Stash, Amanda; (2012) An exploratory study of the experiences of children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs for Moderate Learning Difficulties in mainstream primary schools : a multiple-embedded Case Study. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

Children with Statements of Special Educational Needs (SSEN) are among the most vulnerable pupils within mainstream schools. However, few studies have attempted to understand the day-to-day educational experiences of such children. Whilst researchers have considered the barriers that parents and schools face in terms of gaining a SSEN; there is little research about the ways in which schools plan and provide for pupils with SSEN and how they rate the support they receive. A key aim of this study was to explore the experiences that two children with a SSEN for Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) had in two mainstream primary schools. The secondary aim was to ascertain whether the support put in place for the pupils was related to the objectives set out in their SSEN. Finally, the researcher sought to explore the views that the pupils with a SSEN had about the support they received in school. A Case Study framework was adopted to address these questions. Two pupils with a SSEN for MLD enrolled in year 5 mainstream classroom were invited to take part in the study. Systematic observations were completed over the course of a week and semi-structured interviews were carried out with school staff and the pupils' parents. The pupils' views were obtained via a participatory activity and a semi-structured interview. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that the pupils with SSENs had considerably different learning experiences in comparison to their typically developing peers. The target pupils spent almost half of their time outside the classroom and as suggested by other researchers (Blatchford et al, 2009b) the TAs had a crucial role in providing direct pedagogical support to them. There were notable differences between the comparison group and the target pupils in terms of working in groups and accessing peers, which raised questions about the target pupils' sense of belonging within their school. The concepts of inclusion and the related challenges were key themes in the interviews. Whilst teachers and TAs accepted that pupils with a SSEN should be included within the class, their needs were listed as being too different from those of their peers to be effectively included in class. It therefore, seemed acceptable to intentionally exclude the target pupils from the mainstream class. Overall, the results obtained from this study highlight the difficulties that schools face over inclusion and provides readers with thoughts on the actual level of inclusion for some pupils with a SSEN.

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