What Is the SEND Code of Practice?
The SEND Code of Practice (2015) is statutory guidance published by the Department for Education and the Department of Health. It provides detailed guidance for organisations that work with and support children and young people aged 0 to 25 who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
The Code applies to schools (maintained schools, academies, and free schools), early years settings, post-16 institutions, local authorities, and health and social care services. It sets out the processes and procedures that these organisations must follow to identify, assess, and support children and young people with SEND.
The Children and Families Act 2014 provides the legislative framework for the Code. All organisations covered by the Code must have regard to it when carrying out their duties towards children and young people with SEND.
Access the full document at: SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (GOV.UK)
Key Principles
The Code is built around the following fundamental principles:
- The views, wishes and feelings of the child or young person, and their parents: Children, young people, and their families should be involved in discussions and decisions about their support
- Participation in education, training and employment: Support should enable children and young people to participate fully and achieve the best possible outcomes
- High quality teaching for all: Quality first teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who may have SEND
- Early identification and intervention: Identifying needs early and providing timely support improves long-term outcomes
- Collaboration: Close cooperation between education, health, and social care services, and with children, young people, and their families
- Focus on outcomes: Support should be focused on achieving identified outcomes, preparing for adulthood from the earliest years
The Four Broad Areas of Need
The Code identifies four broad areas of need to help schools and services understand the range of needs that pupils may have:
| Area of Need | Description |
|---|---|
| Communication and Interaction | Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), and autism spectrum condition (ASC). Difficulties understanding or using language, or with social interaction and communication. |
| Cognition and Learning | Learning at a slower pace than peers, specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia), moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). |
| Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Wide range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and attachment disorder. |
| Sensory and Physical Needs | Visual impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), multi-sensory impairment (MSI), and physical disability (PD). Some pupils require specialist equipment or adaptations to access learning. |
Many children and young people have needs that span more than one category. The Code emphasises that support should be based on a holistic understanding of individual strengths and difficulties, not just a primary category of need.
SEN Support and EHC Plans
SEN Support
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 is known as SEN Support. The school should work with the pupil and their parents to decide on the support needed, using a graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans
Where a child or young person has more complex needs that cannot be met through SEN Support alone, the local authority may carry out an assessment of education, health and care needs. If the assessment concludes that an EHC plan is necessary, the plan will specify the outcomes to be achieved, the provision required, and who will provide it. EHC plans are reviewed annually.
The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review
The Code sets out a four-part cycle through which schools should provide support for pupils with SEND:
- Assess: Identify the pupil's needs clearly. Use teacher assessment and experience, the pupil's development compared to peers, the views of parents and the pupil, and advice from external specialists where appropriate.
- Plan: Agree the adjustments, interventions, and support to be put in place, the expected outcomes, and a clear date for review. Parents and pupils should be involved in planning.
- Do: The class or subject teacher remains responsible for working with the pupil on a daily basis. The teacher should work closely with teaching assistants or specialist staff, and remain responsible for planning and assessment.
- Review: The effectiveness of the support should be reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact on the pupil's progress should be evaluated, and the views of the pupil and parents gathered. The support should be revised in light of progress and the pupil's ongoing needs.
This cycle should be continuous, with the school refining and revising provision at each review stage until the pupil is making good progress.
Who Does the Code Apply To?
The SEND Code of Practice applies to a wide range of organisations and individuals who work with children and young people with SEND, including:
- Headteachers, teachers, and teaching assistants in maintained schools, academies, and free schools
- Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs)
- Governing bodies and proprietors of schools
- Early years providers
- Further education and sixth form colleges
- Local authorities
- Clinical Commissioning Groups (now Integrated Care Boards) and NHS Trusts
- Social care services
The Code emphasises that everyone who works with children and young people with SEND should understand their role and responsibilities in identifying needs, providing support, and working collaboratively with families and other services.