Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

What are Special Educational Needs?

Special educational needs are referred to as SEN. The abbreviation SEND relates to special educational needs and/or disabilities. Guidance, legislation, and regulations sometimes use the abbreviation SEND.

“A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

(a) has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

(b) has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.”

SEND Code of Practice 0 to 25 (2015)

Special educational needs can mean that a child or young person has:

• Communication and interaction needs - difficulty in expressing themselves, understanding what others are saying or difficulties socially interacting with others

• Cognition and learning needs – difficulties in learning or retaining basic skills or a specific difficulty with reading, writing, mathematics or understanding information

• Social, emotional and mental health needs – difficulties making friends or relating to adults. May be withdrawn, isolated or find regulating their behaviours challenging

• Sensory and/or physical needs –sensory impairments or difficulties such as those affecting sight or hearing, or physical difficulties which impact on their learning. Individual children or young people may have needs that cut across some or all these areas and their needs may change over time.

A child or young person may have needs in more than one area of need.

Sometimes as a parent you may be the first to be aware that your child has special educational needs. If you have any questions about SEN or you are concerned about your child's progress please speak to your child's class teacher first and/or speak to the SENCo.

Below you will find our SEND Information Report and the Special Needs and Inclusion Policy.

Useful Links and Information

The website 'Made by Dyslexia' provides lots of useful information for parents and children.  The aim of the document 'Dyslexia Best Practice Guidance' is to enable Plymouth schools to use a consistent approach to identify and support learners with dyslexia.. 

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a difficulty learning language or learning with language. Language refers to the words and expressions we use to communicate. Language can be spoken, written, or signed. So, when you’re talking, listening, reading, writing, or signing, you’re using language.  When you have DLD, it’s not as easy for you to learn language.  The website below will provide additional information.