Supporting learner needs: an inclusive learning environment?

1. Supporting learner needs: an inclusive learning environment? Understanding Learning: MOD001256

2. Objectives • Compare models and perspectives of disabilities and learning difficulties. • Review a range of legislation and a code of practice relating to disabilities and learning difficulties. • Explore views of inclusion and integration and consider how these impact on children’s education experiences.

3. 2001 Legislation Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act (SENDA) • Made discrimination against learners with disabilities in England and Wales illegal. • It strengthened the rights of children with special educational needs (SEN) to be included in mainstream education. • Education providers have to: • Treat children with disabilities as favourably as non-disabled learners. • Make reasonable adjustments to their organisation’s facilities and learning arrangements, so that learners who have a disability or difficulty are not unreasonably disadvantaged.

4. Special Educational Needs (SEN) A legal definition which refers to children up to the age of 19, who have learning difficulties or disabilities that makes it more difficult to learn or access education than most children of the same age. (Hodkinson & Vickerman, 2009)

5. “I felt like I’d been labelled. I was Arif – the kid with dyslexia and dyspraxia!” • Criticism of the term SEN is that it is inscribed with the medical model of disability and categorises or labels children. • Add up the number of times the phrase children with SEN is written in this PowerPoint presentation. Is this labelling or not? • “This form of labelling …is not only disrespectful and hurtful to the individual child but can also have repercussions for the manner in which their learning is supported.” (CSIE, 2005) • “Difficulties a child may have with learning may be seen …as resulting from personal deficit and difference and not from the barriers created by such things such as inaccessible buildings, inflexible curricula, inappropriate teaching and learning approaches and school organisation and policies.” (Hodkinson & Vickerman, 2009, p.13)

6. The Medical Model of Disability This takes the perspective that: • The disabled person is viewed as a victim or a problem. The person must adapt to the way in which society is constructed and organised. • People who experience a disability are defined by their illness or medical condition and there is a focus on the lack of physical, sensory or cognitive functioning. • Practices and terminology is ‘borrowed’ from the medical profession to judge a person’s limitations against certain 'norms' in development and functioning. • This can leads to a dehumanising view, where only the nature and severity of the impairment is important, along with the extent to which the difference can be corrected or minimised.

7. Diagnosed: “I’m not ill, I just can’t read!” Historical links between placing children with SEN in the schooling system and the judgements of medical professional. “Carrier (1986) argues that special education has employed the medical model to cloak itself in an aura of respectability in order to justify the therapeutic intervention made by doctors, paediatricians and psychologists in the teaching and learning of children with special needs.” (Hodkinson & Vickerman, 2009, p.19) Historically (19th century & up to the latter part of the 20th century), many children with SEN were placed and educated in a separate, segregated system: special schools.

8. 1970’s – a new model proposed “In our view, it is society which disables physically impaired people. Disability is something that is imposed on top of our impairments; by the way we are unnecessarily isolated and excluded from full participation in society. Disabled people are therefore an oppressed group in society.” (UPIAS, 1976, p.3)

9. The Social Model of Disability • Challenges the medical model that disability is a medical problem requiring "treatment". • Disability is not the ‘fault’ of an individual disabled person. • Disability is caused by how society is organised in terms of the physical, organisational and attitudinal barriers society presents. • The barriers are the problem, not the individual. For example, a person who users a wheelchair to support his/her mobility is not disabled in an environment when transport, buildings and their facilities are accessible to everyone.

10. A question A question posed on a university questionnaire using the medical model: What problems does your disability cause you in accessing the university's facilities? Re-word the question using the social model of disability’s perspective. What barriers are there in the design of the university's facilities that prevent you from making full use of them?

11. The SEN Code of Practice - 2001 • All schools and teachers are responsible to meet the needs of all individuals. • Reflects the Social Model of Disability – barriers created by schools and society need to be removed so children with SEN can access education provision. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%200581%202001

12. DFeS 2001: The SEN Code of Practice • Children with SEN: • should be educated alongside other children in mainstream schools. • have full access to a broad and balanced education including the National Curriculum. • the school, the local authority and other professionals work in partnership with parents. • a child’s wishes should be taken into account in the light of their age and understanding. • there is close co-operation between all agencies concerned and a multi-disciplinary approach is taken to resolving issues.

13. Levels of intervention for pupils with SEN in England School Action– where the teacher or the school’s SENCO decides to provide something for the child additional to or different from the school’s usual differentiated approach to help children 11.4% of the school population were identified at School Action level, approximately 916,000 pupils in January 2010. School Action Plus– where the school consults specialists and requests help from external services. 6.2% of the school population were at School Action Plus level, approximately 496,000 pupils in January 2010 Statement– where the child requires support beyond that which the school can provide and the local authority arranges appropriate provision. 2.7% of the school population or 221,000 pupils had a statement of SEN in January 2010. (Statistics from DfE, 2011, p.18 ) https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/CM%208027

14. Children with SEN should be educated alongside other children in mainstream schools (DfES, 2001) Arif’s story: “After the report, I never really attended a mainstream English lesson ever again at either primary or secondary school. I didn’t attend a Maths lesson either until I was about halfway through secondary school – year 9 I think. I always had a specialist support teacher working with me at my primary school.” “I had a ‘special’ timetable all the way through secondary school. I was sometimes in classes with my year group, but lots of my lessons were in the learning support centre with specialist teachers. It was like I only attended part of the school. At times I felt more excluded than included.” Arif says he felt more excluded than included; What is your definition of inclusion?

15. Inclusion Green Paper 1997 - Excellence for All “By inclusion we mean not only that pupils with SEN should wherever possible receive their education in mainstream school, but also that they should join fully with their peers in the curriculum and the life of the school. For example, we believe, that… children with SEN should generally take part in mainstream lessons rather than being isolated in separate units.” (DfES, 1997, p.44) Ofsted (2000, p.7) “effective schools were educationally inclusive schools” In inclusive schools, (Ofsted, 2000, p.13) “the teaching and learning achievements, attitudes and well being of every person matter.”

16. Integration • Locational integration: children with SEN are located in a special class or unit, but on the same site as the mainstream school. • Social integration: children with SEN are located in a special class or unit, but on the same site as the mainstream school, but socialise with mainstream children at a break or lunchtime. • Functional integration: children with SEN are taught for part, or all, of the timetable in mainstream classes. (Warnock Report, 1978) http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/warnock/

17. Are functional integration and inclusion the same? • Are children fully included if they are being taught in a mainstream classroom alongside children who do not experience difficulties in accessing the curriculum? Think of your experiences in schools and early year settings. • Were all children equally included and able to share experiences? • Were children with SEN learning in a separate area of the classroom, or were they learning with children who do not experience learning difficulties? • Is it possible, or in the best interests of all children for full inclusion to take place all of the time?

18. Inclusion vs academic accountability and standards • Schools are judged against children’s academic attainment. • E.g. Primary school success is judged by how many children achieve a level 4 in all subjects by the end of key stage 2. • A tension for schools: achieving targets set in relation to children’s academic attainment vs supporting children who may never achieve academic success as defined by the UK government. “Inclusion… is not about figures, politics or…dogma, it is, about beliefs, faith, caring and the creation of community… It is about human rights and human beings.” (Allan, 2003, p.178)

19. New legislation • Proposed Children & Families Bill - introduced in parliament in spring 2013. Aim is for it to gain royal assent by spring 2014. http://www.education.gov.uk/a00221161/ • Green paper published March 2011 by DfE: Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability - A consultation. www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/CM%208027#downloadableparts

20. Proposals • A new approach to identifying SEN through a single Early Years setting-based category and school-based category of SEN. • A new single assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plan by 2014. • Local authorities and other services to set out a local offer of all services available. • The option of a personal budget by 2014 for all families with children with a statement of SEN or a new Education, Health and Care Plan. • Parents know what they can reasonably expect their local school, local college, local authority and local services to provide. • Greater control for parents over the services they and their family use.

21. References Allan, J. 2003. Productive pedagogies and the challenge of inclusion. British Journal of Special Education, 30(4): pp.178-179 CSIE, 2005. Evidence to the UK Parliament’s Inquiry into Special Educational Needs. Available at: www.inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/campaigns.htm [accessed 17 June 2006) DfES. 1997. Excellence for All Children. Green Paper, 22 October 1997. London: HMSO. Hodkinson, A. & Vickerman, P. 2009. Key Issues in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. London: Sage Publications Ltd. UPIAS. 1976. Fundamental Principles of Disability. London: Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation. Ofsted. 2000. Evaluating Educational Inclusion: Guidance for Inspectors and Schools. London: Office for Standards in Education.

22. Further Reading Hodkinson, A. & Vickerman, P. 2009. Key Issues in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Smith, C., From Special Needs to Inclusive Education in Sharpe, J., Ward, S. & Hankin, L. (eds). 2009. Education Studies – An issues-based approach. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Chapter 14. (Ebook) Woolfolk, Hughes, M. and Walkup, V., 2013. Psychology in Education. Harlow: Pearson. Pp146-160. (Ebook) Very Useful Website http://complexneeds.org.uk/