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Special educational needs and schools

Schools and early education settings place great importance on identifying SEN so they can help your child as early as possible. Most children with SEN can have their needs met in a mainstream school.

Once it has been decided that your child has SEN, your child's teachers will plan their education. To do this they use the guidance given in a document known as the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

The Code of Practice is a guide for early education settings (eg nurseries and playgroups), state schools and local authorities. It advises then on how they should identify, assess and provide help for children with SEN.

You can read a summary of the code in the booklet, 'SEN: a guide for parents and carers'.

• Download a guide for parents and carers: Special Educational Needs (Revised 2009) Opens new window

A step-by-step approach

Children learn in different ways, and can have different levels or kinds of SEN. So if your child has SEN, their school will increasingly, step by step, bring in specialist expertise to help with the difficulties they may have. This step-by-step approach is set out in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

A school must tell you if they start giving extra or different help to your child because of their SEN. The basic level of extra help is known as School Action, and could be:

Your child may need help through this step-by-step approach for only a short time, or for many years. Remember that you should be consulted at every step, and be told about your child's progress.

• Special Educational Needs Code of Practice Opens new window

Individual Education Plans

Your child's teacher is responsible for working with your child on a day-to-day basis. However, they may decide to write down the actions of help for your child in an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

The IEP could include:

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.

If your child does not make enough progress

If your child does not make enough progress under School Action, their teacher or SEN coordinator (SENCO) should contact you. They might advise you to ask for advice from other people outside the school. These could include a specialist teacher or a speech and language therapist. This kind of extra help is called School Action Plus.

It is possible that your child's school still cannot give your child all the help they need. If so, you or a professional who has been involved with your child can ask for a 'statutory assessment'. This is a detailed investigation to find out what your child's special educational needs are and what special help your child needs.

• Special educational needs: assessments

More useful links

• Identifying special educational needs in under fives

• Getting help for special educational needs in under fives

• Other support services for special educational needs in under fives

• Caring for a disabled child (caring for someone section)