Contents
- What if you are worried that your child is having difficulties?
- What are Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
- Assessments and Statements
- Making a Statutory Assessment of your child's needs
- The Statement of Special Educational Needs
- How long does a Statement last
- What does Delegated Funding mean for your child?
- The Annual Review of your child's Statement of Special Educational Needs
- Changes to your child's Statement of Special Educational Needs
- Preparing for choices after 16
- Transport for children with Special Educational Need
- Parent Partnership Service
- Resolving disputes and your right to appeal
- Solihull Special Schools and Additionally Resourced Centres (ARCs)
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
What are Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Information about Special Educational Needs
The term 'special educational needs' has a legal definition. Children with special educational needs all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. These children may need extra or different help from that given to other children of the same age.
Many children will have special educational needs of some kind at some time during their education. Schools and other organisations can help most children overcome the barriers their difficulties present quickly and easily, but a few children (approximately 1 in 50) will need extra help for some or all of their time in school. Such a decision is arrived at after a Statutory Assessment of the child's educational needs has been made.
Children with special educational needs may need extra help because of a range of needs, such as in thinking and understanding, physical or sensory difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or difficulties with speech and language, or how they relate to and behave with other people.
The law says that children do not have learning difficulties just because their first language is not English. Of course, some of these children may have learning difficulties as well.
Different schools will take account of the SEN Code of Practice in different ways. However, no matter how the school chooses to take account of the Code, if your child has SEN, you should be consulted at each step. The school will also consider your child's views. School should tell parents about their child's progress. You have a right to see the school's SEN policy and to receive a copy of the school's annual report, which will include a report on that policy.