Few can have made more of a difference to education than Mary Warnock, who remained one of the most influential voices in the area of special educational needs and disability (SEND) right up until her death, aged 94, in March this year.

It’s more than 40 years since she laid down the blueprint for the inclusion of children with SEND in mainstream schools. Her report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People is still, to this day, the most comprehensive review of SEND to be commissioned by a UK government.

It also inspired the system of statementing for children with SEND, and there is no doubt that its findings still underpin much of what is done today when it comes to supporting the education of children who find learning more challenging than their peers.

Tes editor Ann Mroz said: “I was always in awe of Mary’s intellect, which she combined with practicality and a down-to-earth approach.

“She brought all three of those talents to her report. And while many great and good people set up reviews only to move on, Mary was bold enough to go back to hers. In 2003, she reassessed her initial conclusions, saying that the system she had inspired needed an overhaul as it had become a financial battleground.”
Last year, Tes named Baroness Warnock one of the 10 most influential people in the world of education.

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