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SEND Local Offer - Special educational needs (SEN) support

Nottinghamshire

Find information on support for children and young people with special educational needs or SEN.

We also have this information in easy read format, download Support for special educational needs: Easy Read [PDF]

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What are special educational needs?

Children learn at different rates and so a child may experience learning difficulties at some point in their time at school. This is not unusual. For most children the difficulties are temporary and are soon overcome with help and encouragement from home and school.

The terms 'special educational needs', or SEN, is used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for children to learn compared to most children of the same age.

Children with SEN are likely to need extra or different help from that given to other children their age.

The four main types of SEN are:

  • Thinking, understanding and learning – A child may find all learning difficult or have difficulties with specific activities such as reading or spelling. A child may have trouble understanding instructions and carrying out tasks or may have memory difficulties.
  • Social, emotional and mental health – Children and young people with these needs may find it challenging to manage their emotions, build relationships or handle social situations. Conditions such as anxiety, depression or ADHD can contribute to these difficulties.
  • Speech, language and communication – A child may have difficulty expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying to them.
  • Physical or sensory impairments – A child may have hearing or vision loss. A child may have difficulty with sensory processing, being under or over-sensitive. They may have a medical condition which affects them physically.

Support in the classroom and the graduated approach

All schools have to follow a broad and balanced curriculum. Children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best.

Teachers are expected to use different materials and activities to suit the children they teach. This is known as 'differentiation'.

Some children may have difficulties in particular subject areas or at particular times in their school life. Differentiation can help support them at these times.

Decisions about what level of help a child should get are based on the progress they are making and what help they are getting already.

If you have concerns about difficulties that your child may be having, speak to their class teacher.

The graduated approach to SEN support

Children who continue to face challenges in their learning, despite receiving high-quality teaching and use of differentiation, may need additional strategies, or different provision, in order to meet their needs.

This is known as special educational needs (SEN) support.

SEN support is delivered as a four-part cycle, also known as the graduated approach.

The four parts are:

  1. Assess - using day-to-day information to look at the progress a child is making and consider any barriers that may be getting in the way.
  2. Plan - involves discussing, planning and agreeing what will be put in place. The planning should involve the child, parents and staff from the school who know the child well. Other professionals working with the child, should also contribute to planning.
  3. Do - It is the responsibility of class and subject teachers to implement the plan on a day-to-day basis.
  4. Review - This is an opportunity to look at the support plan, to consider how successfully the support is meeting the needs of the child and to make adjustments where necessary.

The assess, plan, do, review process is a continual cycle. For some, if the review shows a child has made really good progress, this may mean they no longer require the additional SEN support and provision. For others, the assess, plan, do, review cycle will continue.

Special educational needs (SEN) support

If a child has identified SEN, the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) will work with the parent and class teacher to plan what to do. This could be a special programme of work, access to particular equipment, time with a teaching assistant or teacher individually or in a group.

A SEN support plan is written, such as a provision map or Individual Education Plan (IEP), which shows the support that is ‘additional to or different from’ what other children need.

The plan shows the targets your child will be working on and any extra support arranged. This should be discussed with you and with your child, and be reviewed at an agreed date, often termly.

At times, school staff may need support to further understand and meet a child's needs. This might include:

  • receiving training
  • asking for advice from SENCOs in other schools
  • asking for advice from external education professionals, e.g. specialist teachers or Educational Psychologists
  • asking for advice from health or social care professionals who are involved, for example, speech and language therapists.

All mainstream schools in Nottinghamshire have access to additional funding and support, advice and guidance from specialist teams who can support schools to provide the best provision for pupils with SEN.

Parents and carers can also download a summary of special educational needs support in Nottinghamshire.

Download, SEN support in mainstream schools: A summary for parents and carers [PDF]

Each mainstream school will have it's own website where you can find a copy of the school SEN information report, which includes details of the support they offer to children and young people with special educational needs.

Funding for special educational needs

All mainstream schools in Nottinghamshire are expected to provide support to pupils with special educational needs or disabilities from the resources delegated to them as part of their school budget.

For children and young people whose needs exceed that level of funding, schools are able to apply for additional funding.

Schools in Nottinghamshire work in groups called ‘Families of schools’. The schools work together to share expertise and continue to develop their professional skills in working with and supporting children with SEN.

School settings can:

  • fund additional support from the school budget
  • request Additional Family Needs (AFN) funding, which is held by the ‘Family of Schools’. All decisions about AFN funding are agreed using specific criteria. This is called ‘moderation’
  • request High Level Needs (HLN) funding from the Local Authority, if the ‘Family of Schools’ agree that the child’s level of need is particularly complex.

Download, High needs funding for Nottinghamshire mainstream schools (Nottinghamshire County Council) [PDF]

Further information:


How to get extra help for your child

If you are a parent or carer and are worried about how your child is getting on at school, start by talking to their class teacher or form tutor. They may share your concerns and you can discuss how to help your child make progress, what extra help can be offered and whether some additional advice is needed.

You can also ask to speak to the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) – the teacher who has day to day responsibility for special educational needs support in schools.

Every mainstream school has a SENCO. Often it helps to ask for a meeting with the SENCO so you can explain your concerns and discuss what action the school will take.

It is a good idea to put things in writing and keep a record of all your contacts with the school.

The headteacher and governing board have overall responsibility for making sure children get a good education, including children with special educational needs.

Who can I speak to for advice?

Ask Us Nottinghamshire is a service which offers free impartial and confidential information, advice and support for parents and carers of children or young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Their support includes:

  • finding a suitable school for your child
  • understanding the different ways the school will support your child
  • building and maintaining a good working relationship with school staff
  • being fully involved in decisions made about your child’s education
  • resolving problematic situations.

You can contact Ask Us if you are the parent of a child with SEND, or if you are a young person up to the age 25 years looking for support.

Go to their website to get in touch or further information on the support they offer.

Visit the Ask Us Nottinghamshire website

Education support services

SEND Inclusion Service

The SEND Inclusion Service comprises of specialist teachers and teaching assistants with additional qualifications and experience in working with children and young people with a range of special educational needs aged 0 to 19 years.

Specialist Teachers and Teaching Assistants work with children and young people with a range of complex SEN in the home for pre-school children, or early years settings.

They then provide support to schools for children and young people of statutory age in mainstream education, where the schools are seeking advice, guidance and/or training on making provision to address those complex needs. This includes support for children and young people who are autistic, have learning difficulties or who are deaf and/or have a visual impairment.

For further information, go to the SEND Inclusion Service directory listing

Search for services and support

The SEND Local Offer contains details of voluntary, charitable and private organisations as well as some Nottinghamshire County Council Services that are available to offer educational advice, information and support.

Find details of services and supports in Nottinghamshire on our Education services and support directory listing

Education, health and care (EHC) plans

What is an EHC plan?

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is a legal document which describes:

  • a child or young person’s (age 0 to 25 years) special educational needs
  • the support they need
  • the outcomes they would like to achieve.

The special educational provision described in an EHC plan must be provided by the child or young person’s local authority. This means an EHC plan can give a child or young person extra educational support. It can also give parents and young people more choice about which school or other setting the child or young person can attend.

An EHC plan can only be issued after a child or young person has gone through the process of an education, health and care needs assessment.

The Council for Disabled Children helps explain what an EHC plan is and who it's for in this 3-minute YouTube video:

Does my child need an EHC plan to meet their special educational needs?

Not necessarily. Schools have a duty to identify children with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities and put support in place for them, using a graduated approach.

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is part of the graduated approach.

If after a child or young person has been receiving a high level of SEN support and is still not making satisfactory progress, the local authority may be asked to complete an EHC needs assessment.

An assessment may also be undertaken where there is some uncertainty about the difficulties that the child or young person is experiencing so it is clear on the support that is required.

Following an EHC needs assessment, the decision may be made to issue an EHC plan.

This EHC plan formally sets out the:

  • child or young person’s areas of need
  • targets and outcomes to support them moving forward
  • resources required in order to help them achieve those outcomes.

Most children and young people with special educational needs, including those with EHC plans, will have their needs meet in local mainstream settings.

Where the special educational needs or disabilities of the child or young person are very complex, then following consultation, some children and young people may receive their education in more specialist provision.

How do I find out further information?

For more about EHC plans, including the assessment process and how to apply, go to Education, health and care (EHC) plans

Children not in school

There may be many reasons whilst a children may not be attending school.

This may be due to:

  • health reasons
  • home education
  • difficulties with identifying a school place
  • exclusions.

Read more, including support that is available, on the Children not in school page

Youth justice and SEN education

In Nottinghamshire the Youth Justice Service (YJS) have a dedicated education team, who pick up anything that relates to education for young people in the youth justice system. The team includes advisors in education, training and employment.

When young people enter the YJS they are assessed using screening tools to identify speech, language, communication and neuro-disability needs. Those identified with high needs are referred for further assessment to the Speech and Language Therapy Service.

Contact for youth justice and SEN education

Junior Wright
Senior Practitioner Education, Training and Employment Coordinator
Telephone: 0115 9774597
Email: junior.wright@nottscc.gov.uk

Disagreements and complaints

Wherever possible issues and disagreements should be discussed and resolved at the earliest opportunity, which may be an informal chat with a teacher.

Schools, colleges and services will have their own published policies and/or guidance for addressing complaints and disagreements.

However, there may be instances where a more formal opportunity for meeting with those involved in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, helped by a neutral third party, is required. This meeting would include the parents and carers and may also involve the children and young people themselves.

For further information go to our SEND Local Offer Disagreements and complaints page

Last updated: 24 March 2026