Supporting pupils with special educational needs: Issues and dilemmas for special needs coordinators in English primary schools

This paper reports the responses of Special Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in primary schools to a survey undertaken in three local education authorities in the north-east of England. The role of the SENCO has been subject to increasing prescription and guidance. Although policy-makers would like SENCOs to take a more proactive role in the process of curriculum and school development, it has become clear that in making this transformation many are experiencing a number of difficulties. In comparing these difficulties to ones reported in a previous study the existence of a number of problems are highlighted which apparently remain stubbornly resistant to current advice and guidance.