“stretched… like butter scraped over too much bread” - The SENCo Role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria: An ecosystemic analysis in evolving inclusive and special education policy landscapes

Udd, Jonas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0352-3600, Middleton, Tristan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8111-3856, Fitzgerald, Johanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0863-9162 and Proyer, Michelle (2026) “stretched… like butter scraped over too much bread” - The SENCo Role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria: An ecosystemic analysis in evolving inclusive and special education policy landscapes. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. (In Press)

Text 15944 Udd et al (2026) stretched...like butter scraped over too much bread.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 20 May 2026. Download (586kB)

Abstract

This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) role, or equivalent, across Sweden, England, Ireland, and Austria. Framed by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigates how inclusive education is characterised in policy and practice, and how the SENCo role is defined, enacted, and supported within each jurisdiction. A hybrid methodological approach, combining a Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), document analysis and the Walt and Gilson Policy Triangle, enabled analysis across the ecological system. Findings reveal that national policies vary considerably in how inclusion is defined and operationalised. The SENCo role is consistently complex and multi‑layered, though its status, statutory recognition and professional preparation differ markedly. England and Sweden offer formalised structures, whereas Ireland and Austria lack explicit policy recognition, leading to inconsistent school‑level enactment. Across countries, rising specialist provision, diagnostic cultures and governance pressures generate contradictions that SENCos must navigate, positioning the role within a wider wicked problem of inclusive education. The paper argues that the SENCo role, should be understood as a central integrative figure within educational ecosystems, rather than a sole agent of inclusion, and calls for coherent alignment across system layers and sustained policy and professional investment to support inclusive schooling.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Subjects:	L Education > LC Special aspects of education
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education, Health and Sciences
Depositing User:	Tristan Middleton
Date Deposited:	15 Apr 2026 10:35
Last Modified:	16 Apr 2026 08:30
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/15944

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