Special Needs Teacher
Working to protect members working in SEN
The NASUWT works at school or setting, local and national level to ensure that the interests of members working in special and alternative provision are represented effectively and that their distinctive needs and concerns are reflected in the development of its policy its advice and guidance.
Special Schools Survey
Do you work in an assessment centre, behaviour unit, pupil referral unit (PRU), secure training unit, special school or other specialist setting?
The NASUWT is conducting a survey of members in special schools and settings across the UK to gather detailed information about the experiences of teachers in special schools in relation to pupil behaviour.
The Union has been particularly concerned about increasing evidence from casework that a climate is developing in special education that being abused and physically assaulted by pupils is part of the job. This is not acceptable. Teachers in special schools and settings have an entitlement to a safe working environment. The NASUWT wishes to examine the experiences of members across the UK, including what is working well and what is the nature and extent of any problems.
The information will be used to identify what further action may be needed by the NASUWT to protect the interests of teachers and school leaders in special schools and settings.
The information you provide in this survey will be treated in the strictest confidence and no data that identifies an individual or school will be published.
News
- The Lamb Inquiry - 'Government Must Challenge Local Authorities To Examine Their Practice And Provision' Says The NASUWT
- 'Conservative MP's proposals for SEN not practical, appropriate or enforceable' says NASUWT
- NASUWT comments on SEN information review
- Stark inequality of SEN provision must end, says NASUWT
While teachers working in all sectors of the education system across the United Kingdom face many similar challenges and concerns, the NASUWT recognises that teachers working in special and alternative provision can face particular issues, often related to the implementation of local policies based on inappropriate interpretations of inclusion and a lack of understanding on the part of those responsible for the development and delivery of educational policy of the skills, talents and expertise of teachers working within the sector.
Developments in SEN seminar
This video is embedded from NASUWT's YouTube channel. You may have difficulty viewing it if you have filters blocking the site.
England and Wales
Tackling the workload of teachers working in special and alternative provision and ensuring that their professional status is protected and enhanced remain key priorities for the NASUWT. In England and Wales, the contractual changes heralded by the National Agreement, Raising Standards and Tackling Workload, and the workforce remodelling agenda have particular resonance in the special and alternative provision sector as they are creating the opportunities for new and more effective ways of working in settings that enhance teachers’ working conditions and also ensure that teachers can concentrate on their core responsibilities for meeting the complex and demanding learning needs of the children and young people they teach.
As a result of the significant challenges placed faced by special and alternative providers by policy initiatives including the development of partnerships between special and alternative providers and mainstream schools and reforming the structural and governance arrangements in some areas of the sector, the need for the Union to continue its work in this area has never been more urgent.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
The concerns of teachers working in special and alternative provision in Scotland and Northern Ireland are no less pressing and while they reflect the particular circumstances and context of the education systems in each nation, the need to drive down teacher workload, remodel the school workforce and reinforce the vital role played by staff in schools and settings within the sector remain equally as urgent.
Links to the NASUWT’s most recent policy and guidance materials focused on special and alternative provision can be found on this page. These materials highlight the Union’s position as the leading trade union for teachers in the sector as they all reflect and address the direct experiences and concerns of its members. It is only through the active participation of members that the Union’s vital work on behalf of teachers working in special and alternative provision can be sustained. By taking advantage of the many opportunities to get involved in the work of the NASUWT, members will ensure that their Union can continue to protect and advance their interests and those of their colleagues.
