Contrary to recent headlines, last year's Ofsted report is clear that inclusion has progressed little over the last few years.
While a number of special schools have closed, the proportion of pupils educated out of the mainstream has not declined. The idea that inclusion has gone too far is not supported by the evidence.
Nor should we assume, as Baroness Warnock does, that special schools are necessarily better. Some are excellent, but they are not all small, well-ordered communities. In fact, special schools are over-represented in the group that Ofsted considers to be "failing".
It is true that some children have poor experiences in the mainstream and, as a result, their parents seek a special school place. However, it is also true that many schools are making the appropriate adjustments to include all children, and can attest to the benefits.
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