The opportunities for all CYP with SEND are changing at a rapid pace. The school lives of those with Sensory Impairment (SI), which includes learners with Hearing Impairment (HI), Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) and Vision Impairment (VI) have perhaps changed more rapidly, in terms of educational environments, than most over the last decades. Advances in technology have assisted access to the mainstream educational opportunities with inclusion a welcome ‘norm’. We need though, to ensure that the learning journeys on offer to CYP with SI deliver all that an individual pupil is capable of in terms of educational outcomes and life chances. The challenge to education professionals is in supporting CYP and their families to achieve it!
For example: 50 years ago there were fewer than 500 CYP with deafness in mainstream schools. Now, as you will be aware, the majority are to be found in local schools, and there at least 45,000 CYP with deafness in England.1 78 per cent of school-aged deaf children attend mainstream schools (where there is no specialist provision). Six per cent attend mainstream schools with resource provisions, three per cent attend special schools for deaf children, while 12 per cent attend special schools not specifically for deaf children.
A similar pattern applies to CYP with VI with more than 24,000 CYP with vision impairment in England,2 66 per cent in mainstream schools, two per cent in special schools for VI CYP and 33 per cent attend special schools not specifically for VI CYP. It is more difficult to find reliable data for CYP with MSI because of the way primary and secondary SEND is recorded, but in 2014 Sense3 suggested that 16 per cent were in mainstream education, 41 per cent in specialist deaf/VI or MSI provision and 43 per cent in other special schools.
The challenge is to equip the mainstream workforce of teachers and TAs with sufficient knowledge to enable pupils with SI success in schools and colleges, while also ensuring that those working in busy schools and colleges have information about the importance of referral and involvement of specialist SI services.
When identifying the needs and providing support for CYP with SI, there are specific requirements in the legislation. The Code of Practice4 notes that:
- Many children and young people with vision impairment, hearing impairment, or a multi-sensory impairment will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. (Code of Practice 6.34)
Also that:
- Those teaching classes of children with sensory impairment must hold an appropriate qualification approved by the Secretary of State. Teachers working in an advisory role to support such pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification.
- Where assessment indicates that support from specialist services is required, it is important that children and young people receive it as quickly as possible. Joint commissioning arrangements should seek to ensure that there are sufficient services to meet the likely need in an area (Code of Practice. 6.60).
- This would include: ...specialist teachers or support services, including specialist teachers with a mandatory qualification for children with hearing and vision impairment, including multi-sensory impairment, and for those with a physical disability. (Code of Practice 6.60)