ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how special educational need or disability (SEND) is managed in the English school system, and sets out the various barriers that are, sometimes unintentionally, placed before young people with SEND, and which lead to their marginalisation. It introduces key themes in SEND policy before exploring the range of ways young people are marginalised in and outside of school. The Special Educational Needs Act 2001 further cemented the principle of inclusion by requiring that all pupils without a statement (the highest category of need) be educated in mainstream schools. Over time, there has been a gradual move away from special education, to a greater focus on including children with SEND in the mainstream. Furthermore, teacher recruitment should itself be inclusive with adverts featuring both special and mainstream schools. Many special schools and alternative providers are outstanding, and serve the children that attend them extremely well.
