Learning Disability Today
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The Down’s Syndrome Association is conducting a survey to examine the educational experiences of children with Down’s syndrome who currently attend primary and secondary schools in England.
The aim is to assess how things have changed for pupils with Down’s syndrome 25 years after the landmark survey, ‘Experiences of Inclusion: For children with Down’s syndrome in the UK’.
The original study by Stephanie Lorenz, which the Down’s Syndrome Association published, was undertaken in the 1997/8 academic year, with the results published in 1999. A questionnaire was drawn up for parents of children in primary and secondary schools to complete.
The survey was distributed by various Down’s syndrome charities and organisations, and 431 parent responses were received. It explored school placement, levels of support, training of learning support assistants, the level of direct teacher input, friendships, therapy input, advisory support, and liaison with parents.
The education landscape and Down’s Syndrome
As the education landscape has changed significantly since then, the Down’s Syndrome Association want to explore what has changed, for better or for worse.
The charity has attempted to include as many of the original questions as possible in a new survey for parents, allowing for some comparison to be made. However, two significant changes have been made from the original.
The original study was designed to explore only the experiences of children in mainstream schools, rather than mixed placements or specialist settings. This time, it will examine the experiences of all children of school age instead.
In addition, as education is now a devolved matter, with different legislation and systems in the four nations, the survey will focus solely on England. It will look to undertake surveys in Wales and Northern Ireland in due course.
The survey closes on 30 September 2025 and is open to parents and carers of primary school children and secondary school children.
