School Procedures for Assessing Special Educational Needs

Evidence that a child is not making adequate progress can lead to the need for action to be taken within the educational setting to meet their learning difficulties.  For most pupils extra help is provided within the classroom, managed by a class or subject teacher.  Where it involved spending some time outside the normal classroom, it will nonetheless be in the context of the inclusive curriculum.  The majority of the pupils with SEN make progress without any great difficulty.  Skilled teachers can usually meet learning needs and pupils may have even when pupils have more persistent or serious difficulties. 

When additional or different action is needed to help pupils with particular learning needs make progress, the resources and expertise available to mainstream schools will usually be able to cover this.  The actions described may be appropriate at SEN Support or for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

ACTIONS TO MEET SEN TENDS TO FALL WITHIN FOUR BROAD BANDS:

  • Assess, Plan, Do, Review
  • Grouping for teaching purposes
  • Additional human resources
  • Curriculum and teaching methods

DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT ACTIONS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR WHICH PUPILS MUST BE MADE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS BY:

  • A careful assessment of the pupil's difficulties
  • The pupil's need for different approaches to learning
  • The school and classroom context

SEN SUPPORT

Intervention under SEN Support can be taken where there is evidence to support the concerns that a pupil:

  • Makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a pupil's identified area of weakness
  • Show signs of difficulty in developing literacy or numeracy skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas
  • Presents persistent emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, which are not improved by behaviour management techniques, usually employed in schools
  • Has sensory or physical problems, and continue to make little or no progress despite provision of specialist equipment
  • Has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continue to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum

The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and the class teacher will decide on the provision necessary for the child to make progress.  Parents will be consulted and kept informed on what action will be taken and progress made.

SEN Support may include the involvement of extra staff but can also require different learning materials, special equipment or any individually planned teaching strategy.  An Individual Education Plan (IEP) or SEN Support Plan will be prepared, outlining action to be taken.  This should be reviewed on a regular basis.

For children under school age, in early settings, intervention will take the form of Early Support and those in college as SEN Support. 

Click here to download the Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) Policy.