Finance
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How are Local Authorities and schools financed for SEN?
The question of the resources available for SEN provision in schools is linked to the wider question of the level of resources available for education generally. Each year the Government sets out what it considers to be a reasonable and affordable level of spending on education. It then ensures funding to local authorities for this amount: this is distributed to individual local authorities through Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs). Each local authority must set its own education budget, taking account of local priorities.
LAs allocate resources between maintained schools in their area under schemes that must follow regulations under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. It is for each LA to devise and revise its own scheme having regard to local needs and circumstances. Schemes require budgets to be delegated to schools; once budgets are delegated, schools' governing bodies take decisions on precisely how to deploy the resources available but the budget statements that LAs are required to produce must show each school's notional budget for SEN. Regulations also require that from April 2002, LAs must publish details of the kinds of support arrangements they expect maintained schools in their areas to normally provide from their budgets under School Action and School Action Plus. LAs are also required to publish their own plans for providing appropriate SEN support - particularly under School Action Plus.
Children whose needs cannot be met out of a maintained mainstream school's budget share - that is, the child's needs cannot be met through School Action or School Action Plus - are likely to need assessment and a statement. For a child with a statement of SEN, LAs have a duty to arrange the provision specified within the statement. This means that the LA is responsible for providing the support and additional expenditure that is required, either through employing staff to provide the additional hours of support and supplying any equipment specified in the statement, or through identifying extra funding for the school educating the pupil, whether funding for statements is held centrally by the LA or the LA devolves funds to schools on an earmarked basis or delegates funds to the schools.
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School Action
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If my child is identified as having special educational needs, what happens next?
It is likely that their needs can be met in a mainstream school. The school should include you in discussions and decisions about your child and they should also try to get your child's views. It may be decided that extra help, a different way of teaching or special equipment is required. In early education settings this help is called Early Years Action and in schools it is known as School Action.
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School Action Plus
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If my child doesn't make any progress under School Action?
The class teacher or the SENCO should talk to you about getting advice from other people outside the school. This might be from a specialist teacher, an educational psychologist or a speech and language therapist. This kind of help is called Early Years Action Plus in early education settings, or School Action Plus in schools.
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SEN Support
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How do I get help for my child who seems to be struggling at school?
If the parents are unhappy with anything the school does when dealing with their child, they should talk first to the child's class teacher or subject teachers or the SENCO. They may also talk to the head teacher. They may take a friend or relative or an independent parental supporter with them. Representatives of the local parent partnership service or local voluntary organisations or parents' groups may also be able to help.
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Special Educational Needs
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What is the definition of SEN or Learning Difficulties?
The Education Act 1996 says that 'a child has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.' It also says that 'a disability, which prevents or hinders them from making use of education facilities', amounts to a learning difficulty if it calls for special educational provision to be made. Special educational provision is provision that is additional to or otherwise different from that normally available in the area to children of the same age.
The definition includes more children than those who have 'learning difficulties' in the commonly accepted sense. This is because the definition of learning difficulties in the legislation includes children who have a disability and who need something additional or different to be provided for them. So, for example, a child with a visual impairment who needs materials to be provided in an enlarged font is defined in the legislation as having a learning difficulty even if they are not behind in their learning.
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Statutory Assessment
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What happens if my child needs more help than the school can provide under SA+?
Help through School Action or School Action Plus may not enable your child to make adequate progress. You or the school can ask the local authority (LA) to carry out a Statutory Assessment of special educational needs. This will take account of specialist advice and your views as well.
If the LA decides that your child needs more help - and only around 3% of children nationally require this - it must write a 'statement' (Statement of Special Educational Needs). This describes all the child's needs and special help requirements. With the LA's support, the school can usually provide this.
The statement is reviewed annually, and you will be invited to take part in review meetings.
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