Chapter 6:

Special Educational Needs

 
The proposals in this White Paper will benefit all children, including those children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) and requiring additional and targeted support. Our proposals focus on early identification of problems and service integration to meet them.

1  The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs provides a framework for schools, LEAs, Social Services Departments and Health Authorities for identifying and assessing special needs. Teachers have worked hard with local authorities and others to implement the Code, and there have been worthwhile improvements. We shall build on this and promote the good practice which exists in individual schools and local authorities.

2  We intend that our proposals to raise standards should embrace children with SEN, whether in mainstream or special schools. Our strategy to improve provision and standards for children with SEN will therefore be fully co-ordinated with our policies for improving standards; co-ordinated at both local authority and school levels; and for some specialist resources, between authorities on a collaborative basis. This is in line with our policies for disabled persons more widely and links with social services support for children in need and with disabilities.

3  We support the greatest possible integration into mainstream education of pupils with SEN, while recognising that specialist facilities are essential to meet particular needs. There are 10 key areas to address in raising the standards of special education:

• early identification of SEN;

• dealing with disaffection and alienation;

• the professional development of staff;

• information technology;

• partnership with parents;

• the Code of Practice and the SEN Tribunal system;

• co-ordination between statutory and voluntary agencies;

• partnership with health care professionals;

• securing a spectrum of provision for SEN;

• access to further and higher education.

4  An England and Wales Advisory Group on Special Educational Needs is being established, with members from a wide range of backgrounds - schools, local authorities, voluntary bodies representing children and parents, and others. There will be Welsh representation on the Group, and Welsh Office officials will act as observers.

5  The National Group will advise on the content of a Green Paper covering the key areas above, to be published in September. It will seek views on how best to deliver the Government's commitments on special education.

6  Through the Welsh representation on the Group and through Welsh Office meetings with local authority representatives and other SEN interests, we shall ensure that any particular Welsh perspective is considered and acted on. The Green Paper and its outcome will shape the Government's programme for SEN during the remainder of this Parliament. The National Advisory Group will oversee the implementation of that programme. In parallel with this, OHMCI is conducting a survey of the way in which the National Curriculum for Wales is applied in special schools. The results will be published in due course with a view to assisting teachers to make further progress in raising standards in these settings.
 
 

Summary This chapter explains that our policies for children with special educational needs are an integral part of our policies for raising standards for all in Wales. It commits the Government to: publish in September a Green Paper for England and Wales on key aspects of provision for SEN; consult authorities and organisations in Wales on how best to achieve the improvements we seek; act on any specific Welsh interest; establish a broadly-based England and Wales Advisory Group to help prepare the Green Paper, to take part in the subsequent consultation and to oversee an action programme for the remainder of this Parliament.