Memorandum submitted by South and West
Association of Leaders in Special Schools (SWALSS)
PROVISION FOR
SEN PUPILS IN
MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS: AVAILABILITY
OF RESOURCES
AND EXPERTISE:
DIFFERENT MODELS
OF PROVISION
— Need for one single definition of
`INCLUSION'
— Effective inclusion comes at a cost
— There is patchy provision
— Resources are not easy to access
— Training for SEN should be an integral
part of ITT (not a token few hours or days)
— Training for LSAs needs to be available
as a rolling programme
— Special Schools as RESOURCE CENTRES
should be developed and funded to support inclusive practice
— There is a gap between rhetoric and
reality
— Co-location of mainstream and special
schools gives the best of both worlds
PROVISION FOR
SEN PUPILS IN
SPECIAL SCHOOLS
— Part of a continuum of provision
— Changing role to include dual-placement
working
— Special school staff in need of training
as trainers to support mainstream colleagues in dual placements
etc.
— Economy of scale for visiting professionals/treatment/therapy
— National initiatives do not always
take into account the needs of children in Special Schools leading
to ad hoc modifications with no central steer/moderation
— Regional SEN Partnerships could play
a bigger part in coordinating and facilitating initiatives (good
links in the SW!)
— Quality of provision is more important
than location
— More able students with ASD need
more appropriate provision
— Networks need to be facilitated to
ensure sharing of ideas, expertise and successful practice
RAISING STANDARDS
OF ACHIEVEMENT
FOR SEN PUPILS
— Appropriate resourcing and training
of support staff to support learning
— Skill up teachers to manage learning
for SEN pupils
— Interpretation of `achievement' needs
to be broader and not just attainment
— Re-introduce Initial Teacher Training
(ITT) with SEN specialism/qualification and provide access to
on-going training
— Encourage and support development
of Special Schools as Training Schools
— Use Special Schools for valid Teaching
Practices in ITT & PGCE
THE SYSTEM
OF STATEMENTS
OF NEED
FOR SEN PUPILS
— Distressing for parents
— Provision to meet needs should be
an entitlement
THE ROLE
OF PARENTS
IN DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN'S
EDUCATION
HOW SEN ARE
DEFINED
— Individual nature of needs makes
definitions complex and open to misinterpretation.
— Children do not always fit neatly
into one category or have a primary area of need
PROVISION FOR
DIFFERENT TYPES
AND LEVELS
OF SEN
— BESD difficult to include because
of disruptive behaviour
— Disruption is likely to be a result
of unmet social and/or learning needs
— FLEXIBILITY of attitudes and staff
is essential
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
AND EFFECTS
OF DDA
* Parents do not always get full information
about provision and options.
October 2005
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