Types of Special Educational Needs
The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice sets out a graduated response to meeting a young person’s special educational needs:
School Action
School Action is additional or different support provided by a school when a pupil is identified as having special educational needs. School Action should be preceded by the class teacher implementing a range of strategies and resources to support the child and monitoring their progress. This will be done before they consult with the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
At School Action the school has a duty to inform that parents that SEN provision is being sought. To help plan the support, the class teacher and SENCO will collect information about the pupil, undertake further assessment to identify the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses, and involve the parents or carers in discussions. The school may draw up an Individual Action Plan for the pupil.
At School Action the class teacher will implement interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum offer and strategies.
School Action Plus
If a pupil continues to make little or no progress despite having received extra support from the school at School Action, the pupil may move to School Action Plus.
School Action Plus involves the school seeking advice or support from external specialist support services outside the school, both those provided by the local authority and by outside agencies. These specialist agencies will usually see the pupil in school and provide support, specialist assessments and advise teachers on strategies.
Statutory Assessment
For most pupils their needs will be met at School Action/School Action Plus stages. In a small number of cases if parents, or the school, believe a child is not making sufficient progress and they need more help than the school can provide, the school/parents can ask the local authority to carry out a statutory assessment.
A statutory assessment is a formal and detailed multi-agency assessment of a pupil’s special educational needs carried out by the local authority.
A statutory assessment will lead either to the local authority deciding that a Statement of Special Educational Needs should be made, or that a Statement is not justified, in which case the authority will explain the reasons for its decision.
Statement of Special Educational Needs
A statement of SEN is a document produced by the local authority following the multi-professional assessment. The Statement sets out in detail a pupil’s special educational needs and the special or additional provision which must be made in order to meet that pupil’s needs. The Statement also details the type and name of school the pupil should attend. Statements are reviewed at least annually.
A Statement is a legal document and local authorities have a duty to arrange the provision specified in the statement. The governing body of a maintained school has a duty to admit the pupil if it is named in the Statement.
