The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act, passed in May 2001, provides new protection for disabled pupils against discrimination. From 2002 there will be a new duty on schools to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage in admission, education, associated services and exclusions. Greater equality for disabled students and staff is seen as an important part of a truly comprehensive system.
The Teacher, July 1, 2001.

Enable, Scotland’s largest charity for people with learning disabilities, is looking for people to take part in a project to combat bullying by schoolchildren. The charity was awarded £83,768 by the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to continue training 15 people with learning disabilities to visit schools to talk about their experiences of bullying. Enable will also be working with people with learning disabilities and pupils to develop an anti-bullying pack.
Dundee Courier and Advertiser, July 3, 2001

Brian Lamb, chair of the Special Education Consortium, says that the SEN lobby remains deeply suspicious about one of the remaining caveats governing disabled pupils access to mainstream schooling in the new SEN law. He says that the caveat that prevents disabled children being educated in mainstream schools if they affect the education of other children could be used by less committed or cash strapped authorities to divert children from mainstream provision. A further concern is that it creates an assumption that disabled students are more disruptive and undermines the inclusionist intent of the legislation. The new SEN Act also introduced an important requirement for strategic planning to increase the accessibility of the school and the curriculum.
Times Educational Supplement, July 6, 2001.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has issued a draft code of practice for consultation. The DRC Code of Practice will explain to schools the new disability discrimination duties towards disabled children and young people under the SEN and Disability Act 2001. A separate draft code will be issued at the same time to explain the new duties on further and higher education and the youth service towards disabled people. If parents think their child has been discriminated against they will be able to make a claim of disability discrimination on their child’s behalf. The claim is made to the SEN and Disability Tribunal. The DRC will make available conciliation arrangements to seek to resolve issues before they reach the Tribunal.
Times Educational Supplement, July 6, 2001.

Work has started on a £255,000 building upgrade to improve movement of pupils around a school site and open it up for disabled people. The development at Alec Hunter High School in Braintree includes a new corridor link and lift. Work began this week. The investment has been made in the light of the Government plan to open up schools to disabled pupils and visitors. A school spokeswoman said: ‘It will open up the entire curriculum to disabled students.’
Braintree and Witham Times, July 12, 2001.

Controversial guidelines governing the level of provision for children with special educational needs have been withdrawn by the Government for reconsideration. The Government has confirmed that it is re-examining guidance on quantification of statements of special educational needs in the new SEN Code which is part of recent legislation on SEN and Disability. The ‘climb down’ follows criticism that removing current requirements to quantify levels of provision will make it harder for children to get help. The new code had been expected to be published in September.
BBC News Online, July 12, 2001.

A personal defeat turned to victory last night for Jamie Sinnott and thousands of people with disabilities. A wave of public anger over a Supreme Court decision denying the 23-year-old autistic man the right to education appeared to have forced a substantial change in official attitudes. Education Minister Dr Michael Woods went so far as to say he had ‘virtually an open cheque book’ to ensue the State made full and appropriate provision for the education and care of people with disabilities. He said the State recognised that it had not made adequate provision in the past but that the Government was doing a rapid catch-up in trying to provide services. And he promised that Jamie and his mother Kathryn would receive all the money awarded to them by an earlier High Court decision which the Supreme Court overturned yesterday.
Irish Independent (Dublin), July 13, 2001.

A special school earmarked for closure has been given a reprieve. Sefton Council wants to close Good Shepherd special school in Sterrix Lane, Litherland, which caters for 34 children with disabilities aged between two and 17. The council says the issue is not about saving money. It argues that children would receive a better education at one of the borough’s six other mainstream schools or at a mainstream school. But now closure has been postponed for six months so parents and the school can try and find a way to save it. Head teacher, Alan Sullivan, said: ‘It gives us until December to look at a business plan to see if there are other opportunities that the school can explore to make it more viable.’
Liverpool Echo, July 20, 2001.

Julie Jones, whose nine-year-old daughter is autistic, is pleased with her progress at Denholme Primary School which has a specialist unit. But she said other members of AWARE (Airedale and Wharfedale Autism Resource) have been left ‘in limbo’. They want their children to be transferred from special schools to mainstream schools with full support but they don’t know where the money is coming from. She says her own experience of the system has been positive because she ‘pushed and pushed and pushed’ to get support for her daughter.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus, July 30, 2001.

The news that education bosses plan to slim down the number of special schools across Bradford will be disturbing for those parents whose children have special needs. But this is a nettle that is finally being firmly grasped. The Special Needs Service was criticised in the Ofsted inspection of May 2000. Inspectors found the education authority was failing its legal duties by taking far too long to complete assessments on pupils and not providing proper registered units for children who had been excluded from schools. Now in a comprehensive overhaul of the system, there are plans to reduce, year on year, the number of children being admitted to special schools and make room for them in ordinary schools.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus, July 30, 2001.