The Education and Inspections Bill and special educational needs

Teachers with SEN expertise work in a variety of contexts including special schools, pupil referral units and hospital schools, as well as in regular primary and secondary schools. They may also be ‘unattached’, that is, not based in one particular school but provide specialist expertise across a range of educational settings.

SEN teachers in the GTC “Making CPD Special” group  say that the need to balance special and mainstream issues, the lack of school-based strategies for professional development and time constraints are the major barriers to extending SEN expertise throughout the system.  They see greater collaboration between SEN and mainstream schools, more multi-disciplinary working and staff expertise as the opportunities to be grasped.

Crucial to system-wide achievement of higher standards for all is the use of SEN expertise beyond centres of excellence or specialist facilities. All staff  - not just SEN teachers and staff - need support and development in teaching and learning for SEN pupils, starting with initial teacher training and continuing thereafter. We, therefore, need to ensure that:

• initial teacher training programme requirements enable trainees to gain experience of and build their expertise in working with children and young people with a range of special educational needs
• those teachers who have developed expertise in special educational needs have appropriate access and opportunities to pursue their own professional development and enhance their specialist knowledge and skills, and
• staff throughout the system have opportunity and access to this specialist expertise to develop knowledge and skills in working with children and young people with special needs in all educational contexts.

The General Teaching Council for England is involved because it is committed to extending expertise in special educational needs throughout the system and to all staff.

Involved with Government
The GTCE’s statutory advice to the Secretary of State, following DfES consultations  on professional standards, performance management and initial teacher education requirements will take account of the needs of children and young people with special educational needs.