Young people with SEN and their experiences in school

What is the experience of young people with special educational needs (SEN) who attend school in England? Researchers drew on findings from a 2021-2022 Office for National Statistics study to answer this question. Participants included 62 young people aged 11-16, each of whom had either a SEN diagnosis, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). They were educated at mainstream schools, pupil referral units, special schools, or elective home education. To understand the provision they received, researchers interviewed participants about their experiences in both primary and secondary school. Each session was held in-person at the school/location they currently attended, and averaged 1 hour in length. Use was made of fidget toys, Lego, and drawing tools, allowing the young people to feel at ease during the interview process. To add context to the findings, 23 parents/carers were also interviewed. Each was asked about their child’s educational history and what support they currently received, along with how their child’s support varied at different schools. It was found that schools with enhanced SEN provision were more likely to be inclusive, and included flexibility around the use of SEN spaces and dedicated learning centres, along with smaller classes. One parent noted of their son in this environment: “he just sort of blended in and sort of settled down and enjoyed it. But it was a lot smaller school with the class size smaller, and the people knew him for him, and not what he’d done previously.” This is in stark contrast to the mainstream schools some participants attended, which felt overwhelming to children. Staff members, while as accommodating as they could be, were found to not always be able to adhere to the child’s needs or provisions – e.g. being excused from reading aloud in class. For additional information on this topic, click here.