A child with special educational needs will have a learning difficulty and or disability. This will make it harder for then to learn then other children of the same age. A child with special educational needs may need extra support or help that is different to that given to other children. 

The special educational needs code of practices say:

• Children with special educational needs may need extra help because of a range of needs, such as in thinking and understanding, physical or sensory difficulties with speech and language or how they relate to and behave with other people.
  
• Under the special educational needs code of practice a child is not considered to have a learning difficulty just because their first language is not English. However some of these children may have learning difficulties.

Pre-School
If your child has not started school but you are concerned that they may have special educational needs there are several services that may be able offer support and advice:

• Your health visitor
• Doctor
• Social worker
• Pre–school or nursery group
• Portage
• Educational Psychology Service

School
If you have any concerns about your child’s progress in school or their early education setting you should talk to your child’s:

• Class teacher or tutor
• Schools Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)  
• Headteacher

You should be able to discuss any concerns that you have about your child with them. The questions you may what to ask are: 

• Does the school thinks your child has any difficulties
• What level is your child working at and is this the same level as other children of a similar age
• Is your child already getting any extra help from the school or other organisations that come into school
• Will the school put support in place following the meeting
• How can you help your child at home

It is important that you work together with your child’s school to deal with any worries and problems. 

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice gives guidance to early education settings, state schools, local authorities and other services/organisations, that help to indentify, assess and provide support for children with special educational needs.  

A school must take into account the SEN Code of Practice when writing their SEN polices. All schools should have an SEN policy, which will outline how they will help children with special educational needs. Your child’s school should give you a copy of this policy if you ask for it. 

Every school has a teacher who is responsible for children with special educational needs in the school. These teachers are called Special Educational Needs Co-coordinators (SENCO). Early educations setting in Wakefield have the support of an area SENCO. The area SENCO is a teacher who’s responsible for supporting early year’s settings to help children with special educational needs.

When it has been decided that your child has special educational needs, it is important that the help and support your child receives is right for them and their needs. To ensure this happens early education settings and schools use a graduated approach called Early Years Action (School Action for those of statutory school age) and Early Years Action Plus (School Action Plus for those of statutory school age). The support a child could receive includes:

• Teaching certain things in a different way (differentiation/modification)
• Extra adult help
• Working in a small group
• Use of particular equipment

Your child may receive support through the graduated approach for only a short time or a number of years, depending on their needs. 

An early education setting or school should talk with you if they think your child has special educational needs.  They should discuss with you if they feel different or extra help is needed. This is called early year’s action or school action.

The SENCO should include you in any discussions about your child and the help they receive. They will also keep you informed about your child’s progress.

Your child’s school will write down the actions that they feel will help your child in an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) or their own method of monitoring & recording targets and actions.  The IEP should say:-

• What help is to be given
• How often your child will receive help
• Who will provide the help
• What the targets are
• How and when your child’s progress with be checked

A school must review the targets or IEP a minimum of twice a year, it maybe reviewed more depending on your child’s needs.

Your child’s class teacher or the school SENCO should discuss the IEP with you. You should also be involved in the review process and setting of any new targets for the IEP in person or by consultation.  Your child’s teacher should also discuss the IEP with your child if this is possible.

Sometimes a school or early education setting will decide not to write an IEP, but they should still record how they are meeting you child’s needs. The school should still be able to tell you:

• How they are helping your child
• What progress they are making and 
• Why they have not written an IEP

Early year’s action or school action will continue until it is no longer needed or it is felt your child may need addional support at early years action plus or school action plus.  IEP’s are no longer statutory, so long as school can evidence their own methods. 

If your child is still not making enough progress in school, the class teacher or SENCO should talk to you about seeking advice and support from external support services. The school may seek advice and support from a:

• Specialist Teacher
• Educational Psychologist
• Speech and Language Therapist (SALT)
• Health Professional

This support is known as Early Years Action Plus or School Action Plus. The SENCO will write a new IEP or its own target setting/monitoring plans based on the additional advice that the school has received. 

You should be included in any discussions regarding how best to support your child. Any IEP will continue to be reviewed a minimum of twice a year.

Early Years Action Plus and School Action Plus will continue until it is no longer needed or if it is decided that your child requires more help, as they still do not seem to be making enough progress or no progress over a sustained period of time.