What are special educational needs?
Special educational needs are any form of difficulty a child or young person has in accessing education. Special educational needs (SEN) affect how a person learns. The needs can affect everything from:
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behaviour
In England, special educational needs are defined by the Children and Families Act 2014. This creates a test for establishing whether a child or young person has special educational needs. If a child or young person has additional difficulties in accessing school or education, and requires support beyond that typically made for young people of the same age, they likely have special educational needs.
Since the Children and Families Act came into force in England, the term used is special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This means that disabilities which have an impact on the ability to learn are specifically included.
If you are not sure whether your child or young person has special educational needs, you should seek specific legal advice.
SEND
From September 2014 Local Authorities (LA) and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) aged 0-25. This is called the ‘Local Offer’.
The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice for families and will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area.
Further information about the Local Offer can be found on the County Durham Families Information Service website.
SEND Information Report
Schools also have to publish a SEND Information Report on their website. This will provide details about how we implement our policy for children and young people with SEND.
If you would like to discuss your SEND requirements in detail please contact the school to arrange an appointment.
What support is there for special educational needs?
England and Wales operate different systems of support for special educational needs.
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In England
The Children and Families Act was introduced in September 2014. This changed how children and young people with special educational needs are supported.
Normally, the school will identify that a child or young person has special educational needs. When this happens, the class teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), will plan additional support.
This follows a cycle called
“Assess,
Plan,
Do,
Review”.
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If the school does not identify a pupil with special educational needs, it may be necessary to seek an EHC needs assessment of their special educational needs from the local authority.
The child, young person and their parents / guardian should be involved in discussions with the school about planning support for special educational needs. It is important to be aware that schools receive a specific amount of money – often called a Delegated Budget – to support children and young people with special educational needs. As the Delegated Budget is finite, this can often limit the amount of support that can be available unless the local authority makes an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
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If the child or young person needs more support than the school can provide, an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be needed. The school should discuss with the child, young person and their parents / guardian requesting an EHC needs assessment. It is very important to note that there is no requirement to try to cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review before seeking an EHC needs assessment or an Education Health and Care Plan.
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