1. Quality First Teaching

For your child this would mean...

• The teacher has the highest expectations for your child, as they would for all pupils in their class.
• Different teaching strategies are used, so that your child has opportunity to be fully involved in learning, e.g. practical equipment, audiobooks, pre-teaching.
• Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and identified gaps in their understanding. Additional support in the lesson would be planned for where necessary.
• Your child may have an 'IEP' (Individual Education Plan) with small-step targets to work on each day to accelerate progress.

Specific group work:

Intervention which may be...

• Run in the classroom or a separate learning space.
• Run by a teacher or a teaching assistant (TA).

2. Specialist support run by external agencies

SEN Code of Practice 2014: SEN Support

This means a pupil has been identified by the SENCO and/or class teacher as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school. Services include, but not limited to:

• Autism Outreach
• Behaviour Support Team
• SSSEN (Specialist Service for Special Educational Needs)
• Sensory Service (for students with a hearing or visual need)
• Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
• CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service)

What could happen:

• You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This specialist support will help develop further understanding into your child’s particular needs and be able to support them more effectively in school.
• The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support.

3. Specified Individual support: Inclusion Panel and EHCPs

This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.

This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching. This process can be discussed in detail with the SENCO. 

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups. 

You (as parent or guardian) can also apply for an EHCP directly to the Local Authority. Parents wishing to do this, usually take guidance and support from DIASS (Derbyshire Information Advice and Support Service for SEND). This service can advise on the law around SEND and support you through the process. Link to this service is below:

https://www.derbyshireiass.co.uk/home.aspx

For your child this would mean

• The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
• After the request has been made to a panel (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support .
• After the reports have all been sent in, the Panel will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible. If you are not happy with the outcome of this assessment, DIASS can support through an appeal process. 
• The EHC Plan will outline the outcomes your child will need support with in school, along with suggested strategies to meet these outcomes. 
• An additional adult may be used to support your child with whole class learning, run individual programmes or run small groups including your child.