Klaus Wedell

Concepts of special educational need

Editors note. This article first appeared in ‘Education Today’ in 1981. At that time issues of classification and categorisation of children with special educational needs were being debated in many countries, and in England an enquiry into the education of children with disabilities had recommended the abolition of categories of disability in favour of the concept of special educational need (DES, 1978). Today, as the government consults on the reintroduction of disability categories, it seems appropriate to reconsider this concept and the thinking that led to its adoption. The use of the male pronoun has been retained in this article for fluency of reading. ‘He’ and ‘his’ should be understood as ‘he or she’ and ‘his or her’. The article is reprinted with the kind permission of the College of Teachers –http://www.collegeofteachers.ac.uk.

Clusters: inter‐school collaboration in meeting special educational needs in ordinary schools

This article reports the findings and discusses the implications of a research project on school clusters, a system of inter-school collaboration to meet special educational needs (SEN) in ordinary schools. The project was in two stages. The first stage involved detailed qualitative case studies of four different kinds of cluster arrangement. These were analysed in terms of antecedents, processes and outcomes based on documentation and interviews with key participants as informants. The second stage surveyed a wider sample of cluster arrangements in three regional meetings using a group interview methodology. The overall findings are summarised in terms of the conditions and factors which promote SEN inter-school collaboration and the outcomes for schools, teachers, local education authorities (LEAs) and support services. The significance and implications of these forms of inter-school collaboration are finally discussed in terms of the current changes to the school system and the education of pupils with SEN.

Developing the Curriculum for Children with Learning Difficulties: Towards a Grounded Model.

A purposive sampling strategy was used to select 10 primary, 10 secondary and 10 special schools that were recommended for their work in developing curricula for children experiencing learning difficulty. The process of curriculum development in these schools was examined through interviews and curriculum documentation. A systematic method of qualitative data analysis was developed, based on a category framework which incorporated the teachers’ conceptualisations. A model of the process of curriculum development, built up from the consideration of the inter‐relationships of these categories, is presented and discussed.

Comparing the curriculum development process in special (MLD) schools: a systematic qualitative approach

ABSTRACT The present paper describes a comparative study of ten special schools for pupils with moderate learning difficulties in England and Wales. Qualitative analysis of interview data and curriculum documentation collected from the schools provide a model of the curriculum process which is firmly grounded in the data. Comparisons across the categories of the model indicate strong differences between the schools in certain categories, e.g. use of objectives, specification of curriculum intention, monitoring of pupil progress and curriculum evaluation.

Developing the Curriculum for Pupils Experiencing Difficulties in Learning in Ordinary Schools: A Systematic, Comparative Analysis.

Abstract A comparative analysis of the process of curriculum development in a sample of 10 primary and 10 secondary schools is presented. Interview reports and school documentation were analysed through the construction and application of a set of grounded data categories. These categories were grouped into a model in order to represent the process of curriculum development. The analysis revealed differences between schools which were associated with the organisation of provision for children experiencing difficulties in learning. The interplay between the organisation of provision and the process of curriculum development is discussed.

Points from the SENCo-Forum: The ‘Points from the SENCo-Forum’ column: its 20th anniversary year: SENCo-FORUM

The article reports on the SENCo Forum and the 20th anniversary of its column. It mentions that the forum was established in 1994 due to the failure of the 1983 Education Act in addressing the need for aiding youth and children with special educational needs/disabilities (SENDs) in Great Britain. It also notes its aim in supporting Special Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos).

Points from the SENCo-Forum: SENCos supporting parents

The article summarizes the main points that emerged from message exchanges of special educational needs coordinators. Topics covered include the nature and background of the concerns of parents of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND), the challenges facing SENCO in relation to parents, and the strategies employed by SENCO for resolving the concerns.