Strands of action to meet SEN

There is a wide range of approaches and strategies schools can employ to support pupils. Some are resource intensive and others are not. Where positive attitudes exist towards inclusion, it is possible to successfully include the vast majority of pupils in mainstream schools. Many examples can be found in schools across the country.

Special educational needs are relative, not fixed in individuals, since they depend on the learning environment provided by the school. A special need in one class or school may not be a special need in another.

There is sometimes a tendency to assume that a pupil with a particular special need requires a particular level of resource to meet his/her needs. Such rigid thinking rarely leads to the best provision, since it is not responsive to the individual’s needs.

Commitment and creativity are the keys to success, and schools should continuously seek to develop staff, and to find new ways to meet the needs of all learners. Parents/carers and pupils should always be involved in discussion about how individual needs can be met, including the drawing up of individual education plans (IEPs).

The Code of Practice identifies four strands of action which schools can take:

• Assessment planning and review
• Grouping for teaching purposes
• Additional human resources
• Curriculum and teaching methods

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Class or subject teacher

SENCO

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