Last updated:
18th April 2024
Support in school or college
How mainstream schools and colleges support pupils with SEND
All mainstream schools and colleges must have help in place to support a child or young person with SEND. This is called special education needs (SEN) support.
SEN support allows a child or a young person to learn and make progress alongside other children of the same age.
SEN support may include:
- extra help from a teacher or a learning support assistant
- a special learning programme for your child
- working with your child in a small group
- helping your child to take part in group activities
- supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, getting around school, toileting, or dressing
Our Ordinarily Available Provision document describes the support we expect mainstream schools to provide.
You can find out more about SEN support at your child’s school by looking at the SEN information report on their website.
SEN Information Report
Every school must publish a SEN information report that describes:
- how they identify children with SEND
- the support they provide for children with additional needs or SEND
- the arrangements they have in place for children with disabilities
- they support the transition to primary school
Colleges are also expected to publish how they support children and young people who need extra support.
To find a school or college’s website, search for schools and colleges on GOV.UK.
Contact the school or college if you need help finding their SEN information report.
Who to speak to about support
If you feel your child or young person needs more support, start by talking to their teacher. It can help to write down a list of things you want to talk about. This could include:
- your child or young person’s views about what is going well or not so well
- particular things your child would like help with
- things you have noticed at home
- things the teacher has noticed at school
- how you can work together to help your child or young person
Your child’s teacher can also refer you to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). They can work with you to plan support for your child.
How a SENCO can help
Every school has a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). They are qualified teachers who are trained to identify children with special educational needs (SEN) and make sure they get all the help they need.
They support with:
- resources to help with individual needs
- speaking with parents to make sure children are receiving the right help for them
- speaking with providers outside of school, for example, a specialist teacher, a health professional or an outreach worker from a specialist setting
Extra help for your child
Schools can access services to help support children and young people with SEND.
Support from our Learning Support Service
Our Learning Support Service (LSS) is a team of specialist teachers with additional qualifications and experience in working with children with difficulties in literacy and numeracy.
The service is available to mainstream primary schools in Wokingham Borough and offers advice, training and guidance.
Find out how mainstream schools can access the Learning Support Service.
Support from outreach services
Some of our specialist school settings offer an outreach service to other mainstream schools in Wokingham Borough. Schools can access advice, training and guidance to help them support children and young people with SEND.
If your child gets SEN support and it is not enough
Your child may need an education, health and social care plan (EHCP) if they need more support than is available through SEN support.
An EHCP sets out a child or young person's special educational, health and social needs and how those needs should be met.
Find out more about what an EHCP is, who they are for, when they can help and how to request an assessment.
Support for children and young people with medical conditions
Your child or young person’s school or college must meet their medical needs.
They do not need an EHCP to have their medical needs met.
Schools must make sure all children with medical conditions are:
- supported so that they can play a full and active role in school life
- remain healthy
- achieve their goals
They must also support children who have been off for a long time when they return to school.
As soon as you know that your child has a medical condition, you need to talk to their school so that they can provide the necessary support. The school may suggest putting in place an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP).
This can help everyone understand what medical needs your child or young person has and how these needs will be met. Children and young people should be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and their IHP.
School anxiety
If your child is anxious to go to school, there are people you can speak to. Find out more about help with school anxiety.
Staying in school after Year 11
All young people must continue in education or training until they are 18.
If you decide to stay in full-time education and go to college or sixth form, you can still get the support you need.
Find more information on how you can go to college or what support you could get while you study on:
