ABSTRACT
At the time of writing, £20 million has been allocated through the Schools Access Initiative to make 1,600 mainstream schools more accessible to disabled pupils and those with sensory impairments. This will be the start of a £100 million programme over the next three years. Co-located sites for special and mainstream schools are becoming increasingly common and the curriculum has been revised to provide effective learning opportunities for all pupils, with a statutory statement on inclusion. However, it is important to bear in mind the original perceived need for special schools which was the beginning of inclusion, not exclusion. It would be all too easy for some pupils to be viewed as unable to benefit from any learning with their mainstream peers and for them yet again to become an isolated group. Two case studies are offered as examples of schools that are working at including their PMLD pupils with their mainstream peers. The first case study centres on a special school that has been on a co-located site for many years and is starting to explore the educational possibilities of the integration of pupils with complex needs with their mainstream peers. The second case study focuses on a school that has devoted a great deal of time and commitment to establishing and nurturing educational links with a wide range of schools within its area. Many of the issues surrounding the subject of inclusion will be covered in these studies, and for this reason it was decided to describe the work of these schools in particular detail.
