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Inclusion, the individual and the environment

Development and diversity

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Learning outcomes

You will:

understand how the terms ‘inclusion’, ‘special educational needs’ (SEN) and ‘disability’ are used

understand the context provided by the statutory and regulatory frameworks for SEN and disability

know about the duties of school and staff relating to SEN and disability

know of key recent documents on SEN and disability and where to refer to them, and

understand the difference between ‘within-child’ and ‘environmental’ models of disability.

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Activity 1

Learning outcomes

You will:

understand how the term ‘inclusion’ is used, and

be introduced to current guidance on inclusion.

Inclusion Exclusion

valued

at ease

content

happy

useful

rejected

upset

angry

frustrated

unhappy

hard done by

useless

Associated feelings

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Activity 2

Learning outcomes

You will understand:

how the term ‘inclusion’ applies to the work of a school, and

the importance of inclusive treatment of staff as well as pupils.

Principles of an inclusive education service

Inclusion is a process by which schools, LAs and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include all pupils

With the right training, strategies and support nearly all children with SEN and/or disabilities can be included successfully in mainstream education

An inclusive education service offers excellence and choice and incorporates the views of parents and children

The interests of all pupils must be safeguarded.

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Defining inclusion

“Inclusion in education involves the processes of increasing the participation of students in, and reducing their exclusion from, the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools. Inclusion is concerned with the learning participation of all students vulnerable to exclusionary pressures, not only those with impairments or categorised as having SEN. Inclusion is concerned with improving schools for staff as well as for students.”

‘Index for inclusion: developing learning and participation in schools’, CSIE, 2002

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Activity 3

Learning outcomes

You will understand:

the relevance of the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes to inclusion, and

the importance of high expectations within the national curriculum inclusion statement.

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ECM outcomes

Being healthy

Staying safe

Enjoying and achieving

Making a positive contribution

Achieving economic well-being

National curriculum inclusion principles

Teachers must not ignore the three principles of inclusion in their planning and teaching

The statement is flexible so that teachers can match their plans to the needs of all pupils.

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Expectations, expectations

How pupils with SEN and/or disabilities respond to low expectations:

‘I like difficult tasks. Easy tasks are too simple and I don't feel like I’ve achieved anything when I have finished them’

Year 5 pupil

‘I like challenging tasks because when I get them right I feel like I've learnt something new’

Year 5 pupil11

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Learning outcomes

You will:

know the range of criteria suggested by Ofsted for school self-assessment

understand how the criteria brings together quantitative data on attainment and other areas and qualitative judgements about provision, and

understand how the ECM outcomes relate to the criteria.

Activity 4

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Learning outcomes

You will understand that:

a ‘learning difficulty’ varies with the context of the learning

the language and power of those involved in discussions affect decisions about SEN and/or disability, and

these insights have contributed to a shift from ‘within-child’ to more ‘environmental’ constructions of SEN and/or disability.

Activity 5

Adam’s days

“After following Adam for 18 months, we gave up specifying his traits as the explanations of his behaviour and began talking instead about what happened around him daily that seemed to organise his moments as an LD person.”

‘On becoming labelled – the story of Adam’,McDermott, R.P, 1993

What are the implications of McDermott’s findings when we plan learning opportunities for pupils with SEN and/or disabilities?

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Adam’s days (continued…)

“The point of this story is that a person’s competence is interwoven with the context and cannot be viewed as separate. This case points to the importance of recognising learning as being different in different institutional practices. The child learns in the realising of institutional practices in interaction with other persons. Neither the child nor the institutionalised activity/practice in itself create learning or learning problems.”

‘A new approach to learning in classrooms’,Hedegaard, M, 2001

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The environment and the individual

Corbett suggests that we should work to ensure that:

no one voice be allowed to dominate discussions, and

an ever-expanding space be allowed to “accommodate new voices which have remained silent or unheard in the clamour of status”.

‘Bad mouthing: the language of special needs’, Corbett, J, 1996

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Involvement in planning

Consider:

who was involved in deciding what action to take

who had most influence in the decision-making

did everyone have a say?

Think of an example of planning for the learning of a pupil with SEN and/or disabilities.

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Involvement in planning (continued)

Consider:

were efforts made to include people who might find it hard to join in

what different discourses were involved in the meeting, and

did you notice a hierarchy in the respect given to a particular discourse?

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Learning outcome

You will understand how statutory duties come together to provide equal opportunities for pupils with SEN and/or disabilities.

Activity 6

SEN framework

Provides legislation, regulations and guidance

Provides for meeting SEN

Includes what schools provide from their delegated budgets and what LAs provide from their centrally retained funds

The principal legislation in England and Wales is part 4 of the Education Act 1996, which was amended by the SEN and Disability Act, 2001

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Special educational needs

“Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in local schools.”

‘SEN code of practice’, DfES, 2001

Pupils with SEN are said to require something ‘additional to’ or ‘different from’ that offered to other pupils

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SEN framework

SEN and Disability Act 2001

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Planning duties

The DDA requires schools and LAs to increase access to education for disabled pupils. They have a duty to plan for improvements: ● in access to the curriculum

● to the physical environment of the school to increase access to education and associated services, and

● the provision of information in a range of formats for disabled pupils.

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SEN arrangements

Planning duties

SEN and Disability Act 2001

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Disability discrimination duties

The DDA requires schools and LAs to protect disabled pupils against discrimination in schools

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Definition of disability

The DDA defines a disabled person as someone who has “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”

Physical or mental impairment includes sensory impairments and hidden impairments. In the DDA, ‘substantial’ means more than minor or trivial and ‘long-term’ means a year or more

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SEN arrangements

Disabilitydiscrimination

duties

Planning duties

SEN and Disability Act 2001

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Who and what is covered?

Disabled pupils and potential pupils

Every school and every aspect of school life: admissions, education and associated services, exclusions

The ‘responsible body’ for the school

Protectionfrom

discrimination

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Two key duties

Responsible bodies:

must not treat disabled pupils less favourably, and

must make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils.

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Protectionfrom

discrimination

Every aspect of school life:

admissions

education and associated services

exclusions

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Every school

maintained, independent

mainstream, special

nursery, primary, secondary, including school sixth forms

community, voluntary, foundation or city academy

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Learning outcomes

You will:

know where sources of support on special education needs and disability can be found in placement schools and on the internet, and

identify key points of action for yourself, in order to consolidate and apply your learning.

Activity 7

SENCOs

Have responsibilities at individual pupil and whole-school level. They may take charge of budgeting, resource allocation, and timetables as well as working with individual pupils

Often advise, appraise and train staff and liaise with other professionals

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Routes to support

Tutor and mentor are your first contacts

Pupils can say what works best for them

Parents/carers can give valuable insights

Curriculum leaders can help with subject learning and SEN and/or disability issues

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Routes to support

Becta – hosts discussion groups on areas of SEN

Behaviour4Learning – positive approaches to behaviour management for teacher trainers, trainees and mentors

SENCO – can advise and help you learn from specialists such as educational psychologists and therapists

Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB)

Teacher Support Network – practical and emotional support for staff

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