Ganda

Research design and format

The purpose of this research was to produce a case study, on a single pilot project for inclusion of children with significant communication difficulties into a mainstream primary setting.

Background

In September 2001 a two-year pilot project was initiated between a primary special school and a mainstream primary school, in the North West of England. The special school is for children with moderate learning difficulties, and also has a forty-place unit for children with communication difficulties. There are a hundred and twenty pupils on roll. The mainstream primary school has a similar number on roll, and is at a geographical distance of five miles, from the special school.

The pilot project was initiated by the special school, in conjunction with support from the LEA. In agreement with the LEA it was decided that a satellite base for up to eight children would be set up and resourced at the primary school. There would be a teacher and a learning support assistant to run the base. The base would be managed primarily by the special school, in conjunction with the head teacher of the mainstream primary school.

Provision for children with communication difficulties who are academically able enough to cope in a mainstream setting in this LEA is usually managed in their own local school, with support from a support assistant or learning support assistant (usually twenty hours), and weekly advice, support and staff training given by an advisory teacher.

The special school staff had felt that there were some children in the special school setting, who were able academically, and who were ready to spend some time in a mainstream setting. They felt that they would need more support than the above package, and that continued intensive support for social or communication issues needed to be ongoing. They also felt that it was sometimes difficult to know just how children would cope until it had been tried. Sending children...