Remodelling policy and practice: the challenge for staff working with children with special educational needs

The current UK agenda for modernization of schools places great emphasis on the reconsideration of the roles and boundaries of teaching and support staff. Internationally there is a significant move towards the inclusion of all children within a mainstream setting as an undeniable right. This carries great implications for staff in mainstream schools who, until recently, often regarded provision for ‘special needs’ as the province of an identified member of staff who often taught the ‘special needs population’ separately. This article examines modernization in the area of special educational needs (SEN) drawing from case study research investigating the role of the primary special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). It suggests that although the role of the SENCO has altered dramatically schools need to understand the parameters of the role and to reconsider the roles and responsibilities of all staff who work with children with SEN.