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.