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Last month 553 parent/carers and young people accessed our service which led to a total of 2,589 emails, contact forms, telephone calls and face to face meetings. Contact us if you need our advice and support.  

Children and young people who have special educational needs (SEN) do not necessarily have a disability. Some disabled children and young people do not have special educational needs. There is a lot of overlap between the two groups though.

The SEND Code of Practice says:-

5.32 Special educational provision should be matched to the child’s identified SEN. Children’s SEN are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need and support – see Chapter 6, paragraph 6.28 onwards, for a fuller explanation:
• communication and interaction
• cognition and learning
• social, emotional and mental health
• sensory and/or physical needs

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 him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

  • has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions"

Read the legislation Children and Families Act 2014. Chapter 6, Part 3 (20-21)

Special Educational Provision

Special Educational Provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age.

A child or young person may not necessarily have a learning difficulty but may still meet the definition SEN due to their disability.

Examples of special educational needs include:

  • Speech, language and communication needs
  • Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
  • Autistic spectrum conditions
  • Specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Moderate learning difficulties
  • Profound and multiple learning difficulties
  • Multi-sensory impairment

What do we mean by disability?

A child or young person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial or long-term effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Children and young people with the most complex needs will require specialist services. They will require support with their health, education or physical, learning, emotional, social or behavioural development, due to disabilities.

Disabilities include:

  • Multiple and complex health needs or chronic illness
  • Sensory impairment such as hearing loss or visual impairment
  • A significant and long term learning difficulty
  • A physical disability
  • Autistic spectrum disorder
  • A severe communication disorder
  • A significant developmental delay 

Is having English as a second language a special educational need?

No. Children do not have SEN just because the language used at home is different from the language used at school. 

The Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Toolkit provides information and resources to schools to support pupils who are new to English and those who are more advanced bilingual learners. It also provides policy guidance, curriculum advice and good practice guidance for the traveller minority and refugee and asylum seekers. 

Also in this section:

Who to talk to

Guidance on who to talk to and advice around bullying.

Early Years

Information on early child development and support

SEN Support in Education Settings

Information on SEN support and supporting behaviour and literacy difficulties at school

Frequently Asked Questions

SEND Support, EHC Needs Assessment, EHC plan and SEND Tribunal frequently asked questions from parent/carers

Local Authority Services and how they can help

A description of Essex local authority services and professionals and when it is appropriate to involve a professional

Types of Education Settings

An overview of the different types of educational settings and how they support children with SEND

Home to School Transport

Information on how to apply for home to school transport, understanding your rights and how to appeal a transport decision

SEN Funding in Mainstream Schools/Settings

Information on special educational needs funding in mainstream schools, including Early Years, Further and Higher Education settings

Emotional Based School Avoidance

Guidance on the steps you can take if your child is experiencing anxiety around going to school.

Choosing a School for a Child or Young Person with SEND

Information on applying and starting a new school, transition and moving schools, how to appeal a school place and home education.

Attendance

Information on school attendance, Emotional Based School Avoidance, Reduced Timetables, Penalty Notices and supporting medical needs

Suspensions, Exclusions & Off Site Direction

Information on suspensions and permanent exclusions, unlawful exclusions, what to do if you don't agree and managed moves

Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessments

Information on EHC Needs Assessment, how to apply for one and local authority decisions around assessment requests

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans)

Information around EHC plans, such as draft plans, choosing a school, finalising the plan, mediation and more.

Annual Reviews

Information on Annual Reviews, such as Phase Transfers and what happens if the local authority cease an EHCP following an Annual Review

Appealing to the SEND Tribunal Service

Information on lodging an appeal, such as refusal to assess, refusal to issue, contents and/or school placement, cease to maintain and more

Personal Budgets

This information is about personal budgets for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).

Raising Concerns or Making a Complaint

Information on how to raise concerns or make a formal complaint, resolving disagreements, appeals, disability discrimination tribunal claims and Judicial Review