Supporting learners with a
physical disability
pdnet is a free national network providing education professionals with the knowledge, tools and community to improve outcomes for children and young people with physical disability.
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A national network built for education professionals
pdnet is a free national network that provides professionals in education with support in promoting positive outcomes for children and young people with physical disability. We have a strong commitment to developing and sharing effective educational practice and pedagogy for learners with physical disability.
In April 2017, pdnet was awarded the DfE contract 'Support for Children and Young People with Physical Disabilities', enabling us to develop training, standards, and resources used by education settings across England.
Everything you need to support learners with PD
Online Training
Level 1 'Raising Awareness of Physical Disability' modules for Early Years, Schools and Post-16. Developed through the DfE contract and freely available to all members.
Explore trainingStandards & Self-Evaluation
The pdnet Standards provide a practical framework for schools and settings to self-evaluate provision across Early Years, Schools and Post-16. Generate a PDF report and track progress over time.
View the StandardsCommunity & Resources
A national community forum, Effective Practice Hub, and Helpful Organisations directory — connecting professionals and sharing what works for learners with physical disability.
Join the communityFour key areas of knowledge, skill and practice
The pdnet Standards identify what schools and settings need to successfully support and nurture a learner with a physical disability, across Early Years, Schools and Post-16.
Vision, ambition and expectation
Identifying and assessing need
Meeting diverse need
Enabling individual outcomes
Raise awareness.
Build your skills.
pdnet's Level 1 online training — 'Raising Awareness of Physical Disability' — is available free to all members across Early Years, Schools and Post-16 settings. Level 2 accredited training is also available for support staff.
Every learner is unique
Physical disability is defined as a "limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina" with a substantial and long-term effect on daily activities (Equality Act, 2010). The impact varies enormously — even for children with the same diagnosis or condition.
Learn more about PD- Physical, metabolic or neurological causes, e.g. Cerebral palsy
- Degenerative conditions, e.g. Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Severe trauma — accident, amputation or serious illness
- Chromosomal disorder, e.g. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Acquired brain injury (ABI)
- Upper or lower limb differences affecting function or mobility
- Complex medical needs which impact on physical function
Understanding the national picture
Since 2016, pdnet has surveyed local authorities to build a reliable national baseline of how learners with physical disability are supported across the education system. The 2018 survey included responses representing 44 LAs.
- Population of CYP with PD increased by 23.2% between 2016 and 2018
- 88% of all learners with PD attended mainstream settings in 2018
- 68% of LAs lack pathways for learners requiring high-level assistive technology
- 80% of LAs now have their Accessibility Strategy on their Local Offer
- Almost 90% of respondents are now aware of pdnet — a significant shift since 2016
Join pdnet today
Membership is completely free and gives you access to online training, the self-evaluation tool, the Effective Practice Hub, community forums, and the latest resources — all designed to help you support learners with physical disability.