Here are some questions our parents have asked
I think my child has SEN. How can I find out about what their needs really are?
What makes you think your child has SEN? Do you feel they are not picking things up as quickly as other children the same age? The actual definition of SEN is that a child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than other children the same age. But at the same time, it is true that all children learn at different speeds and schools are very aware of how important it is to identify children who may be having difficulties with their learning.
Arrange to meet with your child's class teacher to talk through your concerns. It is a good idea to ask for meeting rather than just try to catch the teacher at the start or end of the school day when they are busy.
If you are still concerned after you have spoken to the class teacher, you could ask them to involve the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). They have responsibility for what happens on a day to day basis in the school for pupils with SEN and also provides advice to other teachers in the school to help all pupils with SEN to make progress
How can I help my child at home?
To help your child at home you should read with them on a regular basis. During reading time try to ask your child some questions about the book to make sure they have understood what they have read. Also support your child when they are doing their homework by encouraging them to use the skills they have learnt in school and work with them through concepts if they become stuck.
How will the school involve me in supporting my child’s learning?
Parents will be invited to attend meetings to discuss their son/daughters progress. These meetings will give you the chance to contribute about the current provision in place to make sure that it is still appropriate. Parents will also be invited along when meeting with professionals to discuss their child and contribute towards targets set to support their child’s education.
How do I contact staff to discuss my child?
There are a number of different ways to contact staff. You can:
My child has a statement of Special Educational Needs what does this mean?
An statement of SEN is made up of six parts:
Part 1: Personal details such as child's name, address and so on.
Part 2: A description of your child's needs, as identified during the assessment.
Part 3: The provision that the local authority will make for your child's needs; the long-term objectives to be achieved by that provision; and how short-term targets will be set and progress reviewed.
The statement will set out how many hours a week or month your child needs in terms of specific provision (eg "Two hours a week of speech and language therapy").
Part 4: Information about the school that your child will attend / arrangements that will be made in order to get the provision. (Your proposed statement will probably leave this part blank. Make sure that you inform your local authority if you have a particular school that you think would be best for your child.)
Part 5: Any non-educational needs that your child has (eg travelling to school).
Part 6: The provision that will be made to enabled your child's needs in Part 5 to be met.
The statement should include all the reports that were received by the Board during the course of the statutory assessment.
However, under the changes to SEN a statement will be replaced with the Education, Health and Care plan.