SEN Support
Every week, we’re posting another myth that we have heard spread around, and sharing countering information, and factual snippets. This begins with…
1: You do not need an EHC plan for your child to receive SEN support
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Support (SEND Support) is help which is additional to or different from the support generally given to most children of the same age.
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 states that regular assessments of all pupils should seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. It later states that where a pupil is identified as having SEND, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place.
This support should be provided through the graduated approach, which is based on four steps – Assess, Plan, Do, and Review, through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes.
Therefore, support should begin as soon as needs are identified. Schools can adapt teaching, provide interventions, and involve specialists without waiting for an EHC plan.
You can find out more information on SEN Support in Mainstream Schools right here on our site.
If you’ve any questions, get in touch.
2: A child does not need a diagnosis before SEN Support can start
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 states that class and subject teachers, supported by the senior leadership team, should make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. These should seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. It goes on to state that where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place.
Therefore, support is based on needs, not a diagnosis. Schools should act as soon as they notice a child is struggling, even without a formal diagnosis.
3: SEN support is not only for academic difficulties
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 provides information on the four broad areas of need. These are:
Communication and interaction, such as, not understanding the perspective of others, or having speech and language needs,
Cognition and learning, such as difficulties with literacy or numeracy, or not making expected progress within their learning,
Social, emotional, and mental health difficulties may include displaying dysregulated behaviour or a child may have adverse childhood experiences(ACE),
Sensory and/or physical needs, which could include a hearing impairment, visual impairment or sensory processing difficulties, such as, being sensitive to noise or making repeated movements.
A child’s needs can present themselves in one or all four road areas of need.
4: Schools should work in partnership with parents
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 states that schools should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent.
As part of the graduated response (assess, plan, do, review), the school should involve both the parent and the child in the review, provide an opportunity for the parent to share their concerns as well as to allow sufficient time to explore the parents’ views and to plan effectively. The SEND Code of Practice 2015 also encourages effective parental engagement.
If your child has not responded to the help they were given, the review should decide what can be done next.
5: Schools should use their notional SEN budget to pay for up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision to meet a child’s SEN
Every school receives an additional amount of money to help make special educational provision to meet children’s SEN. Special educational provision is anything that is ‘additional to or different from’ the provision that is made for all children.
This additional amount of money is called the notional SEN budget. It is described as notional because it is not ring fenced, and no-one can tell schools exactly how they should spend this money; they can spend it in the way they think is best. However, schools have a duty to identify, assess, and make special educational provision for all children with SEN.
The Government recommends that schools should use their notional SEN budget to pay for up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision to meet a child’s SEN, including for those with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Most children with SEN need special educational provision that comes to less than £6,000.
6: Schools should meet with parents at least three times a year when receiving SEN support
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 states that as part of the graduated response, where a pupil is receiving SEN support, schools should talk to parents regularly to set clear outcomes and review progress towards them, discuss the activities and support that will help achieve them, and identify the responsibilities of the parent, the pupil and the school. Schools should meet parents at least three times each year.
These meetings should include consideration of the impact of SEN support outside school and any changes in the pupil’s needs and aspirations and views the pupil, they should allow sufficient time to explore the parents’ views and to be able to plan effectively.
Information regarding SEN support should be readily shared with parents, in a format which is accessible, such as meetings notes, tracking data and provision maps.
7: Children must engage in activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN
In accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2015, maintained schools and academies that are not special schools, maintained nursery schools, 16 to 19 academies, alternative provision academies and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), all have a duty and must ensure that children and young people with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN.
They must prepare and publish an SEN information report, stating their arrangements for the admission of disabled children, the steps being taken to prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to enable access to the school for disabled children and their accessibility plan showing how they plan to improve access progressively over time.
You can find out more information on SEN Support in Mainstream Schools here SEND Support in Schools – SENDiass4BCP
