How Far Have We Come Since the Warnock Enquiry – and Where Do We Go Next?

Marking the 40th anniversary of the Warnock Enquiry (1978) into special education in the UK and capturing the coverage of a public debate on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) hosted by the University College London Institue of Education (2018), this volume explores the legacy of the Enquiry, considering how it has impacted on policy and practice relating to SEND and inclusion, and how it will continue to do so.

Offering historical perspectives and drawing on professional and personal experiences, high-profile contributors, including practitioners, researchers, campaigners and parents, reflect on the approaches taken during the Warnock Enquiry and consider how successfully recommendations have been implemented. Reviewing conceptional and practical territory covered by the Warnock committee, and assessing the current state of the inclusion and education of young people with SEND in the UK, the text sets out broad, evidence-based principles for rethinking inclusive practice and explores topics including:

• the purposes, contribution and impacts of the Warnock Enquiry








• rights-based approaches to the education of children with SEND








• past and present dialogue between mainstream and specialist settings








• challenges faced by parents of children with SEND








• implications of the Enquiry for initial teacher training








• perceptions of SEND in the media








• the relevance of the Enquiry to policy and practice in the years ahead.

This invaluable text will widen current debates by exploring how persistent problems relating to inclusion and the education of children and young people with SEND might be resolved. It is an essential read for researchers, educationalists, practitioners and families involved in the education of children with SEND.