SEND

Areas of SEND can be considered as falling under four broad areas.

1. Communication and interaction

That is, children that find communicating and understanding language difficult. This may be due to a specific language difficulty or conditions such as Autism, pragmatic difficulties or sensory processing disorder.

2. Cognition and learning

That is, children that have learning difficulties that mean they are not able to learn basic numeracy or literacy skills. A child or young person with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) may have difficulty with one or more aspects of learning.

This includes a range of conditions such as dyslexia (difficulties with reading and spelling); dyscalculia (maths); dyspraxia (co-ordination) and dysgraphia (writing). Children with severe learning difficulties may also have difficulties in acquiring basic skills in any area and this may also impede their physical development.

3. Social, mental and emotional health

That is, children that have severe difficulties in managing their emotions or behaviour. They can include low mood (anxiety or depression), problems of conduct (oppositional problems and more severe conduct problems including aggression), self-harming, substance abuse or eating disorders.

Some children and young people may have other recognised disorders such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), attachment disorder, anxiety disorder, or, more rarely, psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar. Children with ASD can have co-morbidities of social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

4. Sensory and/or physical

That is, children with physical or sensory disabilities which affect their ability to access their environment or learning. This may include visual or hearing impairment, cerebral palsy or congenital conditions, injury or disease.

The above definitions are termed ‘broad’ areas as some children may have difficulties in one of more areas or it may not be clear which area their difficulty falls under. However, most children’s needs will come under one of the above.

What is an Education Health Care Plan (EHC)?

A major change that was introduced in the current Code of Practice was the introduction of Education Health Care plans to replace the old ‘statements of SEN’.

Under the Code of Practice, local authorities have a responsibility to provide an EHC plan for a child with SEND if it feels those needs mean that the child will be at a disadvantage without additional support. An EHC plan explains the child’s difficulties and sets out long-term and short-term outcomes for the child. The local authority and the educational provider will then work towards those outcomes.

What is a SEND Policy?

The Code of Practice states that all educational providers need to publish a SEND report. There is no expectation that schools need to have a SEND Policy, although most schools do, as good practice.

The Code of Practice states that schools need to publish their SEND report on their website and that it needs to be reviewed annually. The Information Report must include information for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with SEN and for the admission of disabled pupils. The requirements are set out in legislation (the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014).

What schools need to know

The current Code of Practice sets out a few things that schools must adhere to and that any provider for SEND children should be familiar with and ensure is happening in their provision. These include:

• All children with SEND should be identified on a SEND register and schools should have clear provision mapping in place.
• Wherever possible, SEND children should be taught alongside their peers.
• In terms of staffing, schools need to have a designated person responsible for coordinating SEND and have a designated governor for SEND.
• Staff need to be trained to identify and support children with SEND in order for early identification of need and to be able to provide the best possible outcomes for the child.