SEND and Inclusion links, etc

SEND and Inclusion


NASUWT Research  (Ellis et al 2008/2012)

These are two reports we produced on behalf of the NASUWT.  They are quote old now but are potentially still useful for anyone involved researching literature and policy development in reality to SEND and Inclusion.  The first report (Ellis et al 2008)  is a literature review, the second report contains research conducted in schools but perhaps more importantly for use now, updates literature from the earlier report. 


Ellis, S, Tod, J and Graham-Matheson, L (2012) Special Educational Needs and Inclusion: Reflection, Renewal and Reality Birmingham: NASUWT (online version accessed 1/4/25)


Ellis, S., Tod, J. And Graham-Matheson, L (2008) Special Educational Needs and Inclusion: Reflection and Renewal. Birmingham: NASUWT (online version accessed 1/4/25)


The Warnock Report (DES 1978)

The Warnock Report served to define the approach to Special Educational Needs pursued in the UK from 1978 onwards. It set out a range of recommendations, many of which were incorporated into the 1981 Education Act.  Unfortunately a pdf copy remains elusive but this link allows you to read the original text online https://www.education-uk.org/documents/warnock/warnock1978.html (accessed 1/4/25)


The 1981 Education Act

The 1981 Education Act incorporated many of the recommendations from the Warnock Report (DES 1978).    You can view the Act via this link https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/60/enacted (accessed 1/4/25) or view DES Circular 8/81 on the excellent education-org.uk website via https://www.education-uk.org/documents/des/circular8-81.html (accessed 1/4/25). The Circular interprets the Act and may be more helpful in understanding what the legislative changes meant for schools at the time.  If you're writing a brief overview of policy development as part of an assignment, the headline points from the 1981 Education Act are:

  • It endorsed the majority of Warnock Report's recommendation, including a ploy of Integration
  • It provided a formal definition of SEN (with very minor variations in wording we have used this definition ever since)
  • It introduced the Statement of Special Educational Needs (replaced in the Children and Families Act 2014 with Education, Health and Care Plans)



The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (DfE 1994)

This was the first SEN Code of Practice.  An online version is not available but if you are doing an assignment tracing the development of SEN policy and guidance some headline points are:


  • It formally introduced the role of SENCO (Formally as a lot of schools will have already had somebody with responsibility for SEN coordination)
  • It introduced a 5 stage model of SEN provision.  Stages 1-3 were known as the school-based stages.  Stages 4 and 5 related respectively to the statutory assessment process and the issuing of a Statement of SEN
  • It introduced the expectation that every child with SEN would have an Individual Education plan (IEP).


An Ofsted report reviewing the impact of IEPs three years on from their introduction is available here https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/4388/1/SEN_Code_of_Practice_Three_years_on_%28PDF_format%29%5B1%5D.pdf (accessed 2/4/25)


The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994)

An international conference on Special Education was held in Salamanca, Spain. The governments represented at the conference agreed a commitment to inclusive education. This is set out in the Salamanca Statement available at https://www.european-agency.org/sites/default/files/salamanca-statement-and-framework.pdf (accessed 2/4/25)


Excellence for All Children (DfEE 1997)

In this Green Paper the UK Government  expressed its commitment to a policy of Inclusion - prior to this, since the 1981 Education Act, a policy of Integration had been pursued.  Available at https://www.education-uk.org/documents/pdfs/1997-green-paper.pdf (accessed 1/4/25)


The revised National Curriculum (DfEE/QCA 1999) included what is commonly known as the  National Curriculum Inclusion Statement. This established inclusive teaching requirement.  Schools were expected to teachers :

  • Set suitable learning challenges
  • Respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs
  • Overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils

Each of these expectations is expanded on in the document (see page 30 onwards), available at  https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/id/eprint/18150/7/QCA-99-457_Redacted.pdf )accessed 2/4/25)


Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES 2001)

The revised Code of Pratcice (DfES 2001) replaced the 1994 version (DfE 1994).  Headline points:

  • It replaced Stage 1-3 from the 1994 Code with School Action and School Action Plus. 
  • It reinforced the principles of the National Curriculum Inclusion Statement, stating: ‘All teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs’ (DfES 2001: 44)
  • It replaced the categories of need set out in the 1994 Code with  just 4 areas of need: The areas of need are: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning,  Behaviour, Emotional and Social Development and Sensory and/or Physical.

Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cac22ed915d7c983bc342/special_educational_needs_code_of_practice.pdf (accessed 2/4/25)

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