The SEND Code of Practice says –

“All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that is appropriate to their needs, promotes high standards and the fulfilment of potential. This should enable them to:
• achieve their best
• become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
• make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment,
further or higher education or training” 

What is SEN support?

SEN support is when a child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision, education that is different from or additional to the support normally available to children of the same age.

The purpose of SEN support is to help children and young people achieve the outcomes set for them by the school in conjunction with parents and pupils themselves.

Each school has to have an SEN information report which gives information about the SEN provision at the school. You can usually find this on a school’s website.

North Lincolnshire Council’s Local Offer website also sets out what support it expects early year’s settings, schools and colleges to do to support children and young people with SEN or disabilities.

 

How is SEN identified?

For some children SEN can be identified at an early age and for other children and young people difficulties only show as they get older. A child or young person does not need a diagnosis to receive SEN Support, it is based on their individual needs.

When a child attends a school, the school should assess their skills and attainment and carry out regular assessments of their progress. This helps them to identify if a child isn’t making the progress that they would have expected given their age and circumstances.

As a guide, there are four broad areas of need to be considered;

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs

 

All schools must have a teacher who is responsible for co-ordinating the SEN provision (this does not apply to 16 to 19 academies). They are called a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Where the child’s progress continues to be less than expected the class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO should assess whether the child has SEN. They should also speak to parents and the child about this.

The Special Educational Need and Disability Code of Practice says that parents know their children best and it is important that all professionals listen and understand when parents express concerns about their child’s development.  It also says that if a school identifies that a child requires SEN support they must tell parents.

 

What happens at SEN support?

The SEND Code of Practice says that school must do everything they can to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need.

SEN support involves a four-part cycle, Assess, Plan, Do and Review, this is also known as the Graduated Approach.

Assess

Teaching staff should work with the SENCO to assess a child’s needs so that they can give the right support. They should involve parents and the child in this process.

Sometimes schools will get advice from another professional, for example, they might ask for an Educational Psychologist to see a child so that they can do a thorough assessment.

Plan

The school should agree with parents and the child what adjustments, intervention and support is going to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a date for review.

All teachers and support staff who work with the child should be made aware their needs and the support that is being put in place.

Do

In this step, the plan is put into practice. A child’s teacher is responsible for the work that is done with a child and they should work closely with any teaching assistants or staff involved to assess the impact.

Review

This stage involves reviewing a child’s progress and the difference that any extra support has made. Parents should have clear information about the impact of the support and interventions, so that they can be involved in planning the next steps. The SEND Code of practices states that schools should meet parents at least three times each year.

 

Who can I speak to?

If you think your child has a Special Educational Need, you are not sure what support is in place or you feel your child needs more support, you can ask to speak to your child’s teacher or to the SENCO. For support to prepare for a meeting, you can visit our Meeting Preparation page, or you can contact us for advice.

If your child is not making progress whilst receiving SEN Support, you could consider whether an EHC needs assessment might be helpful. This is a closer look at your child’s SEND and the support that they may need. You can read more about EHC Needs Assessments on our information page.

 

Further information

You can find out more about SEN support by:

Looking at the SEN information report on the schools website

Reading chapter 6 of the SEND Code of Practice

Visiting North Lincolnshire’s SEND Local Offer

Contacting SENDIASS who can offer information and advice about SEN Support, we also hold information sessions about SEN Support, visit our NLSENDIASS News and Events page for further details.