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Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Information on this page is derived from Directgov and Department for Education

Introduction

If your child has more difficulties than most children their age with schoolwork, communication or behaviour, there is help and advice available from special educational needs specialists, teachers and voluntary organisations.

If your child has special educational needs, they may need extra help in a range of areas, for example:

  • schoolwork
  • reading, writing, number work or understanding information
  • expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying
  • making friends or relating to adults
  • behaving properly in school
  • organising themselves
  • some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school

For further information see the
Special Educational Needs (SEN): A guide for parents and carers
from the Department for Education.


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Getting Help

You should first go to your child's class teacher, the SENCO (the person in the school or preschool who is responsible for coordinating help for children with special educational needs) or the headteacher.

You could ask them if:

  • the school thinks your child is having difficulties and/or has SEN
  • your child is able to work at the same level as children of the same age
  • your child is already getting extra help
  • you can help your child

If your child's school agrees that he or she has SEN in some areas, they will adopt a step-by-step approach to meeting these needs.

For more information please visit: Directgov


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Learning Plan

The step-by-step approach to meeting the child's needs may come in the form of an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Although the school may instead choose to record how they are meeting your child's needs in a different way. But they should always be able to tell you how they are helping your child and what progress they are making.

The IEP may include information such as:

  • what special or additional help is being given
  • who will provide the help and how often
  • what help you can give your child at home
  • your child’s targets
  • how and when progress will be checked

Sometimes the school will not write an IEP. Instead they will record how they are meeting your child's needs in a different way, perhaps as part of their lesson plans. But they should always be able to tell you how they are helping your child and what progress they are making.

For more information please visit: Directgov

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Assessment

If a mainstream school cannot provide all the help your child needs, your local authority may carry out an assessment to find out what your child's special educational needs (SEN) are and how they can be supported.

You can ask for an assessment for your child and so can your child's school. If the school wants to ask the local authority to carry out an assessment, they should always talk to you first. If you would like to approach the local authority, it's best to talk to your child's teacher or SEN coordinator (SENCO) first.

LEA or Private?

Local Educational Authority

Local authorities look at requests and tell you normally within 6 weeks whether they will carry out a Special Educational Needs assessment. and will explain the assessment process. It can then take approximately 12 weeks from the start of the assessment before they decide whether to write down all the information they have collected in a statement of SEN

Apply for an assessment of special educational needs

Private Assessment

A private assessment with an Educational Psychologist may cost between £350-500. To find an Educational Psychologist near you see our contacts directory

For more information please visit: Directgov


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Support

A statement of special educational needs (SEN) sets out your child's needs and the support they should get to meet these needs.

This should be reviewed annually to ensure that your child's needs are met.

For more information please visit: Directgov


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☎ Useful Contacts

UK Schools schoolswebdirectory.co.uk
Local Educational Authorities LEAs
Diagnostic Assessment Contacts Directory
Specialist Support Contacts Directory
Assistive Technology Trainers Contacts Directory

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