Special Educational Needs


Special Educational Needs - For Teachers And Parents


Children who are working at a level significantly below other children of the same age will be identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN). These children are entitled to extra support to help them access the same curriculum and opportunities as other children of similar age.

If a child is making slower progress or is having difficulties with something specific, they may be given extra help or different lessons to help them. This might include one-to-one help from a teacher or teaching assistant, special ‘catch-up’ work or lessons, or the chance to attend extra homework clubs or lessons in holiday time.

Don’t assume, however, that a child has SEN just because they are making slower progress or  getting some extra help. The extra support that is being given may well help the child to catch up quickly and carry on working at the same level as the rest of the class.

Parents with concerns about a child’s’ progress should talk to the class teacher, the SENCO (the person responsible for coordinating help for children with SEN) or the head teacher.

Children are defined as having Special Educational Needs when they are believed to have ‘learning difficulties or disabilities which make it harder for them to learn or access education than most other children of the same age’. Children with special needs may need additional or different help at school or at home because of physical difficulties, problems with thinking and understanding, emotional and behavioural issues or a combination of these.

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

Important for all Special Educational Needs
Copyright © 2012 Best Primary Teaching Resources