What Does SEND Stand For?
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. This term encompasses children and young people who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most others of the same age, or who have disabilities that prevent or hinder them from making use of educational facilities.
The term SEND brings together two related but distinct concepts: special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. While these often overlap, it is important to understand the difference between them.
What Are Special Educational Needs?
The Children and Families Act 2014 defines special educational needs as follows: A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
A child or young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
- Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
- Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions
Special educational provision means educational provision which is additional to, or different from, that normally available to pupils of the same age in mainstream schools.
What Is a Disability?
The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as: A physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Long-term means the condition has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months. Substantial means more than minor or trivial.
Many children with disabilities will also have special educational needs, but not all children with disabilities have SEN, and not all children with SEN are disabled.
SEN and Disability: The Overlap
Many children and young people who are defined as having SEND will have both special educational needs and a disability. Schools have duties under both the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014:
- Schools must use their best endeavours to ensure pupils with SEN get the support they need
- Schools must follow the SEND Code of Practice
- Schools must identify and assess pupils with SEN, and provide appropriate provision
Under the Equality Act 2010:
- Schools must not discriminate against pupils with disabilities
- Schools must make reasonable adjustments to ensure pupils with disabilities are not disadvantaged
- Schools must provide auxiliary aids and services where reasonable
In practice, schools should think about both sets of duties when supporting pupils with SEND. The two pieces of legislation work together to ensure that pupils get the support they need and are not disadvantaged.
The Four Broad Areas of Need
The SEND Code of Practice (2015) identifies four broad areas of need. These categories help schools understand the types of difficulties pupils may experience, but many pupils have needs across more than one area.
1. Communication and Interaction
Children with needs in this area have difficulty communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty understanding what others are saying, or difficulty making others understand what they want to say. It also includes children on the autism spectrum.
Examples include:
- Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
- Autism spectrum condition (ASC)
- Difficulty with social communication and interaction
- Difficulty understanding non-verbal communication
- Selective mutism
2. Cognition and Learning
Children with learning difficulties learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. This area includes children with general learning difficulties and those with specific learning difficulties affecting one or more specific aspects of learning.
Examples include:
- Moderate learning difficulties (MLD)
- Severe learning difficulties (SLD)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD)
- Specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (maths), and dyspraxia (motor coordination)
3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Children may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, or displaying challenging, disruptive, or disturbing behaviour.
Examples include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Self-harm
- Eating disorders
- Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
- Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
- Attachment difficulties
- Conditions such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
4. Sensory and Physical Needs
Some children require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. Many children with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and equipment to access their learning.
Examples include:
- Visual impairment (VI)
- Hearing impairment (HI)
- Multi-sensory impairment (MSI)
- Physical disability (PD)
- Sensory processing difficulties
SEN Support and EHC Plans
Once a child or young person has been identified as having SEND, schools must decide on the level of support needed. There are two key levels of support in the system.
SEN Support
SEN Support is the level of support provided by schools for pupils whose needs can be met from the school's own resources. Pupils receiving SEN Support are placed on the school's SEND register.
What SEN Support includes:
- Additional or different teaching strategies and approaches
- Targeted interventions (for example, small group teaching or one-to-one support)
- Equipment or resources to support learning
- Adaptations to the curriculum or environment
- Support from teaching assistants
- Advice and support from external specialists (where needed)
SEN Support is delivered through the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review. The support is reviewed regularly (at least termly) and adjusted based on the pupil's progress.
The decision to place a pupil on SEN Support should be made in discussion with parents and the pupil. Parents must be formally notified when a pupil is identified as having SEN.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans
Where a child or young person has more significant or 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 be put in place.
An EHC plan is a legal document that sets out:
- The child or young person's SEN and educational needs
- The health and social care needs related to their SEN
- The outcomes the child or young person should achieve
- The special educational, health, and social care provision required
- The school or other setting the child or young person will attend
EHC plans are reviewed annually through an Annual Review meeting. The plan can be amended if the child or young person's needs change. EHC plans can remain in place until the young person reaches age 25 (if they continue in education or training).
Parents or the young person (if aged 16+) can request that the local authority assesses their needs for an EHC plan. Schools can also request an assessment if they believe a pupil's needs require more support than the school can provide.
Key Points for School Staff
SEND is not a label or an excuse: Identifying a pupil as having SEND is not about giving them a label. It is about understanding what support they need to learn and thrive. Having SEND should never be used as an excuse for low expectations.
Every teacher is a teacher of pupils with SEND: Supporting pupils with SEND is not just the job of the SENCO or teaching assistants. Every teacher is responsible for the progress of all pupils in their class, including those with SEND.
Start with good teaching: The most important factor in supporting pupils with SEND is high-quality, differentiated teaching. Additional interventions and support are important, but they are not a substitute for good teaching.
Focus on removing barriers: Think about what is preventing the pupil from learning or participating fully in school life. The aim of support is to remove or reduce these barriers so the pupil can achieve their potential.
Involve pupils and parents: Pupils with SEND and their parents should be involved in discussions about support. Their views and insights are essential for planning effective provision.
Be alert to emerging needs: SEND can be identified at any age. Be aware of pupils who are making limited progress or experiencing difficulties, and take action early.