The culture of special schools: perceptions of the nature, purpose and value of physical education

Educational “inclusion” has led to a debate about the appropriateness of special and mainstream schools. This paper adds to this debate by drawing on the concept of cultural hegemony to analyse the nature, purpose and value of special school physical education (PE). Eighteen individual interviews explored the perceptions of PE teachers, senior leaders and learning support assistants. The findings suggest that common sense cultural norms in special school PE are underpinned by an aspiration to develop the “whole child”: physically, socially and cognitively. This involved the delivery of a broad curriculum that is guided by a needs-based approach. Special schools appeared to be taking a more open view about what constitutes PE, when compared to mainstream schools, which was also accompanied with a desire to embrace cross-curricular possibilities. We end by offering questions requiring further consideration, and by highlighting opportunities for mutual learning within and across special and mainstream schools.