Around 1 in 5 school children in England have SEND. It can range from those who require small adjustments to those who require significant support for complex needs. Identifying SEND early allows everyone around your child to put in place extra support so they can reach their full potential.
This section mainly focuses on school-age children, although most will still be relevant for all SEND children and young people. We also have SEND for early years (0 to 5 years) and SEND for young people (16 to 25 years).
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, a term for children and young people (0-25 years) who have learning difficulties or disabilities making it harder for them to learn than most children their age.
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn. They can affect their:
SEND is different for every child and young person, and so is the support that is put in place to help them fulfil their potential.
SEN (Special Educational Needs) refers to any learning difficulty or disability a child has that requires extra support, while SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) is a broader term encompassing both SEN and physical/mental disabilities, even if they don't directly impact learning, covering a wider range of needs for support in education and care.
The key difference is that SEND adds "Disabilities" (D) to SEN, acknowledging that a child can have a disability without having a specific educational need, but if they need extra educational support due to a disability, they fall under SEND.
If you are concerned about your child’s learning and progress, the first thing to do is to speak your child's school or setting, or their health visitor or key worker if they have one.
There is information to help you understand what a school or setting must offer your child and the options available.
If you have spoken to your child's nursery, school or college, and you need more information or advice, there is more help available:
