Post-Primary Context - SEN and Inclusion

Inclusion and Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Inclusion as defined by NCSE is “…addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of learners through enabling active participation in learning, cultures, and communities, and removing barriers to education through the accommodation and provision of appropriate structures and arrangements to enable each learner to achieve the maximum benefit from his/her attendance at school.” NCSE (2011): Inclusive Education Framework - A guide for schools on the inclusion of students with special educational needs.

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Effective provision for students with special educational needs is situated within an inclusive whole-school framework. Circular 0014/2017 (post-primary) advise schools of the revised allocation process for Special Education Teachers in mainstream schools. This brings about a number of improvements for students, parents and schools. It provides schools with a greater level of autonomy in how to manage and deploy additional teaching support within their school, based on the individual learning needs of students, as opposed to being based primarily on a diagnosis of disability. The principles as outlined in Guidelines for Schools, Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools should be used to guide the allocation of special education teaching supports (post-primary page 4).

The Continuum of Support

The Continuum of Support framework assists schools in identifying and responding to students’ needs. This framework recognises that special educational needs can occur along a continuum, ranging from mild to severe, and from transient to long term, and that students require different levels of support depending on their identified educational needs. The purpose of the Continuum of Support is to meet the needs of all the students in an inclusive environment.

Meaningful inclusion implies that all students are taught in stimulating and supportive classroom environments whereby differences are valued and alternative pathways and supports provide access to the curriculum for all children. The Guidelines present teaching approaches that include a combination of team-teaching initiatives, early intervention and prevention, and small group or individual support. Details which outline how a school can collect evidence about students’ educational needs at each level of the Continuum of Support can be found at (post-primary page 9). This evidence can then be used to adapt teaching, to plan the next steps in students’ learning and to gauge their responses to intervention.

Student Support File

A Student Support File enables schools to plan interventions and to track student’s pathway through the Continuum of Support. It facilitates teachers in documenting progress and needs over time, and assists them in providing an appropriate level of support to students, in line with their level of need. It offers a flexible, generic ‘Support Plan’ and ‘Support Review Record’ that can be used at all levels of support. Student Support File Guidelines can be found here.

The Continuum of Support process and use of the Student Support File also provide valuable opportunities to engage and collaborate with parents.

Further Supports

The National Council for Special Education provides supports to in relation to SEN

https://ncse.ie/

https://www.sess.ie/ncsesupport

The Professional Development Service for Teachers provide Team Teaching professional development and support for schools and have a broad range of materials available at:

Additional Supports

Special Educational Needs A Continuum of Support Resource Pack for Teachers: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/National-Educational-Psychological-Service-NEPS-/neps_post_primary_continuum_resource_pack.pdf
Student Support File Guidelines: https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/National-Educational-Psychological-Service-NEPS-/Student-Support-File-Guidelines.pdf
Inclusion of students with special educational needs - Post-Primary Guidelines:
https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Inspection-Reports-Publications/Evaluation-Reports-Guidelines/insp_inclusion_students_sp_ed_needs_pp_guidelines_pdf.pdf
SET Allocation Model – A Guide for Parents: A Guide for Parents/Guardians and Students

EPSEN Act 2004: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2003/34/