Those who work in education strive to create more inclusive environments in school but are often stymied in their efforts by challenges coming from many and varied directions. Politicians, for example, exhort us to be more inclusive but create conditions that encourage separation and exclusion, and inclusive education's history in special…

Opportunities for children to be involved in the decisions made about them is a part of current statutory educational legislation. Person-centred planning (PCP) has been proposed as an appropriate method of meeting statutory requirements. However, there is a dearth of research into its application within education. The paper describes a systematic…

Around the world, the number of learning assistants (LAs) employed in schools has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Underpinned by the global move towards more inclusive education, and consequently an increasingly diverse school population, they now play a key role in supporting learners with additional needs. A number of concerns…

This study aimed to explore the opinions and preferences of students with special needs who receive resource room services. The participants included 113 students aged between 7 and 13 years, and data were collected through a questionnaire that focused on the students' experiences in the resource room. The findings indicate that students require…

The polarisation of attitudes towards dyslexia appears to be contingent upon the awareness of the implications of adopting a medical model to interpreting dyslexia (as a medical 'condition') or applying an educational overlay, based upon difficulties in certain areas, to interpreting and making provision for those with dyslexia. Specifically, it…

The aim of this study was to further explore Special Educational Need Co-ordinators' (SENCos) knowledge of childhood acquired brain injury (ABI) and if they have received training on how to effectively support children and young people (CYP) with an ABI in school. SENCos from Nottinghamshire were asked to complete a survey face-to-face or online.…

There is little research addressing teachers' beliefs and judgements concerning students with identified Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), a group which is regularly cited as experiencing disadvantages in their schooling compared to peers. This paper draws on research which examined the beliefs and judgements of a set of arts…

Due to misconceptions about the challenges of language learning, foreign languages classrooms have not always been accessible spaces for all learners. This article seeks to address the needs of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the foreign languages classroom and challenge the notion that this group of students…

This paper outlines the journey of one Scottish primary school in taking nurturing approaches forward over a 5-year period, with the aims of improving staff understanding of their role and feeling skilled in using nurturing approaches and improving pupil's health and well-being and confidence. Using an action research methodology and the local…

Although there is much research regarding the inclusion of pupils with additional support needs (ASN) in mainstream secondary education, there is little research specifically exploring the perspectives of staff who support and teach this population. This small-scale exploratory study in a Scottish secondary school investigated staff perspectives,…

This paper draws on my experience working as a special needs support staff member in a special school in the UK for young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) issues. The purpose of this paper is to share my understanding of practices that enable staff in an SEMH school to attend to the needs of their students. Although I have…

Over time, schools have developed systems that include the families of children. Families often sign a home school agreement and attend parent forums or more formal meetings designed to plan provision for children with special educational needs. These endeavours, however, are arguably inadequate when the full influence of the family is properly…

There are legal, moral and practical reasons to involve pupils in planning provision for their special educational needs. We do not yet know how principles are implemented in practice. This study explored the views and experiences of 64 teachers with an interest in special educational needs through an online survey. Participants reported greater…

This descriptive case study examines the perspectives, beliefs and practices of independent private schoolteachers in India about the inclusion of students with special educational needs in general education classrooms. Data were collected through one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions with 10 teachers in an independent private school…

The Children and Families Act, 2014 and the new Special Educational Needs and Disability SEND Code of Practice (DfE and DoH, 2014) has led to reforms in how children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are supported in England. Now, five years on, research has begun to emerge exploring the implementation of the new…