Special school teachers in Coventry primary schools: an exploratory study of the special needs outreach project

Abstract

The study looks at a project run by Coventry LEA in which teachers from special schools visit nearby ordinary schools to advise them on teaching methods and resources for pupils with special needs. Learning materials are provided for the schools from the LEA's Special Needs Support Centre. The "Outreach" teachers work with individual teachers or with the whole staff. Some teaching of individuals and small groups of pupils is under taken as part of the Outreach project, although the long term aim is to "leave the schools better able to cope". Much of the work supported the development of the LEA's Special Needs Action Programme, better-known as SNAP. Several teachers were involved from each of the LEA's three schools for children with moderate learning difficulties. Most schools visited were primary schools, but a few secondary schools were also included. The main method used to collect information was the unstructured interviewing of forty-eight people involved in the project. These were the advisers who had designed the project, the area support teachers (formerly called remedial teachers) with whom the Outreach teachers worked, the Outreach teachers themselves, teachers in ordinary schools and the head teachers of the special schools. The introductory chapter discusses the arguments for and against integrated provision for children with special educational needs. The findings are presented in two chapters. The first, Chapter three, considers the explanations given for the development of the project. Chapter four describes the project by looking at the roles of those involved. The conclusion is that although the Outreach project seems to be developing a useful role, too much is expected of some Outreach teachers who feel the pressures of having "two jobs". A comparison is made to similar projects, and possible changes discussed.