What is SEND support exactly?

Under the system for ensuring the right support plans are in place for all children with special educational needs and disabilities, schools must use a four-part process. This explained more in the SEND Code of Practice.

The SEND Code of Practice is government statutory guidance.  It supports practitioners working with children to do what the law requires them to do. Local councils – including the children’s services departments and education department – must have regard to the Code of Practice. This simply means they must consider what the Code says whenever they make decisions.

The SEND Code of Practice says the SENCO and teachers should Assess, Plan, Do and Review. At pages 100-102 (sections 6.44 to 6.56) the Code says they should:

1. Assess a child to see what help they need
2. Make a plan for how that support will help them, including what progress they expect to see,
3. Do – put this support in place, and then
4. Regularly review the situation to see if the plan is working, or whether different help is needed. And the school must provide a report at least once a year on the child’s progress.

Every school should publish on their website their SEND information report, which sets out their policy for managing and supporting pupils with SEND.