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Support in Education

SEN support

If a school or nursery decides your child has special educational needs they must write an SEN support plan. This plan identifies your child's needs, the action needed and planned outcomes.

Should your child's needs be severe or complex they may bypass SEN support completely and start an EHC Needs Assessment. This could lead to starting an EHC plan.

What SEN support may include

  • SEN support can take many forms, including:
  • a special learning programme for your child
  • extra help from a teacher or assistant
  • making or changing materials and equipment
  • observing your child in class or at break and keeping records
  • making sure your child has understood things by encouraging them to ask questions and to try something they find difficult
  • supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, getting around school safely, using the toilet or dressing.

Who may help provide SEN support?

SEN support could include teaching differently or help from an extra adult. Sometimes your child or young person may get help from a specialist. This may include:

  • educational psychologists
  • child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
  • specialist teachers or SEND support services – such as teachers qualified to work with specific needs such as visual impairment, deafness, communication problems, etc.
  • therapists - such as speech therapists or occupational therapists
  • support from the Early Start SEND and Inclusion Team

Reviewing the SEN support plan

The school will review the SEN support plan regularly with you and any professionals involved. The review will help identify the rate at which your child is progressing and if the amount and type of support needs to change.

Involving you and your child

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.

The information below is designed to answer the main enquiries parents and carers have. If your enquiry is not covered by this information, please contact Ealing's Family Information Service on 020 8825 5588 or children@ealing.gov.uk

Identifying needs when starting school

Before your child starts school, staff will talk to you about your child’s needs. This can happen through home visits for nursery and reception aged children, interviews for older children and parent/carer information open days.
They will also try to understand your child’s needs through your child’s previous school, childcare provider and other professionals who work with your child.
If your child has an EHC plan, their new teacher may visit your child whilst they are still at their previous school to better understand their needs and plan for the best transition to the new school; and to put into place any support needed for their needs in future. This is done by observing your child, talking to their teachers and other staff involved in their care as well as discussing their needs with you.
Once a child starts school, and as part of an ongoing process - teachers carry out regular needs assessments through:

  • working with the child in class
  • observing them in different situations e.g. during play time
  • completing tests and assessments
  • talking to parents and carers

What does it mean if my child is diagnosed with SEN?

Children have ‘special educational needs and disability’ if they have learning difficulties (SEN) or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.
The government says that children have a learning difficulty if they:

  • Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.

or

  • If they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age.


This is the definition given in the special educational needs and disability Code of Practice (2014). The Department for Education has a guide that explains how the system that supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities works.

I am worried about my child's development

All schools have SEND resources and expertise as well as access to professional development and training in specific areas of SEND. Parents/ who believe their child may have special educational needs should seek advice and guidance from their child's teacher, nursery teacher / pre-school SENCO or Headteacher.

If your child has already been diagnosed with a special educational need but you still have some concerns and questions, you should first check the support plan that has been put in place for your child. If there are any aspects you are unhappy with or you feel something has changed and the plan needs reviewing or your child needs more assessment – talk to their teacher or the SEN Coordinator at the school.

If your child already has an EHC/SEN Support Plan, you can bring up any concerns you have at the termly review meeting (if it is not urgent or if a review is due shortly).

How will my child's education be managed?

Schools hold regular meetings that include children/young people, their parents/carers and any professionals working with them.

This ensures:

  • Children and young people’s needs are identified accurately and updated as they change.
  • Desired outcomes are decided together so everyone works towards the same goal.
  • Good quality support is put in place, monitored and reviewed so that children and young people progress well and achieve their potential.

In schools and colleges, there is an expectation that all children, including those with special educational needs, receive an offer of high quality teaching. This is sometimes called ‘Wave 1’ offer or ‘Quality First Teaching’. 

What is an Individual SEN Provison Map?

An Individual SEN Provision Map says what the school, the class teacher and the SENCO plan to do to help your child learn.

All teachers should be aware that children learn in different ways. Some need to work at a slower pace to ensure they fully understand one thing before they move onto something new.

An Individual SEN Provision Map will be written especially for your child. It should include:

  • Short term targets for your child which are linked to their needs ?
  • Details of any extra support your child will get ?
  • Who will give your child help ?
  • How often your child will get help ?
  • How and when the school will look at your child’s progress again (usually at least twice a year)

It is good practice for schools to share copies of Individual SEN  Provision Maps with parents / carers.

Children thought to have special educational needs will be placed on the school’s special educational needs register.

The level of support received may change throughout their time at school. School staff will speak to you if they think this should happen and will ask you for your opinion about this.

How will my child and I be included in reviewing progress?

Teachers and teaching assistants talk and listen to children and young people and they use the information to judge how well they are progressing in school. They ask about how they like to be supported, about what is working and what is not working..Your child will be given the opportunity to talk about their needs and how they like to be supported.

Teachers should also explain to your child how additional support is going to help them learn.

A one page profile or ‘All about me’ book can be made if needed to record your child’s or young person’s feeling about their needs and how they like to be supported.

Schools also work in partnership with parents/carers and keep them informed through:

  • Parent/carer information evenings
  • Newsletters
  • Notice boards
  • School website
  • Emails or text alerts

If your child receives additional support (with or without EHC Plan) you can help by:

  • Talking to your child’s teachers – informally or through making an appointment (see school website for the SEND information report for details on how to contact the right person at your school)
  • Attending parent meetings
  • Attending termly review meetings and for children with EHC Plans - annual EHC reviews.
  • If your child is assessed formally, for example using tests, you will be informed in advance.  You will also be consulted on any additional help you child may receive during such test.

What does Ealing expect education settings to offer?

All children and young people in schools and colleges receive an offer of high quality teaching called Wave 1  or Quality First Teaching (QFT). 

What does this mean for my child?

  • Education is teacher-led and there are high expectations for children and young people to engage with their learning.
  • Lessons are highly focused with clear purpose for all learners.
  • Lessons are interactive and customized to accommodate different learning styles and pace.
  • There is an appropriate balance of questioning, modelling and explaining.
  • Learning takes place through dialogue and ongoing communication.
  • Pupils are motivated to learn through praise and positive relationships.

What if my child speaks very little English?

English as a second language is not a special educational need but your child may require additional support to ensure that better communication skills in English are developed.

If you are concerned that your child has some difficulties learning, even when using your home language - an additional assessment might be necessary. Talk to your child’s teacher or the school’s SEN Coordinator (SENCO) about your concerns.  They will carefully observe and monitor your child and assess if the learning needs are because of limited English or there are other reasons. 

Can I apply for a school place if my child is in the process of being assessed?

If your child is being assessed for Special Educational Needs, you should still apply for a school place through the mainstream admissions process. You do not have to wait until the assessment is completed before enrolling your child. You can get more advice on this from the Ealing SEN Assessment Service by calling 020 8825 6910 or by email Senas@ealing.gov.uk

Is there a different admissions process if my child has an EHC Plan?

The application process is different for children with Education, Health and Care Plans. Applications are made by the SEND Assessment Service.

You can contact Ealing SEN Assessment Service by calling 020 8825 6910 or by email Senas@ealing.gov.uk

Contact the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator)

You can contact the SENCO at your child's school  if you have any concerns about your child's learning or think they may have special educational needs. You can also speak to the SENCO if your child has already been identified as having special educational needs and is receiving SEN support. If there are any aspects you are unhappy with or you feel something has changed and the plan needs reviewing or your child needs more assessment, you can discuss this with the teacher or SENCO. 

If you are not sure who the school SENCO is, you can ask your child's school.

Building My Future, for ages 5-25

The London Borough of Ealing has been given funding by the Department of Education to develop a new early intervention service.

The Building My Future (BMF) Team will offer intensive support, working with young people:

  • Aged 5-25 years
  • Resident in Ealing
  • Who have learning difficulties (specific or general) and/or Autism / Asperger's
  • Who may not have a formal diagnosis

The young person might:

  • Have challenging behaviour
  • Be missing out on education / employment
  • Have mental health needs
  • Or might be at risk of offending / getting into trouble

The BMF Team contains a mix of professionals; each with their expertise, such as clinial and educational psychologists, social workers, occupational and speech and language therapists, youth workers and a dietician.

BMF offers early help and support to young people, their families and the schools and colleges they attend.

To find out more, visit the Building My Future information page.

Useful links and resources

IPSEA - Find out about how the local authority should help, EHC Plans, and support in education. 

MENCAP- Information on SEN support 

Gov.uk- Overview of support available to children and young people with SEN

Whole School SEND guide- A guide to making conversations with schools count for all families. 

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