The field of special needs education is well established, and although it continues to develop in exciting and controversial ways, involving some of education's leading thinkers, many people feel it is lacking a coherent theoretical analysis of its own.
Students and practitioners, looking for some solid theory to reinforce their own study or practice, commonly have to 'borrow' from other disciplines, such as psychology and sociology, since there has been no attempt to provide a theoretical foundation for the special needs community. This book does exactly that, bringing together...

In Schools and Special Needs, the authors provide a critical perspective on the dominant inclusion' model of special needs education, in terms of implementation in schools and effectiveness of pupil learning outcomes. They take issues with the major advocates of the inclusion model and argue that a different way of understanding special educational needs in mainstream schools is both possible and necessary.

The authors, who are eminent in the special needs field, use up-to-date material to develop a new model for special education in schools.

Provides a critical perspective on the 'inclusion' model of special needs education, in terms of implementation in schools and effectiveness of pupil learning outcomes.

There is growing interest in the role schools can play in contributing to area regeneration. Schools serving disadvantaged areas are encouraged to be outward looking, to engage with families and communities and to coordinate their efforts with those of other agencies. At the same time, however, schools are required to maintain a relentless focus on their 'core business' of teaching and learning in order to drive up pupils' attainments.This report explores the ways in which schools serving two economically and socially disadvantaged urban areas have attempted to resolve this dilemma. It...

This text focuses on the need to develop education systems that are able to overcome the impact of social disadvantage. It asks why, despite years of reform the poorest children are still not well served by the education system, and by and large attend the lowest-performing schools.

Cuts to education funding throughout the developed world are making it more important than ever that we understand the link between education, disadvantage, and place. This book is the first to focus in depth on area-based initiatives in the struggle for educational equality, bringing together a wide range of evidence on the effectiveness of past initiatives, identifying promising recent developments, and outlining innovative ways forward. Drawing on these findings, it offers guidance for local policy makers, educators, and social workers to help them actively respond to the complexities of...

Cuts to education funding throughout the developed world are making it more important than ever that we understand the link between education, disadvantage, and place. This book is the first to focus in depth on area-based initiatives in the struggle for educational equality, bringing together a wide range of evidence on the effectiveness of past initiatives, identifying promising recent developments, and outlining innovative ways forward. Drawing on these findings, it offers guidance for local policy makers, educators, and social workers to help them actively respond to the complexities of...

This book addresses policies, practices and outcomes related to education equity in Sweden and England examining particularly the apparent inability of education reforms to deal with inequalities in the these countries. It focuses critically on a number of themes including: educational inequality and policy intervention; the conceptual and empirical links between education equity and poverty; issues of identity and transition for young people; and governance and school leadership in relation to social inclusion and equity. Authors highly experienced in their respective fields consider these...