What are special educational needs?
The term ‘special educational needs’ has a legal definition. Children with special educational needs find it harder to learn or access education than most children of the same age. They may need extra or different help from that given to other children. This extra help may be needed because of a range of needs, such as learning difficulties, physical or sensory difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties, or difficulties with speech and language. Special educational needs could mean that a child has difficulties with: • all of the work in school • reading, writing, number work or understanding information • expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying • making friends or relating to adults • behaving properly in school • organising themselves • some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school It is worth mentioning that medical needs will not, in and of themselves, lead to the issuing of a statement of special educational needs. It has to
‘Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.’ (Section 312, Education Act 1996). All children are different and learn in their own way. If your child is not making adequate progress, or if they require help that is additional to or different from the learning arrangements normally provided for all children, they may be described as having special educational needs (SEN).
If your child has a learning difficulty or a disability which is holding them back at school, they may have special educational needs (SEN). A student with SEN is a student who: • has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of pupils of their age, or • has a disability which means that they cannot make full use of the general educational facilities provided for pupils of their age. A pupil with SEN is entitled to receive full-time education that is appropriate to their needs. This applies to children and young people between the ages of two and 19. This education may be in a special school, mainstream school (see Choosing a school, under the heading Statement of needs), or somewhere else. You have the right to educate your child at home as long as the local education authority is satisfied that this meets your child’s needs. There are different rules for young people who go to further, sixth form or higher education colleges. For more information about educatio
The law says that a child has special educational needs if he or she has learning difficulties and needs special help. This help is known as special educational provision. A child has learning difficulties if he or she finds it much harder to learn than most children of the same age, or if he or she has a disability which makes it difficult to use the normal educational facilities in the area.
SEN – a definition The term ‘Special Educational Needs’, or SEN, has a legal definition. The Government’s Department for Education and Skills defines children with SEN as having ‘learning difficulties or disabilities which make it harder for them to learn or access education than most other children of the same age.’ A child with special needs may need extra or different help at school or home because of physical difficulties, problems with thinking and understanding, emotional and behavioural issues or a combination of these. However, the law says that children do not have learning difficulties just because their first language is not English. Of course, these children may have learning difficulties as well. How do schools identify children with SEN? The government has set out targets to identify what most children should be able to do when they reach certain ages. For 3-5 year olds these targets are the Early Learning Goals of the Foundation Stage of education. 5-16 year olds are ass
