Special educational needs in primary schools
All schools have a responsibility to identify children who have special educational needs and provide them with the extra support they need.
If you want to talk to someone about getting extra help for your child, you should firstly speak to the class teacher.
What help is available in schools?
Schools have a number of stages of support for children with special educational needs. The first two stages are School Action and School Action Plus. The stage that your child is at will depend on their individual learning needs. Each level of help is governed by a national code of practice.
School Action
If the school feels that your child is not making enough progress in class, school staff will provide additional support, known as School Action. This can take a variety of forms depending on your child's needs, and normally includes drawing up an individual education plan with you. This educational plan is regularly reviewed and amended to meet the changing needs of your child.
If your child has not been identified and you feel that they need special educational support then you should speak to their class teacher.
School Action Plus
If your child is still having difficulties then the school will move to the School Action Plus stage. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) at the school can ask for help from outside specialists, such as an educational psychologist or a speech therapist.
This will make sure your child receives the effective and long term support that they need. Your child's individual education plan is also reviewed and amended, based on the advice of the support services involved. Individual cases may also be submitted to the Provider Panel.
For more details on where you can turn to for help and advice go to our Parent Partnership page.