NELSON SEND OFFER

Parents questions and answers.

Question – “I think my child has Special Education Needs (SEND) what I can do?”

Answer - If you have concerns about your child’s progress:

• Have you spoken to your child’s school or setting about your concerns?
• Does your child have an Individual Plan? (ITP)

Who should you speak to in school or setting?

The first person to speak to is always your child’s class teacher or form tutor.

You might want to do this at a parent evening session or to make a separate appointment to see them. If you want to, you could ask for the meeting in writing or talk to the teacher at the end of the school day.

After you have spoken to the key worker/class teacher, they may involve another teacher in the school known as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

The SENCo has responsibility for what happens on a day-to-day basis in the school for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

The SENCo also provides professional advice to other teachers in the school to help all pupils to make progress.

Question – “Who decides if my child has SEND?”

Answer - Class teachers, supported by the senior leadership team and the SENCo should make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. These should seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances.

The school or setting should then decide if your child needs additional support. The school or setting should talk to you and your child about this.

Sometimes you may be the first to be aware that your child has some Special Educational Needs. Other times teachers will raise concerns about academic and let, you know they are concerned.

If school would like further support, they may involve outside support like Education Psychologist, or specialist teachers to support with strategies they can put in place at school.

The SENDCO may refer your child to the NHS for the “Children Development Team” to assess for further support.

Question – “What will school do? Why does it take so long?”

Answer - Generally, support for pupils with Special Educational Needs follows a ‘graduated approach’.

That means the school builds up the intensity of support if they are not responding as hoped to the work being done to increase their progress.

There are currently three graduated stages of intervention:

• Firstly, additional support provided by school, these are called Interventions.
• Secondly, additional support school, together with the advice or involvement of external agencies providing a package of support. This stage is known as SEND Support.
• Thirdly, an Education, Health and Care plan or a SEND Support Provision Plan provides assessment from a range of agencies for children and young people with complex needs.

If you have concerns over the progress your child is making, you should first talk to the class teacher or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)

If it is agreed that the pupil has Special Educational Needs, the school will assess what adaptations and additional support they can provide to meet those needs.

If this support over an agreed timescale reflects that the needs of your child cannot be fully provided for by the School or Early Years provider, the school will request support from the Local Authority or other SEND Support Services and so your child will be considered for a placement that can meet their needs more effectively. This can only happen with a EHCP as this is a statutory document.

Please see the Nelson SEND Information Report for more advice.