Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

​Where can I find information about SEND?

You can find lots of useful advice about SEND on Barnet's local offer page   or on Schools, colleges and children's services : Special educational needs and disability (SEND) - detailed information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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What is SEN support?

When your child’s school identifies that they may have special educational needs, the class teacher, with the help from the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), should provide additional support.

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The school should involve you in the discussion(s) about how much support your child needs. However, the amount of support a school can provide ‘in-house’ is limited to the amount of funding that it has available to them for each child.

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If my child has SEN, do they need an EHCP?

Most children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) will have their needs met from within an education setting’s own resources.  A small number of pupils will need additional support beyond what the setting would normally be expected to provide – in which case they may be eligible for an EHC Plan.

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What is an EHCP?

EHCPs are for children with complex and life long conditions whose needs cannot be met by what is 'Ordinarily Available' and where there has been sustained and purposeful intervention at school. An EHC Plan is a legal document that describes a child's or young person's special educational, health and social care needs and the support they need to help them to get the best outcomes when they become adults.

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How does a young person get an EHCP?

A young person  will need to undergo an EHC Needs Assessment. The EHC Needs Assessment is not normally the first step in the process for helping to meet the needs of the child or young person, but should be built on co-ordinated work that is already happening between families, educational settings and any other health or social care services who are involved.

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An EHC Needs Assessment can be carried out for a child or young person between the ages of 0-25 who is in education or training.

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Who should make the request for an EHC Plan, the parent or the professional?

A child or young person’s school or setting can make a request, as can a parent.

In making its decision about whether a child or young person needs an EHC Needs assessment the local authority has to look at what support has already been provided and whether there has been any progress. If a school or setting makes the request, they will able to provide evidence of support, attainment and rate of progress.

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What is the timeline for an EHCP assessment?

The process takes 20 weeks. You find out more about statutory timescales for EHC needs assessment and EHC plan development here.

 

My child has an EHCP and is moving to a different authority. What is the process for moving schools?

If you move to a new authority, your EHCP/Statement must be transferred to the new authority which will have the same duties in law as if it had issued it. The new authority may decide to carry out its own review of the EHCP/Statement but in the meantime any provision in the EHCP/Statement must be provided. The local authority will consult with nay schools you name.

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What is an annual review?

All Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCP) and  Statements of SEN must be reviewed at least once a year. For children under 5 years the EHCP/Statement should be reviewed more frequently. 

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A meeting will be held with parents/carers, the child (if able), the local authority, the school and all the professionals involved, to discuss the child’s progress over the previous 12 months and consider whether amendments need to be made to the child’s EHCP/Statement. For children with an EHCP, the review will also focus on the Outcome and Targets section of the ECHP and decide whether or not they need to be changed.

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