Support in education

What is SEND

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) describes a wide range of difficulties or disabilities that can affect how a child or young person learns, develops, or takes part in education. These needs may relate to:

communication
learning and thinking skills
social interaction
behaviour or emotional wellbeing
physical access or sensory differences

Some children require additional or different support to take part in school life and make progress at a pace that is right for them.

What are special educational needs (SEN)?

A child or young person has SEN if:

they have a learning difficulty or disability that makes learning harder than for most children their age, and
they need special educational provision that is additional to or different from what is usually available in mainstream settings.

This definition is set out in the SEND Code of Practice (0–25).

What is a disability?

Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long‑term negative impact on daily activities.

This may include:

sensory impairments
mobility difficulties
chronic medical conditions
neurodevelopmental conditions

A child may have SEN, a disability, or both.

SEND areas of need

1. Communication and interaction

Includes:

autism spectrum conditions
speech, language and communication needs

Children may find it difficult to:

understand and use language
express themselves
interact socially

2. Cognition and learning

Affects how pupils:

learn
process information
retain knowledge
apply learning

Examples:

dyslexia
dyscalculia
global developmental delay
moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties

3. Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH)

Children may experience:

anxiety
emotional regulation difficulties
low mood
behavioural challenges
ADHD

4. Sensory and/or physical needs