A New Model for an Inclusive Curriculum: The Coherence of Special Educational Needs and National Curriculum Reform in Wales

• In Event: Autonomy, Inclusion, and Fostering Participation: Voice and Agency in Curriculum Policy

Abstract

Wales, one of the four nations of the UK, is currently undergoing the most significant change to its education system since political devolution from the UK Government in 1999. Central to these reforms is the shift to a competency-based curriculum, alongside a new ‘additional learning needs’ (ALN) system which takes a learner-centred approach. This paper will use evidence from both policy documents and interviews with practitioners in order to investigate the alignment and coherency between the major curriculum and ALN reforms. Using this emerging national case study and theoretical grounding from the fields of both curriculum design and inclusion, the paper questions the feasibility of a truly ‘inclusive curriculum’, both in Wales and internationally.

Authors

• Cathryn Knight, Swansea University

• Tom Crick, Swansea University