SEND Code of Practice 2015
Under the SEND code of practice, a child or young person is considered to have a Special Educational Need (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her, namely provision which is “additional to or different from” the usual provision available to other children and young people of a similar age.
Every school is required to identify and address the additional needs of the pupils that they support. Mainstream schools (including maintained and academy schools, maintained nursery schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) alternative-provision academies) must:
- Use their best endeavours to make sure that a pupil with SEND gets the support they need.
- Ensure that pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the school alongside others who do not have any additional needs.
- Schools, who teach pupils up to the age of 16 years, must designate a teacher to be responsible for the coordination of SEND provision. They are usually called the SENDCo. It is a statutory obligation for the designated teacher to complete the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination within three years of taking up the post (being replaced by the NPQSEN Qualification). This qualification must meet the National Standards and be a postgraduate level 7 qualification.
- Inform the parents/carers when they are making special education provision for a pupil.
- Prepare a SEND information report and their arrangements for admission of disabled pupils, the steps taken to prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to enable access to the school for disabled pupils and their accessibility plan showing how they plan to improve access progressively over time.
Principles underlying the SEND Code of Practice
The SEND Code of Practice describes the principles that should be observed by all professionals working with children and young people who have SEN or disabilities.
- Considering the views of children, young people and their families
- Enabling children, young people and their parents to participate in decision-making
- Collaborating with partners in education, health, and social care to provide support
- Identifying the needs of children and young people
- Making high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people
- Focusing on inclusive practices and removing barriers to learning
- Helping children and young people to prepare for adulthood