The House of Commons Select Committee on Education (2006) estimated that around 18% of all pupils in England were categorised as having Special Educational Needs (SEN). "Around 3% of all children (250,000) had a statement of SEN and around 1% of all children were in special schools (90,000) which represent approximately one third of children with statements" (House of Commons, 2006, p. 5). However, until very recently, there has been no overall perspective on what might count as an appropriate music curriculum for pupils with complex needs (here defined as Severe Learning Difficulties [SLD] or Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties [PMLD]). In order to investigate the nature of music provision in special schools in England that catered for children and young people with complex needs, Welch et al., (2001) undertook a nation-wide research investigation, which became known as the PROMISE (Provision of Music in Special Education) project. The PROMISE project was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Trust (see http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/index.html) and supported also by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). The research was designed as an exploratory study of three phases using questionnaire sampling, school visits, and informal discussions with teachers and other professionals. A total of 53 schools participated. The evidence gathered from the project suggested that "there is considerable variation in the quantity and quality of music education and music therapy available to pupils" (Welch et al., 2001, p. 5). In the course of PROMISE research, it was noted that, within the special school population in England, there were more than 30,000 children (32%) with complex needs (SLD or PMLD). SLD and PMLD children were to be found in many different parts of the special education sector and were often educated with children who had other forms of disability. Most of the participating schools catered for a broad age range from early years to post-16. The paper reports research and development in the music provision in Special Schools in England for children and young people with complex needs following the PROMISE research (2001). (Contains 1 endnote, 3 tables, 3 footnotes and 7 figures.)