Inclusive Education for All #5
16 February 2022 by Chris Barnes, Inclusive Education Officer, Down Syndrome International
The SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Code of Practice (DfE, 2015) defines SEN as:
‘A child of compulsory school age or a young person has SEND, a learning difficulty, or learning disability, if they have significantly greater difficulty with learning than the majority of others the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 establishments.’
The Department for Education (DfE) describes the mainstream setting as:
‘School, primary or secondary, that provides education for all children, whether or not they have SEND.’
‘Having SEND’ is a term that can lead to limitation, or support, and must be used carefully and in conjunction with an understanding and knowledge of the individual. Broadly speaking, it is harder for a child with SEND to learn compared with children of the same age.
From the start it should be noted that, unfortunately, the very fact that we are still talking about the education of ‘children and young people with SEND’ indicates we are far from an inclusive education model which seeks to include all equally and offer an equitable experience. ‘Teaching children and young people with SEND’ highlights a ‘them-and-us’ mind-set.
It is right and proper that we no longer debate the ‘education of girls’ or the ‘education of black people’. By all who advocate for inclusive education, it is hoped that one day we can discuss education without the need for the term ‘inclusive’.
In the following video, Miranda Barker, SEND advisor and Teach First lecturer at Birmingham City University, talks about preparing student teachers for diverse cohorts:
All children experience challenges during their education. Many can overcome these hurdles with the support of parents, teachers, and friends, within the offer available in mainstream schools today. Many cannot.
Children and young people with significant barriers to learning (SEND) may need extra or different support. Children & young people with SEND may have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.
Difficulties can be in one or more of the following areas:
- Cognition & Learning For example, reading, writing, spelling, following instructions, carrying out tasks, memory exercises.
- Communication & Interaction For example,talking to others, understanding what others are saying to them, interaction with others, taking turns.
- Physical & Sensory For example, hearing or vision loss, sensory processing (under or over sensitive), physical medical conditions.
- Social, Emotional, & Mental Health For example, low self-esteem, anxiety, displaying challenging, disruptive, or distressing behaviour.
Children and young people with SEND related to cognition and learning often have a learning disability.
Many children and young people will have special educational needs of some kind at some time during their education. In my time teaching, I have yet to encounter a child without some form of special educational need. It is important to ensure that the nature of SEND is identified as early as possible to give the child, and those around her, the best chance of receiving – or providing – the most appropriate provision.
A theme that is running through this blog is ‘look at the individual not the need’.
Being told a child or young person has Down’s syndrome or Autism is meaningless as all children are different! Getting to know and understand the educational, personal, social, and emotional needs of the child or young person is far more beneficial for all involved.
A detailed, holistic knowledge of an individual’s SEND needs is the best platform from which to base planning, teaching and support.
Expecting a child with special educational needs and/or disabilities to fit in with the ‘typical’ mould, or simply assigning a learning support assistant, is not the answer. What is good for ‘the mainstream’ is not necessarily good for learners with SEND.
Conversely, what is good for learners with SEND is good for all learners!
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