Special educational needs and disability provision within an English multi-academy trust: capturing the vision of its practitioners

The provision for special educational needs and disability (SEND) within academies and across multi-academy trusts is an under researched area. Drawing on data derived from one multi academy trust (MAT) located in central England, that consists of two primary and two secondary academies, this paper focusses on capturing the practitioners’ ‘vision’ for SEND provision, and the barriers they face in its realisation. The desire for a ‘holistic approach’ to SEND, characterised the main ambitions for staff, with local issues associated with ‘identification’ and ‘support and intervention’, as well as wider concerns with dwindling autonomy over practice, seen as key barriers. We consider a range of avenues that educational establishments may take in their quest to embrace holistic practice, including the privileging of a multi-dimensional approach to inclusive education, and the need for clear and decisive leadership.