1. Excluding pupils with special educational needs (SEN) through inclusionary definitions: Considering the paradox Dr Garry Squires International School Psychology Association Conference 2013: Porto, Portugal

2. Aims To share some experiences of the paradox created between policy and practices around inclusion Asking you to reflect on these and thinking about whether this paradox might also be true in your country. Dr Garry Squires 20132

3. An international ideal Salamanca Agreement 1994 Inclusive education… enabling schools to serve all children, particularly those with special educational needs Dakar Agreement 2000 Total inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools… by 2015 UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. Salamanca, Spain: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO. (2000). The Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments. Paris, France: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

4. Legality and Reality Me – “Special educational needs is really messy in practice and unclear” Civil Servant (DfE) – “No its not! It is defined in law. It is very clearly stated” Me – “Let’s explore that definition a little, its been around a while now, since 1944….” Dr Garry Squires 20134

5. 1944 Act - SEN – a lasting definition Text taken from the Education Acts 1981 and 1996 “A child has a “learning difficulty” for the purposes of this Act if— (a)he has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of his age, (b)he has a disability which either prevents or hinders him from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of his age in schools within the area of the local education authority, or (c)he is under compulsory school age and is, or would be if special educational provision were not made for him, likely to fall within paragraph (a) or (b) when of that age. In this Act “special educational provision” means— (a)in relation to a child who has attained the age of two, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of his age in schools maintained by the local education authority (other than special schools) and (b)in relation to a child under that age, educational provision of any kind.”

6. 1944 Act: Categorising pupils by handicap ‘Disability of mind or body’ Sensory Impairments Blind Partially sighted Deaf Partially deaf Educationally subnormal (ESN) ESN (M) ESN (S) Medical Diabetic Epileptic Physical handicap EBD Delicate Maladjusted Language Speech defects

7. 2001 Code of Practice for SEN Comparative to both peers and to self Notion of ‘adequate progress’ independent of peers allowing for realistic expectations Areas of difficulty – no ‘types of SEN’ or labels – Communication and interaction – Cognition and learning – Behaviour, emotional and social development – Sensory and/or physical needs Emphasis on teaching Dr Garry Squires 20137 DfES (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. London: Department for Education and Skills HMG (2001) SEN and Disability Act 2001. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

8. England and Ireland Dr Garry Squires 20138 School Support PlusSupport for SomeSupport for All StatementSchool Action PlusSchool ActionQuality First Teaching

9. DfE Pupil Level School Census Pupils with SEN are reported upon according to categories Hearing Impairment Visual Impairment Multi Sensory Impairment Physical Difficulties Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties Speech, Communication and Language Difficulties Moderate Learning Difficulties Severe Learning Difficulties Specific Learning Difficulties Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties Autistic Spectrum Disorders Dr Garry Squires 20139 MLD is the most popular choice that teachers use (Humphreys and Squires, 2011)

10. Similarities with Ireland Dr Garry Squires 201310

11. Possible reasons for tensions in the England Funding arrangements to support pupils with SEN Measures of school performance – ‘league tables’ Inspection regimes that focus on the ‘achievement agenda’ Increased teacher accountability and links to teacher competency Dr Garry Squires 201311

12. Effects noticed in the England Over-identification of SEN (Ofsted, 2010; Squires et al 2012,2013) Reluctance by HTs to enrol pupils with SEN Increase in segregated teaching through withdrawal classes Increased demand for labels and the things that labels bring Greater demands for ‘expert’ assessments to justify bureaucratic funding decisions Dr Garry Squires 201312

13. Recent legislation – a return to inclusion in the England, a move away, or ‘same old, same old’? Reform of the SEN system (Children and Families Bill, 2014). Improved identification of need. New definition? Aims to promote ‘integration’ Proposed change in funding of special schools from ‘by place’ to ‘by pupil’ reduces outreach capacity (NFER, 2013) ‘Local offer’ – range of services that parents can buy with a personalised budget For children without a EHC plan, schools will need to spend up to £6000 meeting their needs Sec 34 – LAs may arrange provision for a child other than at school or post 16 institution if it deems it necessary. They must consult with parents. SENCos will need to be qualified or have extensive experience (or both) Dr Garry Squires 201313

14. Hope springs eternal Increased teacher awareness of SEN can bring about positive outcomes for children (Humphrey and Squires, 2011) Data led professional conversations can help develop teacher skill and improve classroom planning Move towards consultative practices by EPs and reduced individual (psychometric) assessments More co-ordinated interagency approaches through Education Health and Care plans that cover birth to age 25 Dr Garry Squires 201314

15. Discussion Does it strike a chord with where you work? How is SEN defined in policy and practice? How does this affect your role? Dr Garry Squires 201315