SEND explained: how to get the right support for your child at school and what to ask for

More than 18% of pupils in all schools across the UK had SEN (special educational needs) support in the year 2023/24.

The right educational support can make a world of difference to a child’s enjoyment and attainment at school. Understanding what SEND means is the first step towards making sure your child gets the education they deserve.

We’ve compiled a guide to everything you need to know about SEND and schools, including what extra support children can get and what to look out for when choosing a school.

It includes expert knowledge from Pearl Barnes, a SEND consultant at SENDISS with 30 years’ experience in SEND provision and teaching, as well as Melanie Sanderson, managing editor at The Good Schools Guide.

What is SEND, and how can if affect a child’s education?

SEND is not a single condition but a broad umbrella that covers lots of different needs. “There are too many to list in full,” explains Barnes. But we can group them into four main areas.

• Mental health conditions and disorders, such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), depression, and anxiety
• Cognition and learning conditions, such as dyslexia and moderate or severe learning difficulties
• Physical, medical and sensory needs, such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, vision or hearing impairment, and Downs syndrome
• Communication and interaction conditions, such as autism, aphasia, and developmental language delay.

The government’s SEND Code Of Practice 2015 says that “more children than many realise” have special educational needs because what is defined as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 is quite broad. The Act says a disability is “a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

“This definition includes sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer,” the Code of Practice says.

But two children with the same diagnosis might have completely different needs, meaning that SEND support should be flexible, personalised, and reviewed regularly because a child’s needs can change over time.

Schooling options for children with SEND

There are a range of school settings that children with SEND can attend across the UK — “Wales and Scotland have a completely different structure altogether and a different code of practice” to England, Pearl says.

There are specialist schools, which cater to children and young people with severe, profound and complex special educational needs.

As you can imagine, with 18% of students having special educational needs, it’s not possible to have all of them be educated in one of these schools. So mainstream schools also offer SEN support for children who need it.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which we’ll discuss later in this article, allow children with special educational needs to be educated in a way that suits them in mainstream schools.

“The vast majority of pupils with special educational needs will be supported in mainstream schools – which is what many parents want.”

“For other children, who will usually have an Education, Health and Care Plan, a special or specialist school – which, for example, has its own team of therapists or focusses on a particular area of need, such as autism, provides the dedicated support that will help them to flourish.”

Sometimes, what the government calls ‘Alternative Provision’ is relevant for children with SEND. This is defined as “education arranged by local authorities for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education” in Department of Education guidance. It can also be for children on suspensions or who have been sent there to improve their behaviour.

Pearl warns that many Alternative Provisions “are unregulated and hence it is unclear how supportive these they are.”

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

EHCPs are documents that identify educational, health and social needs, and set out the extra support that children and young people, aged up to 25, should have to meet those needs.

To get a plan, an EHC assessment needs to be done by a child’s local authority. Parents and anyone who thinks a plan might be necessary can request an EHC assessment, or young people aged 16 to 25 can request one for themselves.

The local authority will use reports from a child’s school or childcare, doctors’ assessments, and letters from parents to decide whether an EHCP will be made and what will be in it.

Parents can comment on an EHCP that a local authority drafts. They can request that their child goes to a special school or college, challenge the support that the plan sets out, or question the choice of school in the plan. Parents can also challenge a local authority’s decision not to do an assessment or draft a plan.

There should be an annual review of EHCPs and how they are working for your child.

EHCPs can include things like the following:

• Personal budgets — this allows parents to have a say in how money is spent on support for their child for things like personal assistance, specialist equipment, and personal care
• Occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy
• Extra support at school, such as having one-to-one support from a teaching assistant
• Equipment and adaptation — for example, a laptop with voice control software
• Access to youth clubs and activities

The charity Scope has lots of information about EHCPs and how to apply for one.

Children don’t necessarily need an EHCP to ask for extra support in their education.

“However, EHCPs are legal documents and the support that they include must be delivered and annually reviewed, so if a child is going to need regular support from a specialist such as a speech and language therapist, an EHCP can be a way of ensuring that this is specified and funded,” Melanie says.

“Not every child will need an EHCP and getting one can be exhausting and time-consuming – but it can be a battle worth fighting. Parents can name their preferred school in the EHCP, which can enable them to access not just mainstream state schools but also more specialist provision,” she says.

How to choose the best type of education for your child

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach and the suitability will very much depend upon the child's needs and those of the family,” Pearl says.

And it “really depends on the level of support required” for your child, Melanie says.

Scope recommends looking at the following for each school:

• Whether their specialisms match your child’s needs
• Their Ofsted ratings and reports
• Their SEND policies
• If staff with specialist qualifications or SEND specialisms are available
• If group or direct support is available
• The therapies/counselling/physiotherapy available
• Their bullying and behaviour policies
• The curriculum and facilities

Think about the therapies on offer, the class size, and the peer group. Ask whether staff have experience with your child’s condition, and whether they’re open to learning more.

And it’s also worth considering the school’s culture and ethos and visiting schools in person where you can. Some schools are academically focused but may struggle to support emotional or sensory needs, while others may be more nurturing but have fewer resources to help children academically.

SEND provision in mainstream schools

The suitability of a mainstream or special school depends on the child’s needs — specialist schools may offer smaller classes and targeted therapies, while mainstream schools can combine inclusive education with extra support.

“In a mainstream setting, parents should look for a culture of inclusion and flexibility - an open-door policy, a learning needs department that is visible and often centrally located to dispel any stigma for pupils. Parents should be looking for an empathetic and approachable team with the experience and qualifications to support their child’s needs,” Melanie says.

There should be a SENCO, or Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator, who is the lead for SEND in the school. They “should ensure all staff have access to appropriate support and training,” Pearl says.

“All teachers need to understand the needs of the individual child and how they act as barriers to learning and participation, and how to help mitigate these barriers,” she says. “Every teacher needs to provide accessible, interactive, engaging learning opportunities, which are meaningful, and set achievable challenges.”

This could mean breaking tasks into smaller steps, offering alternative ways to record work, or using assistive technology.

Schools can also employ Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who can facilitate access and provide targeted one-to-one or small group support to children with SEND.

“For instance, additional phonics, reading, speech and language or motor skills development on a regular basis,” Pearl says.

What extra help can children get at school?

The extra support children can get is obviously very tailored to their individual needs.

“A high-level need may require a high level of one-to-one support. For instance, a bright child who has cerebral palsy may require an amanuensis (a scribe) or practical assistant to help capture their thoughts and ideas. A visually impaired individual may also need a practical assistant, enlarged text or specific accommodations,” Pearl says.

“A hearing-impaired individual may need a hearing loop, whereas a physically impaired individual may require a lift or movement breaks or an LSA to help with their motor programme. Individuals with dyslexia may require additional learning support to help with reading and writing... the list is endless,” she says.

And the help that children can get can change over time, too.

“Many schools adopt an assess, plan, do, review approach – evaluating a child’s possible learning challenges, planning their support, putting this into practice and then evaluating how this is working,” Melanie says.

Tips for helping a child with SEND succeed

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and teachers often struggle to understand an individual’s needs within the context of the specific subject. For instance, a child with dyslexia may also struggle in maths due to the memory element,” Pearl says. “Many teachers do not fully understand the barriers to learning, as they do not have the training as part of their initial teacher training. Parents therefore may need to push the school to understand their child's needs.”

“Parents should be the advocate for their child but work in partnership with the school and together formulate a plan of action.”

“Look for a school which is inclusive, nurturing and supportive, that has a vision for success and enabling children to achieve their potential, whilst ensuring every child is happy at school,” she says.

And finally, she says that “parents should familiarise themselves with the SEND code of practice, the Equality Act 2010, and statutory safeguarding regulations, as there are statutory duties upon schools and local authorities, and many are failing in these.”

The bigger picture: why SEND support matters

“Good class and subject teachers who work with the learning support team to put the support into practice can make a huge difference, overseeing everything from preferential seating at the front of the class to movement breaks and (for younger children) support from teaching assistants,” Melanie says.

And since nearly a fifth of the school population are children and young people with SEND, Pearl says “it is important that educationalists continue to access a range of support and training to ensure they have the skills to support individual needs.”

This will “enable children and young people to flourish and achieve their true potential to live independent and rewarding adult lives,” she says.

“Often it feels that less and less is happening” when it comes to SEND support, “due to over-stretched budgets, misunderstanding of conditions, and the huge influence of the academisation programme (in England), which often draws funding away from those who need it most.”

“The huge variability in provision often makes access to appropriate support a ‘post-code lottery.”

But if parents know their stuff and advocate for their children, they can access support that can be life changing and enable them to live an independent, fulfilling adult life.