Can a child / young person get extra support at school? (EHCP Test)

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If you think, or have been told, your child may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the first step is usually for them to recieve extra support at school or nursery. This is called SEND Support. 

Sometimes, if a child or young person's needs are severe or complex, they will move on straight to the next stage - a formal assessment by the local authority. 

How does SEND Support work?

When a school or nursery finds that a child or young person may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), they will put into place a SEND Support Plan. This plan identifies your child's needs, the action needed and planned outcomes.

Working with you:

You and your child are central to deciding what action to take, what you want it to achieve and whether it's working.

The school must:

• work closely with you and your child to identify your child's needs and support
• take into account you and your child's concerns, views, agreed outcomes and next steps
• include you in any decision to involve specialists
• share details of the support plan with you and agree a review date
• ask you and your child for your views when reviewing the SEN support plan.

Reviewing the SEND Support Plan

The school will review the SEND Support Plan regularly. The review will help identify whether your child is progressing and if the amount of support needs to change.

What could SEND Support include?

SEND Support could include teaching differently or help from an extra adult. Sometimes your child may get help from a specialist such as:

• Educational Psychologists. qualified professionals registered with the Health Care Professional Council, working within the education system and the community to promote the emotional wellbeing of children and young people
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
• Specialist Teaching and Learning Serivces or SEND Support Services.  Teachers qualified to work with specific needs such as sensory impairments, communication difficulties, or autism spectrum conditions.
• Therapists such as speech and language therapists or occupational therapists.

What happens if SEND Support is not working?

If a school or nursery find that they cannot meet the needs of a child or young person through SEND Support, they may reccomend applying for a formal Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment by the local authority. The outcome of this could be the child or young person receiving an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which specifies, in legal terms, the additional support required to meet their needs. 

For more information on EHCPs and the assessment process please click here.