When a child/young person is identified as having Special Educational Needs, schools and colleges should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place.
SEN Support is the first level of extra support provided by mainstream settings. It is given to children and young people who have special educational needs but no Education, Health and Care plan (EHC Plan).
In determining whether SEN Support is appropriate for a child/young person it will be necessary to clarify what they require that is additional to or different from that which is normally provided by the setting.
SEN Support in school
Every child with special educational needs should have SEN support. This means help that is additional to/ or different from the support generally given to most of the other children of the same age.
The purpose of SEN support is to help children and young people achieve the outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school in conjunction with parents and pupils themselves.
Every school must publish a SEN information report about the SEN provision the school makes. You can find this on the school’s website or the Local Offer. You can also ask your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) for information on the SEN provision made by the school.
SEN support can take many forms, including:
- a special learning programme for your child
- extra help from a teacher or a learning support assistant
- making or changing materials and equipment
- working with your child in a small group
- observing your child in class or at break and keeping records
- helping your child to take part in the class activities
- making sure your child has understood things by encouraging them to ask questions and to try something they find difficult
- helping other children work with your child, or play with them at break time
- supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, gettingaround school safely, toileting or dressing.
- advice and/or extra help from specialists such as specialist teachers, educational psychologists, and therapists.
You can find out more about SEN Support by:
- looking at the SEN Information Report on the school website
- talking to your child’s teacher or the SENCo
- looking at the Local Offer
- reading Chapter 6 of the SEN Code of Practice
You can also get in touch with Ask Us Nottinghamshire who can give you:
- information about SEN support, including information about SEN funding
- advice about what to do if you are not happy with the support your school is providing
- information about other organisations, support groups and information services that could help
- information and advice about your rights to request an EHC needs assessment.
Schools and Families Specialist Services
Contact details of key staff at Nottinghamshire County Council who can help inform you about different aspects of support available to pupils in school:
SEN Support in College
Please see our page on Transitions
What if I disagree with a decision?
Disagreement Resolution is the process for exploring and addressing issues about any aspect of SEN provision, including health and social care disagreements.
Mediation Services are specifically focused on issues and disagreements relating to Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. This includes where a request has been made for an assessment for an EHC Plan and that request has been turned down by the Local Authority.
Following a tender process Global Mediation Ltd were appointed to provide a Disagreement Resolution Service across the East Midlands region. The service is independent of the Local Authority and is free to young people with special educational needs and to the parent/carers of children with special educational needs.
Global Mediation
Telephone: 0800 064 4488