Flexischooling--the sharing of a child's education between home and school through formal agreement--is one of a range of 'alternative' education approaches that may adapt education to meet a child's special educational needs. This study considers qualitative data from an online survey conducted during November and December 2023 regarding parents'…

This research identifies new approaches to education health and care plan (EHCP) provision since the start of the COVID-19 (C-19) pandemic (March 2020 to March 2021). This qualitative research was conducted after the C-19 pandemic and used online questionnaires to identify the perceptions of 64 SENCos recruited from mainstream primary and…

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan has been published for England and includes a recommendation for SEND Assessment and Review Teams guidance. These teams co-ordinate and monitor the statutory Education, Health and Care Plans detailing the needs and provision for children with…

Wales, one of the four nations of the UK, is currently undergoing major education system-level reform. From the curriculum, through to a new additional learning needs (ALN) system, there is a renewed focus on inclusive education. Research has shown the importance of teachers' attitudes towards inclusion in creating inclusive learning environments.…

Access arrangements (AAs) in GCSE and GCE examinations are the reasonable adjustments made for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) under the Equality Act 2010. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) sets out evidence requirements for allowing AAs on behalf of awarding bodies, although there is a lack of research…

Transitions in education are known to have an impact on learners both in social and emotional terms as well as academically. This article argues that transition experiences should be regarded as an on-going process rather than a one-off event. The move from compulsory education at the age of 16 can have a significant impact on engagement and…

The 2022 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Review in England has proposed changes to the way in which SENCos are trained before working in English schools. Although the DfE collects data relating to the demographics of all teachers, the 2022 SEND Review Green Paper does not draw on this to support or inform the changes being…

Access arrangements are the way in which awarding bodies for public examinations in England, such as the General Certificate of Secondary Education, make reasonable adjustments for students with special educational needs and disabilities. SENCos have expressed concerns about the onerous nature of managing requirements for access arrangements, both…

Eliciting the views, wishes and feelings of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been a primary element of the Children and Families Act 2014. Despite professional rhetoric that aims to ensure the voice of children and young people remains at the centre of assessments, SEND professionals often…

This small-scale comparative study explores how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted on the transition from Early Years Education to Key Stage 1 (KS1) for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) in a SEND specialist school in the UK. Two focus group interviews were conducted with nine professionals who work across three KS1…

Wales is undergoing a major programme of educational reform, including the development of a new curriculum and transformation of the system for supporting learners with additional learning needs (ALN). This article reports on a research project investigating how these two elements are being brought together, drawing on interviews with policy leads…

This research article aims to examine disproportionality in the attainment of pupils with special educational needs at the end of primary education. The sample consisted of 3,025 pupils who completed Key Stage 2 in one LA in London. Two methodological approaches were used in the data collection. The background data related to special educational…

The introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms were hailed in 2014, by the then Government, as the most significant change to SEND policy for 30 years. Despite the changes introduced, the 2015 Code continued to place responsibility for the co-ordination of provision for children with special educational needs…

Children with special educational needs often feel lonely in classrooms, are less accepted by their classmates and have fewer friendships. Their classmates' positive attitudes towards them are important for their social participation in inclusive classrooms. According to the theory of social referencing, children's attitudes towards peers with…

The purpose of this study was to determine how resource teachers (n = 13) and classroom teachers (n = 12) experience a coaching partnership, in which both teachers work in the regular classroom to support students with special educational needs. The focus of the partnerships was to build classroom teacher capacity around inclusionary practices.…