Key Takeaways
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Special Educational Needs — often written as SEN or SEND (which adds Disability) — is a legal term used in England and Wales to describe a child or young person who has a learning difficulty or disability that makes it significantly harder for them to learn than most children their age. This includes a wide range of conditions affecting how a child thinks, communicates, moves, or regulates their emotions. SEN is not a single category; it's an umbrella term covering many different needs.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, schools in England have a statutory duty to identify and support pupils with SEND. The framework is overseen by the local authority and guided by the SEND Code of Practice.
What SEN Actually Covers
Many parents first encounter the term SEN when a teacher mentions it at a parents' evening, often without much explanation. The reality is that SEN covers four broad areas of need, as set out in the SEND Code of Practice:
- Communication and interaction — including speech and language difficulties, autism spectrum conditions, and selective mutism.
- Cognition and learning — covering dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and moderate or severe learning difficulties.
- Social, emotional, and mental health — such as ADHD, anxiety that significantly affects learning, or attachment difficulties.
- Sensory and physical needs — including visual or hearing impairments, or physical conditions that affect access to learning.
A child may have needs that span more than one of these areas. What matters is not a formal diagnosis (though one may be sought) but whether the child requires support beyond what is ordinarily available to all pupils.
SEN Support vs. EHCP: A Key Distinction
Most children with SEN receive what's called 'SEN Support' — help arranged and funded by the school within its own resources. An EHCP is a separate, higher-level document issued by the local authority for children with more complex needs. Having SEN Support does not automatically lead to an EHCP, and an EHCP is not always necessary or appropriate. The two operate as different tiers of the same system.
For context, assessing whether a child has SEN is separate from assessing their academic performance through school tests. If you're trying to make sense of your child's results alongside their needs, our plain-English guide to primary assessments can help.
How Schools Identify and Respond to SEN
Schools are required to follow a graduated approach, meaning support is introduced in stages rather than all at once. This process is often described as Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
- Assess: The class teacher or SENCO gathers information about the child's difficulties through observation, assessments, and conversations with parents.
- Plan: Targets are set and a support plan is created — sometimes called a Pupil Passport or SEN Support Plan — outlining what will be done and who is responsible.
- Do: Agreed strategies are put in place. This might include in-class adaptations, small-group sessions, or specialist input.
- Review: Progress is evaluated regularly, and the plan is adjusted accordingly.
Every mainstream school in England must have a designated SENCO. This is the person to contact if you have concerns about your child's learning. You don't need a referral or a diagnosis to start that conversation.
17.3%
Pupils in England with identified SEN
According to the UK Department for Education's 2023 SEND data release, approximately 1.6 million pupils in England were identified as having special educational needs.
4 in 5
Children with SEN in mainstream schools
The majority of children identified with SEN in England are educated in mainstream schools, according to DfE statistics, receiving support rather than attending specialist provision.
20 weeks
Statutory timeframe for EHC assessment
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities in England must complete an EHC needs assessment and issue a final plan within 20 weeks of receiving a request.
When an EHCP Is Needed
For most children, school-based SEN support is sufficient. However, when a child's needs are significant and ongoing support has not produced enough progress, parents or the school can request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment from the local authority.
If the local authority agrees that an assessment is appropriate, they gather evidence from the school, health professionals, and parents. If the assessment shows the child needs more than school-based support can provide, an EHCP is issued. This document legally specifies:
- The child's strengths and areas of need
- The outcomes the plan aims to achieve
- The provision that must be made — including hours of specialist support
- The educational setting (mainstream, specialist unit, or special school)
EHCPs are reviewed annually, and parents can request a review at any time. If you disagree with an EHCP decision, you have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal, an independent body. Local authorities are also required to provide access to an impartial Information, Advice and Support Service, which can guide you through the process at no cost.
Before Your First SENCO Meeting
Write down specific examples of what you've noticed at home — not just general concerns, but concrete situations. For example: 'She cries before most school mornings' or 'He can't follow instructions that have more than two steps.' Specific observations help the SENCO match your experience to what teachers are seeing in class, and they make it easier to build an accurate picture of your child's needs.
Working Effectively With Your Child's School
Navigating SEN can feel daunting, but parents who engage early and maintain open communication with school staff tend to report better outcomes for their children. A few practical principles can help:
- Keep a paper trail. Record meetings, requests, and decisions in writing — even a follow-up email summarising what was discussed is valuable.
- Ask for clarity. Schools use a lot of acronyms. It is entirely reasonable to ask what any term means and how it applies to your child specifically.
- Know your rights. You have the right to be involved in decisions about your child's SEN provision and to see any plans that are created.
- Seek independent support if needed. If conversations with school feel difficult, your local RIAS (Information, Advice and Support Service) can provide free, impartial guidance.
If your child's needs are being considered around a key transition — such as moving from primary to secondary school — timing matters. Our guide to the primary-to-secondary transition covers what to expect and how SEN support should transfer between settings.
Some families also weigh whether mainstream schooling is the right fit for a child with complex needs. Our comparison of home education and mainstream school outlines the factors families typically consider.