Understanding Special Educational Needs Provision in Northern Ireland
As a primary school teacher with a leadership responsibility in SEN, I spend much of my time speaking to parents who are concerned about their child’s educational prospects. If your child has a barrier to learning, it can understandably be worrying. You want to make sure they are equipped to meet their full potential and be the best version of themself. But how can schools support children with a range of needs in busy classrooms with curriculum demands and limited budget? This series of blogs will address all of these worries, giving parents a greater understanding of the supports in place to help their children learn, grow and succeed. We will discuss:
The Stages of the SEN Code of Practice
Types of Provision in Northern Ireland
What to do when my Child is Struggling in School
Understanding the 3 Stages of the SEN Code of Practice in Northern Ireland: A Guide for Parents
In Northern Ireland, SEN provision is governed by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. This legislation outlines the rights of the child and the duties of the Board of Governors. It informs the practice in schools to support children who experience barriers to learning and seeks to help all children achieve their potential. The outworking of this is overseen by The Education Authority. They outline 3 stages to the Code of Practice (CoP), a term that you may have heard of through your child’s school. However, to parents this can be confusing. What is the CoP? How does it affect my child?
Stage 1: School Delivered Special Educational Provision. At this stage, any provision your child receives is provided by the school through their own budget. Your child will have a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) or an Individual Education Plan (IEP). It is the school’s responsibility to provide reasonable adjustments and strategies to meet the child’s needs. This may be through differentiated work, withdrawal support groups, key adult support, behaviour management strategies and other interventions. The vast majority of children with an SEN will be able to have their needs met at this stage.
Stage 2: School Delivered Special Educational Provision plus External Provision. When a child is not making adequate progress at Stage 1 or requires further help with their learning, they may be referred to other agencies from the Education Authority or the Health and Social Care Trust. These agencies will liaise with the school to implement further support and strategies to help meet the child’s needs. The child will still have a PLP or IEP maintained by the school.
Stage 3: Statement of SEN. This is a legal document which outlines the child’s special educational needs and the support required to meet these needs. If a child’s needs are not able to be met within the resources at school level and they have accessed Stage 2 provision but difficulties remain, then a Statutory Assessment may be necessary. A Statutory Assessment is a formal process where the EA will gather evidence from the school, parents and other agencies eg. Speech and Language, to determine whether or not a statement of SEN is appropriate. A statutory assessment does not guarantee a statement.
You as a parent, have an important role at every stage. Your child’s PLP or IEP should be shared with you after review and if your child has a statement of SEN, you will be invited to attend an annual review.
The stages of the Code of Practice are underpinned by a graduated response: assess - plan - do - review. In real terms, this means that in best practice, your child’s school should be routinely monitoring their progress and providing support as necessary.
What to do if I think my child needs further support?
Firstly, speak to your child’s teacher or LSC (Learning Support Coordinator)/ SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). Let them know what your concerns are and ask if they have any concerns. Your child’s teacher will be able to advise you on what support they have received through school. If your child needs statutory assessment, they can be referred through the school or a health professional. Schools can usually refer a child for statutory assessment following advice by an Educational Psychologist. However, with ever increasing budget demands, schools are allocated a limited number of psychology hours by the Education Authority. In reality, this means that although a school may have identified many children who need to be assessed by a psychologist, only one or two may actually be able to be seen. This can be frustrating for both the parents and the school. However, parents are able to make a request for statutory assessment through the Education Authority website. During this process, parents will be asked to outline the concerns they have for their child and what support their child has already received. The school and any other agencies the child is involved with will also be asked for contributions. The final decision ultimately lies with the Education Authority who will determine if statutory assessment is appropriate.
The information published in this blog was correct at the time of publishing. For more information, see the Education Authority website.