SEN Code of Practice


The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice gives practical guidance on the discharge of functions under Part IV of the Education Act 1996. Local Authorities, early education settings in receipt of government funding, governing bodies of maintained schools and those who help them such as health services and social services are required to comply with this Code of Practice.

There are four areas of need defined in the SEN Code of Practice:
  1. Communication and Interaction
  2. Cognition and Learning
  3. Behaviour and Emotional and Social Development
  4. Sensory and or Physical
The Code of Practice holds fundamental principles in that:
  • The special educational needs of all children will normally be met in mainstream schools and settings
  • The views of the child should be sought and taken into account
  • The role of parents is crucial to SEN provision
  • Pupils should be offered full access to a broad and balanced and relevant education
These are the levels of SEN provision:
  1. The class teacher raises concern – this may be based upon teacher observation or assessments. The teacher will try alternative strategies within the classroom and if the concern continues then the teacher will discuss the issue with the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
  2. Procedures extra to classroom teaching will be put into place and the parents should be informed. This is known as School Action (SA) and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be created. The IEP may include different learning resources, extra individual or group support.
  3. If the child continues to make little or no progress with their IEP targets then the school will seek advice from appropriate outside agencies. This then becomes School Action Plus (SA+).
  4. If the strategies followed at School Action Plus do not result in an improvement in the child’s learning or behaviour then it may be necessary to request a statutory assessment for a Statement of Educational Needs (known generally as a 'statement'). The LEA will decide if a statement is required.
  5. If a Statement of Educational Needs is issued by the LEA the school will be required to meet the needs of the child and extra funding is available in the budget for individual teaching or extra classroom support. The statement will be reviewed annually through a process known as The Annual Review.

The following pages look in detail at particular aspects of Special Educational Needs:

Important for all Special Educational Needs
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