Special Educational Needs Code

As noted in Chapter 2, the term special educational needs covers an array of difficulties. This is highlighted in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice which... 

DfES (2001a) Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA). London HMSO. DfES (2001b) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. London DfES. 

Teachers also have responsibility to deliver the National Curriculum Orders and this involves providing an entitlement curriculum for all pupils (DFE, 1995). The Education Act 1993 imposes important responsibilities on the governing bodies of all maintained schools towards children with special educational needs (SEN). This Act requires the Secretary of State to issue, and revise, a Code of Practice giving practical advice on such responsibilities and the governing body must have due regard to this code when carrying out its duties towards all pupils with special educational needs. Failure to do so could lead to negligence in the provision of education. 

DfES SEN Code of Practice 2002, Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, Disability Discrimination Act, Removing Barriers to Achievement DfES Strategy for SEN 2004, www.dfes.gov.uk... 

In order to provide equality of opportunity, fulfil the inclusion agenda and to help all children achieve a high standard and reach their full potential, the government introduced the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act in 2001. This Act, linked to a revised SEN Code of Practice, took effect from January 2002. 

Box 3.1 Categories of special educational needs (based on Code of Practice and Ofsted)... 

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

Schools offer a vast range of both curricular and extra-curricular experiences for pupils (especially in relation to science and physical education) that take pupils into what is recognised as the outdoor classroom. In Chapter 8, Thomas discusses many of the specific health and safety requirements which shape these experiences. It is crucial that parents are informed about the exact nature of the experiences to be offered, furthermore they need to be involved in educating their children about the special codes of conduct that may be required. Teachers will therefore have to send out a parent/guardian consent form (see Figure 2.2) and a code of conduct contract. 

Special codes of conduct for pupils on educational visit also need to be issued along with the consent form. These make reference to ... 

Nevertheless, the NPD and PLASC provide practitiouers and researchers with an unprecedented opportunity to consider educational performance indicators in relation to various student characteristics such as socio-economic status (SES) through eligibility for free school meals (FSM) or home post code, special needs status, behaviour (as implied through exclusion), ethnicity, mother tongue, month of birth and mobility. Clearly these data have value at the national, local and school level. In justifying the collection of data about types of special needs the DfES (2003b 1) slate that ... 

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