Sharing Student Projects

This project aimed to explore why parents/carers of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) choose special schools and whether special schools meet their expectations. To examine this topic 12 parents/carers (11 mothers and one grandmother) whose child had moved from mainstream to special school in England were interviewed using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Parents/carers were chosen because they can provide valuable insight into their child’s needs and how to best meet them, yet their voice is underrepresented in the current research. An interview schedule was designed; the first half focussed on why participants chose a special school, and the second half focussed on their expectations and the realities of the special school. Interpretation of the interviews found that participants transferred their child from mainstream to special school due to push factors, negative experiences that led them to conclude that mainstream school was not a good fit for their child. These push factors were mostly related to their child not fitting in at the mainstream school as well as staff not having the skills or knowledge to support children with SEN and demonstrating a lack of understanding. This could lead to emotional distress for the child and parent. These findings matched other studies examining the transfer from mainstream to special schools. However, there is a paucity of studies examining this transition, so more research is needed. Findings highlighted that participants did not feel like they had a true choice regarding their child’s school placement and some participants felt that their views had not been adequately considered by the local authority. This matches several studies which have found that parents of children with SEN feel constrained when choosing their child’s school. Participants had universally expected the special school to be a better fit than mainstream school for their child, but results were mixed regarding how well the school met their expectations. Using a theory called Stage-Environment Fit, this study organised parents’ experiences at the special school into fits and misfits. These fits and misfits were related to the socio-emotional needs of the child, support for their learning, the school atmosphere and the relationship between the parent and school. Participants perceived a good fit when their child’s learning, peer relationships and social skills were well supported and there was proactive home-school communication. Similar fits have been identified by other studies. Findings suggest fits and misfits at mainstream and special school are related to several domains, such as social and academic domains. Therefore, to meet the needs of their students with SEN schools should take a holistic approach to meet their students’ many needs. This study found that parents seek to transfer their child when they perceive a school is not a good fit for their child’s individual needs. However, the research around school choice and fit is still in the exploratory stages in England so more research is needed

This study added to the knowledge base regarding school choice and fit for children with SEN in England. This is important as the number of children identified with SEN has been increasing year on year and the proportion of children with SEN attending special schools has also increased. Therefore, it is important for policymakers to appreciate the decision-making of parents of children with SEN to understand current and future trends in school placement in England. Furthermore, government policy has emphasised that parents’ preferences regarding school choice should be considered, but this study has suggested that parents of children with SEN do not feel like they have a true choice about their child’s school placement. Most participants also emphasised how long and stressful the process to gain a special school place was, which has also been found in several other studies. More support from local authorities around this transition may reduce how difficult parents find this process. This study found that parents seek new schools if they perceive that the school is not able to meet their child’s needs. By highlighting fits and misfits between children with SEN and different schools, this study may help both mainstream and special schools better understand what works when supporting children with SEN and their families.