Memorandum submitted by the British Psychological
Society
The British Psychological Society welcomes the
opportunity to submit information to the Committee's inquiry into
Special Education Needs. The British Psychological Society is
the learned and professional body, incorporated by Royal Charter,
for psychologists in the United Kingdom. The Society has a total
membership of over 42,000 and is a registered charity.
The key Charter object of the Society is "to
promote the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of psychology
pure and applied and especially to promote the efficiency and
usefulness of members by setting up a high standard of professional
education and knowledge".
The Society is authorised under its Royal Charter
to maintain the Register of Chartered Psychologists. It has a
code of conduct and investigatory and disciplinary systems in
place to consider complaints of professional misconduct relating
to its members. The Society is an examining body granting certificates
and diplomas in specialist areas of professional applied psychology.
It also has in place quality assurance programmes for accrediting
both undergraduate and postgraduate university degree courses.
1.1 This submission is based upon evidence
provided by the Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP).
Educational and child psychologists work with children from 0-19
across all areas of disability. They are concerned with the application
of psychological research and theory to the enhancement of children's
learning, psychological well-being and development. They have
skills in psychological and educational assessment, intervention
techniques and methods for helping children and young people who
are experiencing difficulties in learning or social adjustment.
1.2 Educational psychologists collaborate
with other key professionals in the early identification of difficulties
a child or young person may be experiencing and through psychological
assessment and intervention. In particular, Educational Psychologists
work closely with other colleagues in education (for example educational
welfare officers and behaviour support and pupil development staff),
as well as other professionals in agencies like social services
and the health service.
1.3 Educational psychologists have a central
role in Special Educational Needs (SEN) where they have considerable
statutory duties. Uniquely, educational psychologists are trained
and have responsibilities and involvement in every phase of education,
including early years work, thus allowing them to see the long-term
impact of government decisions relating to SEN. Educational psychologists
also inform social and educational policy within local authorities
in relation to SEN, children's well-being, learning and development
and centre their work around multi-agency assessments and interventions.
1.4 Therefore, the range and scope of their
work covers all five areas of "Every Child Matters".
The transformation of SEN within the context of Children's Services
and the changing educational landscape means that their professional
knowledge base is founded upon day-to-day practices, a clearly
articulated working knowledge of psychological theory and research,
and a strategic perspective which illuminates both strengths and
weakness of the past and current policies and practices relating
to SEN.
PROVISION FOR
SEN PUPILS IN
"MAINSTREAM": AVAILABILITY
OF RESOURCES
AND EXPERTISE;
DIFFERENT MODELS
OF PROVISION
2.1 Today, most pupils with SEN are educated
in mainstream schools. However, their experience of mainstream
education and the nature and level of support that they receive
will vary from region to region. Concerns have been raised that
a system of delegation of funding for support services has led
to insecure and inequitable provision for some pupils with SEN
(Ofsted, 2005). In the context of the government's Five Year Strategy
for Education and Learners (DfES, 2004a), which advocates the
development of more school-based resourcing and a greater diversity
of providers, there is a continuing need for maintenance of central
local authority services (such as Educational Psychology Services)
to promote and support the needs of individual children, their
families and schools. The increasingly influential market forces
and the standards' agenda has led to some children and their families
having difficulty accessing services which should be there for
all children and "free at the point of delivery".
2.2 There is a need to consider in detail
the critical relationship between a "market orientated educational
landscape" and the distribution of scarce additional resources
via an equitable system based on "need" which maintains
equality of opportunity and outcome for vulnerable children. The
current system of funding needs to be reviewed and new arrangements
that are stable, consistent and facilitate longer-term planning
should be introduced.
PROVISION FOR
SEN PUPILS IN
SPECIAL SCHOOLS
3.1 Special schools have a distinctive and
developing role within the present-day education system and we
support an increasing emphasis on the sharing of specialist pedagogy
and the flexible use of dual placements. The roles of mainstream
and special schools need to overlap in legislation, as all children
can benefit from sharing experiences with children on a continuum
of need, as they grow and take their places in society as young
adults. The British Psychological Society welcomes publication
of "The Report of the Special Schools Working Group"
(2003) which calls for greater collaboration between mainstream
and special schools in developing innovative practices.
RAISING STANDARDS
OF ACHIEVEMENT
FOR SEN PUPILS
4.1 A skilled and motivated children's workforce
is of central importance in raising standards of achievement for
SEN pupils. Implementation of the Every Child Matters agenda (ECM,
2003, pp 83-96) raises particular challenges and contains considerable
training implications for a range of staff who need to develop
a common core set of skills and knowledge (DfES, 2005a). The profession
of educational psychology has held a central position in this
area and has been heavily involved in multi-agency working on
behalf of children and families from all age groups and in every
type of educational setting, including private, independent schools
for children with SEN. Advising on high quality teaching for children
with SEN has been a central strand to the work of educational
psychologists for nearly 50 years (cf the Summerfield Report,
1968) as has research, and the provision of evidence of effective
practice through reports, consultation and training (DfEE, 2000,
p 20-21).
4.2 The case has already been made for local
authorities to improve the evaluation of the impact of their work
on pupil progress. The rigorous implementation of evidence-based
practice could deliver significant improvements to the effectiveness
of provision across mainstream and special schools. This would
involve well-monitored evidence-supported interventions, systematically
delivered by appropriately trained staff and evaluated for their
effectiveness with individual children.
4.3 There is a clear need for the workloads
and responsibilities of educational psychologists, speech and
language therapists and specialist teachers to be re-structured
so that time can be released from bureaucratic activities to allow
more hands-on involvement in training, monitoring and supporting
to ensure high fidelity in evidence-based programme delivery.
It is essential that the children with the most complex needs
are provided with the most effective provision. In many instances,
provision is less than satisfactory, but there are few mechanisms
which allow for effective monitoring, accountability and challenge.
Often, there are low expectations for a child with special educational
needs, and this leads to a position that minimal progress is acceptable.
4.4 Poor monitoring of the outcomes of inclusion
was identified in the Ofsted (2004) survey to examine the impact
of the government's inclusion framework. Here it was reported
that few schools evaluate provision for SEN systematically so
that they can establish how effective it is and whether it represents
value for money. Ofsted (2002) had recommended that improvement
should be measured in three areas: educational attainment, gains
in self-esteem, and improved relationships between pupils with
SEN and their peers. Recent developments, particularly work using
the p-scales and the establishment of the National Performance
Framework for SEN (DfES, 2004b), appears to provide the means
for resolving many issues regarding the monitoring and evaluation
of academic outcomes of inclusion.
4.5 However, we would also want to highlight
the fact that excellent inclusive practice exists in a small proportion
of schools proving that effective provision can be made (eg the
inclusion of children with Down syndrome in mainstream primary
and secondary schools). However, perhaps the most difficult barrier
to overcome in supporting children with SEN is found within the
attitudes, values and personal beliefs of people. It will be essential
that this factor is fully understood by the committee because
the prevailing culture will determine, not only the outcomes of
the review, but how the new regulations will be put into practice
by schools.
4.6 To raise standards of achievement for
pupils who have special educational needs, there is a need for
consistent implementation of well-planned, appropriately differentiated
curricula and individualized programmes of support, recommended
by educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and
specialist teachers from local authority teams or special school
outreach teams. Currently, support for the most vulnerable pupils
is usually provided by teaching assistants who often receive insufficient
training, monitoring and support. Furthermore, there has been
a trend towards brief, superficial training in SEN interventions
which are not based on research or compelling evidence, and which
are not rigorously evaluated. Highly trained and properly qualified
professionals need to support school staff in their continuing
professional development. In addition, there needs to be a clear
and rigorous evaluation of both the quality of the training and
its impact on children's progress.
THE SYSTEM
OF STATEMENTS
OF NEED
FOR SEN PUPILS
("THE STATEMENTING
PROCESS")
5.1 Some stakeholders have raised concerns
about the equitability and cost effectiveness of the current system.
Educational psychologists are in a good position to comment on
these issues as they are centrally concerned with supporting individual
children, their families and communities and building school capacity
in this area.
5.2 The principles underpinning the so-called
"statementing" process (a word which is, itself, indicative
of how corrupted the "formal assessment" procedure has
become) were initially focussed on the "needs" of children.
Over time, however, the process has led to an education system
where mainstream schools have become increasingly dependent on
the local authority in meeting the special educational needs of
children and young people. Paradoxically, schools and parents
can spend a great deal of time pursuing a small amount of money
via a Statement of SEN. The notional "2%" of children
with severe and complex special needs referred to in the Warnock
Report, (1978) has grown over the years and in some LEAs as many
as 5% cent of pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need.
As a consequence, the administrative responsibilities resulting
from the formal assessment procedures have had a detrimental impact
on the effectiveness of all professional groups involved in the
statutory assessment process. In the case of educational psychologists,
professional practice has been restricted and efforts diverted
from more constructive activities such as proactive work, intervention
planning and delivery, evaluation and inservice training, especially
for teachers and teaching assistants.
5.3 The unintended and perverse incentive
for mainstream schools to expend time seeking money from the local
authority also perpetuates an unquestioning dependence on the
Statement of Special Educational Needs. Once a child is provided
with additional funding via a Statement, there is no incentive
to remove this status, since to do so would be to lose funding
or "have to make redundant" the person employed to support
the Statement. Thus, children retain a Statement for their whole
educational career. Decisions to maintain a Statement of SEN can
be predicated on the idea that the child would fail without the
Statement, without there being any clear supporting evidence that
this is the case. Other arguments for maintaining a Statement
of SEN relate to unchallenged fears that transition to full time
education/a secondary school would lead to deterioration in the
child's functioning.
5.4 A Statement of SEN can, itself, become
a barrier to inclusion. As young children progress from early
years settings to full-time education school staff can sometimes
become reluctant to accept the children due to their significant
special needs label. The British Psychology Society welcomed legislation
which has clarified the legal position of children with SEN (Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended by the Special Educational
Needs and Disability Act 2001):
"makes it unlawful for an education authority
to discriminate against a disabled pupil or a prospective disabled
pupil in the discharge of its functions" (Code of Practice
for Schools: Disability Discrimination Act 1995, part 4, p 95).
THE ROLE
OF PARENTS
IN DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN'S
EDUCATION
6.1 There is a well documented relationship
between parental involvement in education and positive learning
outcomes (Griffith, 1996; Sammons et al., 1995). Parent-teacher
partnerships are important in establishing consistent and co-operative
arrangements for supporting children's learning, and developing
and maintaining home-school trust is crucial (Dunsmuir, Frederickson
& Lang, 2004). Parents with confidence to manoeuvre within
the complex system are a strong force in securing resources. In
addition to involving parents in decisions about their children's
education (cf SEN, Code of Practice, 2001, pp 16-26), the British
Psychological Society welcomes the widening role of Parent Partnership
Services to embrace wider issues with respect to parents establishing
sound relationships with schools.
6.2 Parents' pivotal role in their child's
education needs to be further developed, and in those cases where
parents themselves may have Special Needs, additional support
should be readily available to ensure that their needs, in relation
to their child's needs, are met. The Society would like to see
schools further developing their links with parents through the
extended schools agenda and by providing opportunities for parents
and children to learn together (Camilleri, Spiteri & Wolfendale,
2005).
6.3 A small but vociferous groups of parents,
often aligned with independent organisations and pressure groups
can lead to serious bias in the allocation of very limited resources,
especially prevalent in the areas of "dyslexia" and
"autism" (Gross, 1996). In some cases, parents have
striven for particular placements or interventions believing that
they represent "cures" to the real problems which their
child may have and seek full financial assistance (eg £200,000
per annum) to support their child, usually in private, independent
schools which are often a significant distance from their families
and communities. This adversarial stance has sometimes culminated
in acrimony and distress for parents who enter into an uncompromising
dispute with local authorities. Unfortunately, and despite the
considerable amounts of money involved, little time or attention
is given to following the progress of the children at the centre
of the dispute once the resources are allocated.
6.4 Therefore, current government legislation,
regulations and policies can lead to an adversarial position between
parents and professionals that is not necessarily in the best
interests of the child. A more informed approach is needed and
the development of a more collaborative system would be welcomed.
To this end the Society welcomes the widening role of Parent Partnership
Services and advocates the need for the development of a rigorous,
longitudinal research base to support placement decisions.
HOW ARE
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS ARE
DEFINED?
7.1 The continuing move away from labelling
children according to "categories" of need based on
perceived child deficits is to be welcomed as an approach based
on categories can have an adverse impact on the development of
a child's self-identity and, as a result, restrict efforts to
teach them effectively. Thus, we would recommend a focus on "needs"
and "appropriate provision".
7.2 The development of "personalised
learning programmes" for all children is to be welcomed,
and the direction outlined in "Removing Barriers to Achievement"
(2004b) should be pursued, ie that children with additional needs
are at the core of personalised education. Models of SEN which
focus on intervention, curriculum and social causes of school
difficulties rather than within-child deficits are welcomed because
school staff can be supported to take effective action to remove
barriers to learning.
7.3 The Society can see value in a national
framework for funding schools to a level which would ensure that
any child would be able to follow a personalised programme within
a school within their community. This may mean schools working
collaboratively to meet the needs of children within their community.
7.5 Within a national framework for funding,
children would be continually assessed through intervention and
appropriate "adjustments" would be made, in accordance
with the Disability Rights Commission. Best practice would be
shared within a research orientated framework leading to increasingly
effective and evaluated provision.
7.6 The Society would wish to emphasise
that assessment should be collaborative and conducted over time
(DECP, 1999). The assessment process, under the Every Child Matters
agenda should be multi-agency and start a birth. Thus, a child
with needs that require a personalised plan would be fully assessed
before attending full-time education. Where it becomes clear that
a child's needs are not being met, further assessment should take
place. Thus, there must be assessment procedures in place for
very young children, and facilities which enable a rapid intervention-assessment
if it becomes clear that a child is not being adequately supported
in some way. The overall aim should be to identify the appropriate
provision to meet the child's identified needs.
PROVISION FOR
DIFFERENT TYPES
AND LEVELS
OF SEN, INCLUDING
EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIOURAL
AND SOCIAL
DIFFICULTIES (EBSD)
8.1 Many types and causes of SEN can be
identified early and the importance of early identification and
intensive support in the early years is well documented. This
is particularly true for children with EBSD. Learning and psychological
theory offers considerable potential for developing specific interventions
for groups of disadvantaged children (Webster-Stratton et al,
2001). For a review of the accumulating evidence that parent training
programmes can be effectively applied to a wide range of behaviour
problems in a variety of different settings, see Fonagy and Kurtz
(2002).
8.2 An example of one intensive but non-stigmatising
early intervention for EBSD that is increasingly being implemented
across the UK, are Classic Boxall Nurture Groups. These groups
were first established by an educational psychologist in Hackney
in the 1970s. Currently, research into their effectiveness is
being gathered by Prof. Paul Cooper at Leicester University.
8.3 Systematic evaluation of children's
emotional and social development, especially those with SEN and
mental health problems, is sparse. Yet there have been recent
concerns expressed by Baroness Warnock about some pupils' experience
of inclusion (Warnock, 2005) where many pupils who have special
needs are considered likely to be "bullied and teased, or
at least simply neglected" in mainstream schools. Indeed,
some of our members have reported that parents have been known
to seek placement in special schools as a means of protecting
their child from "bullying and intimidation".
8.4 Research studies that have investigated
social and emotional outcomes of educating pupils who have special
educational needs in mainstream schools have produced equivocal
results. The overall picture tends to show poorer outcomes for
pupils who have SEN compared with those of their mainstream peers
unless particular efforts are made to address and improve them.
Research on acceptance and rejection of pupils with SEN, assessed
by peer reports of willingness to associate in work and social
contexts in school, has consistently reported that higher proportions
of included children have lower social status, being less accepted
and more rejected than their mainstream classmates. These findings
have emerged across different national school systems, including
the UK (Nabuzoka & Smith, 1993; Frederickson & Furnham,
2004; Dyson, Farrell, Polat, & Hutchenson, 2004). The research
literature also reveals higher levels of bullying and victimization
of pupils with SEN than of their mainstream peers. This is the
case whether bullying is assessed through pupil self report, peer
report or teacher report (De Monchy, Pijl, & Zandberg, 2004;
Nabuzoka, & Smith, 1993; Thompson, Whitney, & Smith, 1994).
Educational psychologists have research training that enables
them to play a key role in bringing scientific rigour to the design
and evaluation of interventions.
8.5 With regard to provision designed to
support children's emotional, social and behavioural development,
assessment needs to be collaborative, detailed and based on "needs"
and not categorisation or labelling, as this can have a stigmatising
and self-fulfilling prophecy effect. Care needs to taken in assessing
the effects of poverty and in differentiating between the emotional
and social development of children. The British Psychological
Society would recommmend that in the assessment of emotional,
social and behavioural needs, a collaborative framework is used.
This should focuses on the child's natural environment(s) and
the complexity of interactions within the child's life. Links
with community CAMHS and other community organisations should
be evident in these assessments. Early intervention is essential
in order to prevent habitual patterns of anti-social behaviour
become embedded as part of a child's life. Educational Psychologists
play a vital role in "differentiating" the nature of
a child or young person's ESBD and have a major role to play in
identifying those young people who might be experiencing significant
mental health difficulties and who require referral to CAMHS.
The Children's Services and Trust agenda are providing significant
opportunities for professionals to address issues of "integrated
referral pathways" and "common assessment frameworks".
The British Psychological Society welcomes these advances in professional
practice.
8.6 The British Psychological Society is
especially supportive of the Primary and Secondary strategies
which support the development of children's social and emotional
aspects of learning (DfES, 2005b). We would hope that resources
are provided to ensure that these strategies can be further developed
and extended to the prevention of exclusions where children are
sent home and end up spending increased amounts of time thereafter
on the streets. The Society would endorse the practice of schools
working in collaborative networks to share expertise in significantly
reducing exclusion and disaffection from school for those children
deemed to have additional educational needs.
8.7 Psychologists have documented successful
interventions working at the institutional, the classroom and
the individual pupil levels, with teachers and with pupils and
parents. Such interventions draw from a wide range of psychological
perspectives, some taking a preventative and some a reactive stance,
and address both pragmatic strategies and the intense emotions
that often surround serious behaviour difficulties. Research has
revealed conflicting beliefs among teachers, pupils and parents
about important aspects of behaviour in schools, with this clash
having the potential to further exacerbate home-school tensions.
Published accounts document psychologists' involvement in successful
mediation between teachers and parents and in devising joint strategies
that have produced significant improvements with KS1 & 2 pupils
originally judged by their teachers as the most difficult they
had encountered. For further information see the British Psychological
Society submission to the Ministerial Stakeholders Group on Pupil
Behaviour and Discipline (copy attached).
THE LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK FOR
SEN PROVISION AND
THE EFFECTS
OF THE
DISABILITY ACT
2001, WHICH EXTENDED
THE DISABILITY
DISCRIMINATION ACT
TO EDUCATION
9.1 Many of the legislative changes that
have the biggest impact on the lives and educational experiences
of children with SEN do not come from SEN policy but more general
educational initiatives eg on school admissions, exclusions, funding
systems. There is a need for policy makers to consider the broader
picture and the effect of unintended incentives/disincentives
in the system that can lead to and sustain detrimental educational
experiences.
This response was prepared on behalf of The
British Psychological Society by Dr Sandra Dunsmuir, Dr Norah
Fredrickson, and Kath Fingleton.
October 2005
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