Beyond the Whole School Approach

Abstract

During the 1980s, a consensus developed around the whole school approach as the dominant form of special needs provision in mainstream secondary schools. This consensus overlooked fundamental tensions within the approach—heightened but not caused by the 1988 Education Reform Act—particularly in respect to notions of specialness, equality, and entitlement. Three case studies drawn from the authors' research suggest that schools are addressing these tensions by developing an alternative model of provision. This model continues the thrust of the whole school approach toward more individually responsive provision, but also implies a reconceptualization of teaching and learning. The authors argue that the failure of the whole school approach to undertake such a reconceptualization has significantly undermined its effectiveness, and they invite practitioners to consider possibilities opened up by the emerging world.