What to expect from the setting
Understand what schools have to do to support children and young people who have identified SEND needs.
Firstly, it is important to remember that all schools have a legal duty to support children and young people who have SEND.
SEN support
Schools should begin by identifying any child that they believe has SEND. They must then put support in place to meet the identified needs of the child.
In mainstream settings, this support may be from within the school’s own resources. This means that they receive special educational provision (additional help or support). At this stage, the additional support is called SEN Support.
The school should record:
- what needs they have identified
what outcomes they expect the child to achieve
what provision is being put in place to reach those outcomes
This should be written down in a SEN Support plan.
Reasonable adjustments
One of the key duties for schools is that they must use their ‘best endeavours’ to support children who have SEND. This means doing everything that could reasonably be expected of them.
Where a mainstream school cannot meet a child’s needs, they should request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment. This might be because they don’t have the expertise or funding to identify those needs fully or to identify the provision or support the child or young person requires.
Alternatively, it might be because they know what the child’s needs are, but they cannot make the necessary provision from their own resources. If the school can show that the child has or may have SEN, and that they may need support because they cannot provide the support they need, the school should contact the Council.
Parents or young people can also request an EHC needs assessment themselves if they want to.
Get in touch with us
If you can't find what you need, feel free to get in touch with us. Our opening hours are:
- Monday to Thursday from 9.30am to 3pm
- Friday from 9.30am to 2pm
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 3 working days.
Other sources of help and support:
Hertfordshire Local Offer
The Local Offer lets parents and young people know what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them.
Visit the Local Offer →
Contact
A charity for families with disabled children offering information and advice.
Visit Contact →
HPCI
An independent parent carer organisation ensuring family voices are heard.
Visit the HPCI →
IPSEA
Independent information, advice and support, with free guides, resources and template letters.
Visit IPSEA →