‘We are different, but we are not really that different’: An insight into the challenges encountered by career leaders when supporting disabled students in English mainstream and specialist classrooms

Abstract For over 10 years, schools have been responsible for providing career support to all young people. In order for schools to be able to deliver career support in the classroom, the career leader role was introduced as part of the Education Act 2011. With increasing numbers of disabled students attending mainstream school, a key challenge encountered is ensuring that the support provided is inclusive and accessible to all young people. This article provides an overview of a case study which brought together eight educational professionals working across mainstream and specialist provisions. It was hoped that by providing space for these educational practitioners to share practice, they could both reflect on their own experiences and identify ways to develop more inclusive practice when providing career support to young disabled people. As with many of the professionals working within the current English education system, the career leaders demonstrated their commitment to ensuring all young people have opportunities to successfully transition from school; however, they find themselves constrained by a system that is not working. This article therefore highlights some key recommendations for addressing the barriers that are encountered when supporting young people to successfully transition from school.