What is a sen school are specialist educational settings that provide personalised learning support to learners with a range of needs. They work closely with families to ensure that learners are able to access the curriculum and achieve their potential.

It is a statutory requirement that all schools have a designated member of staff to coordinate special educational needs (SEN) provision within their school. This person is known as the SENCo. They should be available to meet with parents regularly to discuss their child’s progress and agreed outcomes. They should also be able to provide copies of reports from outside specialists and professionals who are working with the child. This helps to develop a more holistic understanding of the child’s strengths and difficulties.

What Is a SEN School? Exploring Special Educational Needs Institutions

The SENCo should be able to advise as to what interventions would best help individual children with their SEN and how they can be delivered in the classroom. This is in addition to the high-quality teaching that is provided by all teachers. It is good practice to group learners with similar SEN together, but this should not be at the expense of other pupils in the class. Providing children with the opportunity to use talk partners can be a very useful way to enable them to access peer support and rehearse their responses.

There are four broad areas of need that can be categorized as SEN: Communication and interaction – which covers issues such as speech, language, and communication difficulties. Social, emotional and mental health – which covers emotional wellbeing and behaviour, and can include anxiety and depression. Sensory and physical – which can cover a wide variety of conditions such as sight and hearing impairments.