National Association for Special Educational Needs

National Association for Special Educational Needs
Name	National Association for Special Educational Needs
Abbreviation	NASEN
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Birmingham
Region served	United Kingdom
Type	Membership organisation
Purpose	Support for learners with special educational needs and disabilities

National Association for Special Educational Needs. The National Association for Special Educational Needs is a UK-based membership organisation supporting practitioners, schools, local authorities and families involved with learners with special educational needs and disabilities. It engages with policymakers, professional bodies and research institutions to influence practice across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The association collaborates with charities, inspectorates and higher education providers to promote inclusive provision, evidence-based interventions and statutory guidance.

History

NASEN traces antecedents to specialist teacher associations and advocacy groups active during the late 20th century such as the British Psychological Society, National Union of Teachers, Royal National Institute of Blind People, Royal National Institute for Deaf People, and regional voluntary organisations. Its formal establishment in the early 1990s occurred amid legislative developments including the Education Act 1993 and later interactions with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, Children and Families Act 2014, and statutory codes from bodies like Department for Education (England), Scottish Government, and Welsh Government. The association has worked alongside inspectorates such as Ofsted and Education Scotland, and with research funders including the Economic and Social Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Manchester, and University of Birmingham. During its history NASEN engaged with campaign coalitions featuring Mencap, Scope (charity), Contact (charity), Ambitious about Autism, and professional organisations including Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, and National Governance Association.

Organisation and Governance

NASEN operates as a not-for-profit membership organisation with a board of trustees and executive leadership mirroring governance models used by organisations like Chartered College of Teaching and National Children's Bureau. Its governance framework references charity law as interpreted by Charity Commission for England and Wales and engages with regulatory stakeholders including the Office for Students when interacting with initial teacher training partners such as Teach First and university departments at Goldsmiths, University of London and Edge Hill University. Strategic partnerships have included memoranda with regional bodies such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority and collaborative projects with Local Government Association, alongside secondments from agencies like National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and links to professional standards from General Teaching Council for Scotland.

Membership and Services

Membership comprises headteachers from institutions including Thomas Tallis School, special school leaders from regions such as West Midlands, SEN coordinators from academies in chains like Ark Schools and United Learning, specialist practitioners from organisations such as Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and Royal College of Occupational Therapists, and family advocates associated with Contact (charity) and Family Fund. Services mirror those offered by professional associations such as British Dyslexia Association and include membership magazines, model policies used by local authorities such as Birmingham City Council, toolkits aligned with guidance from Education Endowment Foundation and casework support referencing legal frameworks like decisions from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and legal precedents such as rulings involving Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.

Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns

NASEN conducts policy analysis and campaigns interacting with parliamentary processes including inquiries by the House of Commons Education Select Committee and debates in the House of Lords. It has submitted evidence alongside organisations like Equality and Human Rights Commission and YoungMinds on topics overlapping with legislation such as the Children and Families Act 2014 and UN instruments like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Campaign alliances have included collaborations with National Autistic Society, Place2Be, Ambitious about Autism, and unions such as National Education Union to advocate funding models comparable to those discussed by Institute for Fiscal Studies and to press for implementation monitored by agencies like Ofsted.

Publications and Research

The association publishes practitioner journals and briefing papers similar in scope to outputs from British Educational Research Association, Journal of Special Education Technology, and briefing series referenced by SEN Code of Practice. It commissions research with universities including University of York, University of Exeter, University of Sussex, and research centres such as Centre for Social Justice and Centre for Education and Inclusion Research. Outputs have been cited by think tanks like Education Policy Institute and in policy work by National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and the association disseminates guidance used by multi-academy trusts including Co-op Academies Trust.

Training and Professional Development

NASEN provides accredited training and CPD comparable to courses from Chartered College of Teaching and allied professional training delivered by organisations such as Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and British Psychological Society. Programmes include SENCO training aligned with standards from Department for Education (England) and partnerships with teacher training providers such as University of Nottingham and University of Leeds, as well as conferences attracting speakers from institutions like Institute of Education, University College London and practitioners who have worked with charities like Mencap and Scope (charity). Training themes cover assessment frameworks influenced by research from Education Endowment Foundation and intervention models trialled in collaboration with health partners including NHS England.

Category:Organizations based in the United Kingdom Category:Special education