Find out what support there is for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
If your child is struggling
A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which means they need special educational provisions to be made for them.
Your child might need extra support at school or college if they:
- find it harder to learn than other children their age
- have a condition which means their school or setting is not accessible to them
- struggle with social, emotional or mental health difficulties
- have sensory or physical needs
- have speech, language or communication needs, including autism
If your family is new to the country and your child has special educational needs, please
contact the school admissions team. They will help you find a mainstream school place for your child.
Help from your child's school
By law, every school and nursery must provide support for pupils with SEND. This includes state schools, academies and free schools. You can read more about the SEND code of practice by
visiting GOV.UK
Schools must contact you if they think your child has any special educational needs. Your child does not need a medical diagnosis first.
Types of support you can find at a mainstream school include:
Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)
SENCos are fully qualified teachers who are experts in making changes to the school curriculum and the classroom. They make sure that pupils with SEND are fully included and can make progress.
If your child finds it hard to learn, you should ask to speak to their school SENCo. They will be able to tell you what extra support is available.
The SENCo also maintains the SEN Register and any
funding for SEND pupils.
SEN Register
After your child's needs have been identified by the SENCo, they will be added to the SEN Register where they will receive:
- specialist support from a SENCo
- a plan to support their progress in learning
SEND graduated approach
The graduated approach allows parents and the school to get a better understanding of the child's needs and what support they need to make progress.
Teachers will work with parents to make sure that the right level of support is in place. This involves regular reviews of the child's progress, with more specialist support.
There are four stages of the approach:
- Assess - teachers, with the support of the SENCo, discuss and assess your child's current needs so that they can measure any progress.
- Plan - make a plan of specific support and provision to meet your child's needs and agree progress deadlines.
- Do - provide the extra support in the plan and measure progress.
- Review - your child's progress and decide the next steps with you and your child.
Funding for inclusion
Schools receive funding from the government each year. This includes a budget for SEND pupils to help provide things like specialist equipment and assessments.
Find out more about how SEND is funded in schools.
If your child's needs are not being met in a mainstream school, you may be able to apply for a specialist school.
Find and compare the different types of specialist schools and provisions in Leeds.
You can also find out more about early support in schools in the Leeds 3A's Strategy External link
Speak to your doctor
Often a person is identified as having SEND early on in their life. If you're worried about your child, you can speak to your doctor or a healthcare professional.
If they think your child has SEND, they will share this with our Learning Inclusion Services. We will then be able to offer you help and advice.
Support from specialist services
Your school or doctor may refer your child to one of our specialist services. They will either work with your child’s school, directly with your child or with your child and family.
More information about support from our specialist services
