“SEN’s completely different now”: critical discourse analysis of three “Codes of Practice for Special Educational Needs” (1994, 2001, 2015)

Abstract

Regardless of the differing shades of neo-liberalism, successive governments have claimed to champion the cause of "special educational needs and disability" (SEN D) through official Codes of Practice in 1994, 2001 and 2015. This analysis and comparison of the three Codes of Practice aims to contribute to the debate by exploring aspects of the documents themselves. Each Code of Practice aims, or at least claims, to overcome past barriers and the 2015 version explicitly heralds a radical overhaul of the SEND system. In this paper, elements of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) are used in exploring the 3 documents, with particular emphasis on the 2015 Code. The conclusion is reached that while the fundamental stance on SEN D remains unchanged in 2015, radical change is present and is all the more radical for being hidden in plain sight, delivering commissioning and procurement and a potentially arms-length approach to provision. As an integral part of the overall school system, the 2015 context for SEND is one of school diversity and choice and the model is of private sector competition and entrepreneurship in a context of austerity.

‘Forget the Health and Care and just call them Education Plans’: SENCOs' perspectives on Education, Health and Care plans

“…Although EHC plans were considered more user‐friendly than Statements, SENCOs felt that these lengthy documents still lacked clarity. Indeed, the Code itself has been described as complex, technical and may prove challenging for parents using it to gain information (Lehane, ). Despite difficulties around managing expectations, SENCOs within this study reflected positively on their experiences of working with families; this was consistent with parental reports of feeling included during the process (Department for Education, ).…”

Warnock 40 Years on: The Development of Special Educational Needs Since the Warnock Report and Implications for the Future

“…However, subsequently, the reality for parent involvement has not been straightforward. Instead, refinements have been made in subsequent legislation and guidance through successive codes of practice (for an historical analysis of change between the three Codes see Lehane, 2017). The improvements have been clear, but these have not been experienced as such by all.…”

Editorial

“…The editorial board voted joint winners of the award for the 2017 volume. The first winning article, from Teresa Lehane, is "SEN's completely different now': critical discourse analysis of three 'Codes of Practice for Special Educational Needs' (1994,2001,2015)", which offers a fascinating contrast of three SEN Codes of Practice produced over 20 years, and reveals the politicisation of the most recent Code (Lehane, 2017).…”