclusion' will become a reality for all students. Bibliography Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE), (2020), `What is inclusive education?', online, available at https://www.allfie.org.uk/definitions/what-is-inclusive-education/ (accessed 10/04/2020) Browning, K. (2016), `An early review of the new SEN / disability policy and legislation: where are we now? Impact of the legislation on the SENCo role and school practices.' Online, available at: http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/sen-policyforum/ (accessed 12/04/2020) Castro, S. and Palikara, O. (2016), `Mind the Gap: The New Special Educational Needs and Disability Legislation in England', Front. Educ. 1:4. DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2016.00004 Cheminais, R. [...]