How SEN is identified and assessed in education

What 'Special Educational Needs' are

The SEND Code of Practice (2014) describes Special Educational Needs (SEN) as:

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

  • Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
  • Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions

Some children and young people that have SEN may also have a disability.

The Equality Act 2010 defines this as:

A physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities

Not all children with a disability have Special Educational Needs.