IT was with great pleasure that members of the Special Educational Consortium read “What Sarah Started” (TES Friday, July 7) as it provided a great example of mainstream education working well for special needs children.
SEC believes that the experiences described refute Jon Marks’ claims in a variety of national papers that “the govenment policy of inclusion ... should be abandoned”.
Bay House School provides an excellent example of best practice. This positive example of mainstream education didn’t happen by chance. Bay House School employs 22 special needs education professionals, whoadd value not just to the education of those with special needs but to the whole school.
SEC hopes that the new SEN and Disability Rights in Education Bill will mean that many more disabled children will receive the same quality of education in mainstream school.
The consortium eagerly anticipates the increased emphasis the new legislation will place on a disabled child’s right to a mainstream place, and the new rights protecting disabled children from discrimination at school.
Brian Lamb
Chair of the Special Educational
Consortium
6 Market Road, London N7