SEN (Northern Ireland)

A school’s responsibilities

The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Need details the responsibilities of schools to support SEN children and young people. A supplement to the code of practice was published in 2005.

The code of practice sets out a five stage approach to identifying and supporting children and young people with SEN:

• Stage 1: teachers identify and register a child or young person’s special educational needs and, consulting the school’s SEN co-ordinator, take initial action.
• Stage 2: the SEN co-ordinator takes lead responsibility for collecting and recording information and for co-ordinating the child or young person’s special educational provision, working with their teachers.
• Stage 3: teachers and the SEN co-ordinator are supported by specialists from outside the school.
• Stage 4: the local education authority (EA) considers the need for a statutory assessment and, if appropriate, makes a multi-disciplinary assessment.
• Stage 5: the EA considers the need for a statement of special educational needs; if appropriate, it makes a statement and arranges, monitors and reviews provision.

If a child or young person in your school is statemented, your school may be able to access funding to support them. Schools can make a request for assessment by contacting their regional EA office.

What schools and further education settings can do

• Create a whole-school environment emphasising inclusion and cooperation.
• Have high aspirations for all children and young people.
• Deliver social and emotional skills programmes which aim to build resilience:
  • With an Individual Education Plan, that builds skills step-by-step to improve success and gives children a chance to test skills out and receive encouragement and feedback.
• Develop children and young people’s understanding of difference and ensure all pupils value difference in others.
  • Inclusiveness can be developed through good quality PD&MU lessons promoting relationships and diversity.
• Support children and young people with SEN to feel accepted and to belong.
• Tackle bullying and discrimination.
• See children and young people as a whole rather than focusing just on their disability or illness.
• Be alert to early signs of escalating risk to mental healthand mobilise protective factors to prevent further escalation.
• Provide children and young people with extra support, if needed (e.g. through pastoral care/school counselling, school nurses or through referral to community-based support.