SEN (Northern Ireland)

22% of the school population in Northern Ireland are reported as having special educational needs (SEN).

ALN (Wales)

ALN, or Additional Learning Needs, is the term used in Wales for pupils who need extra support in school. A new Additional Learning Needs (ALN) system is replaced the previous Special Educational Needs (SEN) system in September 2022.

ASN (Scotland)

Additional support needs (ASN) is the term used in Scotland for children and young people with additional learning needs, the same as SEND in England or ALN in Wales.

Poverty and unemployment

Children and young people living in poverty often lack material resources which can affect what they eat, their participation in activities, the clothes they wear, family stress levels and optimism, where and how they live, and their access to proper healthcare and high-quality education.

SEND (England)

15.5% of children and young people in England have a special educational need and disability (SEND). SEND is a broad concept that is defined as children and young people who have a significant difficulty with their learning and need additional support from the school.

Showcasing activity for Ofsted

The Ofsted framework requires Ofsted inspectors to routinely assess and report on pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

Domestic violence

Domestic or family violence or abuse can be physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual. It can include any situation where someone is forced to alter their behaviour due to fear of their family member’s reaction.

Child abuse and neglect

Child maltreatment is any action causing potentially significant harm to a child or young person which often occurs within the context of relationships of power and trust. Maltreatment can be initiated by an adult or a child or young person. It can involve physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuse; neglect or exploitation.