If a parent or carer feels their child needs extra help at school, a good first step is to talk to their teacher or head teacher. Or to contact the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (known as a SENCo) for a discussion.
All mainstream schools must have a SENCo:
- They are responsible for arranging help for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Should work with subject teachers to plan and deliver support to the child.
This kind of support is called SEND support. This replaces the old categories of School Action and School Action Plus.
Contacting the local Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service to discuss about how to get extra help is also a good option. The role of IAS is to help parents/carers negotiate with the child’s school and/or the local authority to get the support needed.
The Council for Disabled Children has a search tool to help families find their local IAS service. It is available here. Children’s services and schools should also be able to provide details about how to contact the local IAS Service.