Special Educational Needs and Disability Legislation Proposals to reform provision for children and young people with

special educational needs in the UK were first set out in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) green paper, published in March 2011, and the subsequent Next Steps document published in May 2012. The reforms are currently being tested by 31 local authorities and their health partners. Currently more than one in five children (21%) in this country are identified as having SEN but only 2.7 per cent have SEN statements. The governments draft proposal suggests the following main revisions to current legislation: To include parents in the assessment process, introducing a legal right to give them control of funding for the support of their childrens needs. They also want to give parents a greater choice of schools and enable parents and communities to set up special free schools. In addition they want to replace the current SEN statements with a single assessment process and combined education, health and care plan. They also want to ensure assessment runs right through from birth to age 25. A new duty for joint commissioning which will require local authorities and health bodies to take joint responsibility for providing services, with a requirement for local authorities to publish a local offer of services for disabled and those with special educational needs. They will also look to overhaul teacher training and professional development so that staff have the understanding and skills to better help pupils with SEN and to help to raise their attainment levels. Further Education colleges and all academies, including Free Schools, to have the same duties as maintained schools to safeguard the education of children and young people with SEN (previously further education colleges had not been subject to SEN duties). This will ensure that parents, young people and children receive the same support and assistance whether they attend a maintained school, an academy, or a further education/sixth form college. Additionally new protections for young people aged 16-25 in further education will place a stronger focus on preparing them for adulthood.

These reforms and the UKs overall approach to provision for learners with special educational needs and disabilities underlines the commitment to ensuring Education for All (EFA) a framework set out by the World Education Forum in April,2000. Across Europe attempts to fulfil these guidelines are made in different ways, but all with the aim of providing Education for All. The various approaches taken across Europe can be seen here.