SEN Support in Mainstream Schools
See 'Understanding SEND Support', information co-produced with parent carer groups in Autumn 2025.
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What is SEN support?
Every child with Special Educational Needs (SEN) should have SEN support. This means help that is additional to or different from the support generally given to other children of the same age.
The purpose of SEN support is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school. Schools should involve parents in this process.
Every school must publish an SEN information report about the SEN provision the school makes. You can find this on the school’s website. You can also ask your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator for information on the SEN provision made by the school.
Information about funding for SEN support can be found in the SENDIASS Manchester Information Resource: Funding for SEN Support in Mainstream Schools.
SEN support can take many forms, including:
- a special learning programme for your child
- extra help from a teacher or a learning support assistant
- making or changing materials and equipment
- working with your child in a small group
- observing your child in class or at break and keeping records
- helping your child to take part in the class activities
- making sure your child has understood things by encouraging them to ask questions and to try something they find difficult
- helping other children work with your child, or play with them at break time
- supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, getting around school safely, toileting or dressing.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:
- achieve their best
- become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
- make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training
(Section 6.1)
Emotional Barriers to School Attendance: Manchester’s Guidance for Prevention and Early Intervention
The Emotional Barriers to School Attendance (EBSA) guidance and toolkit replaces the ABSA (Anxiety Based School Avoidance) guidance that has been in place since 2020
The 'Emotional Barriers to School Attendance: Manchester’s Guidance for Prevention and Early Intervention' document is the result of a co-production between Manchester Local Authority, One Education Educational Psychology Service, Parents, Health, as well as schools, colleges and provisions across Manchester.
The work has drawn heavily from recent research and learning in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emotional Barriers to School Attendance is a broad umbrella term used to describe a range of factors that can cause a child or young person to have a strong emotional reaction to school. It often results in prolonged absences from school. The term includes children who may have good attendance but struggle to fully engage, and who may mask underlying difficulties in order to ‘fit in’.
The guidance aims to support early identification, intervention and prevention of EBSA. It has a particular focus on the evidence-based link between neurodivergence and attendance difficulties.
The main document defines EBSA, reviews the research, and gives an overview of the factors that impact on school attendance and engagement
There are a wealth of resources and information to support schools to improve their whole school approach to prevention of EBSA, including audit tools and suggestions for reasonable adjustments.
The Planning for Change Toolkit is a ‘hands-on’, easy-to -use tool to help staff follow the assess, plan, do review process. It helps professionals to identify underlying needs relating to EBSA and to plan support.
Although aimed at schools, the document can be used by different professionals and parents, and anyone who may benefit from the information and resources available.
The duties on schools to make SEN provision
The SEND Code of Practice says all schools must:
- Use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SEN
- Ensure that children and young people with SEN engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN
- Designate a teacher to be responsible for coordinating SEN provision – the SEN coordinator, or SENCO.
- Inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child
- Publish an SEN information report and their arrangements for the admission of disabled children, the steps being taken to prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to enable access to the school for disabled children and their accessibility plan showing how they plan to improve access progressively over time
(Section 6.2)
The SEND Code of Practice says:
Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place.
(Section 6.44)
Who decides what SEN support my child has?
The SEND Code of Practice says:
Class and subject teachers, supported by the senior leadership team, should make regular assessments of progress for all pupils. These should seek to identify pupils making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances. (Section 6.17)
The school should then decide if your child needs SEN support. The school should talk to you and your child about this. If a young person is 16 or older the school should involve them directly.
Sometimes you may be the first to be aware that your child has some special educational needs. If you think your child may need SEN support or you're worried about their progress, you should talk to your child’s teacher or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
If you are not happy about the support your child has you can ask to talk to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator or headteacher. If you are still concerned you can contact SENDIAS Manchester
A Graduated Approach
SEN support should arise from a four- part cycle, known as the graduated approach, whereby earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised, leading to a growing understanding of your child’s needs, and of what supports your child making good progress and achieving good outcomes
A graduated approach is based on four steps. These include:
- Assess
- Plan
- Do
- Review
If your child needs additional support in school, Manchester City Council has produced guidance about the different levels of support schools should be providing to meet your child's needs. Click here for the Matching Provision to Need Tools.
The Manchester Ordinarily Available Provision for Early Years Document
The Manchester Ordinarily Available Provision document describes the range of support, strategies and activities, that is available in early years settings, to young children with additional needs without the need for a formal diagnosis or specialist support: what is available as part of the basic good practice in the setting. The overarching approach is one of inclusion: a good Early Years practitioner teaches a child from wherever they are on their developmental journey, and this includes those who may have additional needs.
It has been developed in collaboration with Early Years professionals, practitioners, health colleagues, parents, Information Advice and Support Officers and educational psychologists, and was facilitated by Philippa Stobbs and Chris Webb from the Council for Disabled Children.
The document must be read in the context of the SEND Code of Practice and alongside the Manchester Matching Provision to Need Tool 0 – 5yrs. It complements the Early Years Framework, Early years foundation stage profile and Development Matters.
Manchester Primary Ordinarily Available Provision
The Manchester Primary Ordinarily Available Provision document describes the range of support, strategies, and activities, that easily available in schools, to children with additional needs without the need for a formal diagnosis or specialist support: what is available as part of the basic good practice in the school.
The overarching approach is one of inclusion: a good teacher teaches a child from wherever they are on their developmental journey, and this includes those who may have additional needs. What works for children with emerging and/or additional needs works for all children: Quality First Teaching.
This guidance has been developed in collaboration with a range of education and health professionals,(speech and language, occupational and physiotherapy), teachers, SENCOs Head Teachers, Manchester Parent Carer Forum, Parent Champions, Sensory Support Service, Lancasterian Outreach and Inclusion Service (LOIS), Bridgelea Outreach, RHOSEY, SEND IASS (Information Advice and Support Officers) and educational psychologists, and was the next step from the ALS (Action Learning Set) facilitated by Philippa Stobbs and Chris Webb from the Council for Disabled Children in 2019/20.
The document must be read in the context of the SEND (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities) Code of Practice and the Statutory Framework. It sits alongside the Manchester Matching Provision to Need Tool and follows on from the EY Ordinarily Available Provision. Teachers and senior leaders are expected to use this document to support children with emerging and additional needs in their schools.
It describes the different types of support that should be available for all children across all primary phases. It is not an exhaustive list, but it provides samples of best practice while signposting to sources of further information and support. This guidance will be a valuable resource for parents and carers of children with additional needs. Essential supplementary sources of information are included at the end of the document.
Parents can seek free, independent, advice and support from a wider range of services including SENDIASS.
Asses, Plan, Do, Review
Assess
Teaching staff should work with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator to assess your child’s needs, so that they give the right support. They should involve you in this and, where possible, seek your child’s views.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
Schools should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent.
(Section 6.45)
Sometimes schools will seek advice from a specialist teacher or a health professional. They should talk to you about this first.
Plan
If the school decides that your child needs SEN support it must tell you. The school should talk with you about the outcomes that will be set, what help will be provided and agree a date for progress to be reviewed.
Do
Your child’s class or subject teacher is usually responsible for the work that is done with your child, and should work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved. The school should tell you who is responsible for the support your child receives.
All those who work with your child should be made aware of:
Their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.
(Section 6.49)
Review
The school should review your child’s progress, and the difference that the help your child has been given has made, on the date agreed in the plan. You and your child should be involved in the review and in planning the next step.
The SEND Code of Practice says:
Schools should meet with parents at least three times a year
(Section 6.65)
Sometimes it helps to involve other professionals in further assessment or to support planning the next steps. If your child has not made reasonable progress it will be important to agree with the school what should happen next.
You and the school can look at the SEND Local Offer to see what support is available that could help achieve your child’s outcomes.
Where can I get more information, advice or support?
You can find out more about SEN Support by:
- looking at the SEN Information Report on the school website
- talking to your child’s teacher or the Special Educational Needs Coordinator
- looking at the Local Offer
- reading Chapter 6 of the SEN Code of Practice
You can also get in touch with SENDIASS Manchester who can give you:
- information about SEN support, including information about SEN funding
- advice about what to do if you are not happy with the support your school is providing
- information about other organisations, support groups and information services that could help
- information and advice about your rights to request an EHC needs assessment.
SENDIASS Manchester - Contact our Confidential Helpline: 0161 209 8356 or email: sendiass@manchester.gov.uk.