Including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in National Curriculum Physical Education: a brief review

This brief review paper examines what has been, until relatively recently, a largely under‐explored area of research within the sub‐discipline of inclusive education, namely the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities in National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE). More specifically, by drawing upon studies conducted with teachers and pupils in England, the paper examines some of the complex issues that surround the inclusion of pupils with SEN and disabilities in NCPE following its introduction in 1992. In particular, it considers teachers’ views on the nature and purposes of inclusive physical education (PE) and teacher training, as well as the suitability of the structure, in its present form, of NCPE for pupils with SEN and disabilities, the PE experiences of whom are also explored. In doing so, the issues raised herein are intended to be of relevance not only for those with an interest in PE, but also for those with an interest in inclusive education more generally.