For some children and young people specialist help and support may be needed to support them in school.
Specialist support is where children and young people need highly personalised and planned support and intervention, over and above ordinarily available inclusive and targeted provision, to help them make progress.
Specialist support and intervention may be needed when:
- a pupil has a life-long learning difficulty or disability, possibly across several areas of development
- a pupil has significant and persistent learning difficulties despite access to appropriate learning opportunities and support
- external expertise and advice is needed to support the school to meet the pupil’s needs.
A graduated approach to SEND support
Any specialist support planned should build on ordinarily available and targeted provision already in place, using a graduated approach.
The graduated approach is a continual cycle of ‘assess, plan, do, review’, to make sure that the support is working.
- Assess – any additional support needs should be identified by reviewing the child or young person’s strengths, difficulties and any barriers to learning
- Plan – the additional support needed should be planned (including expected outcomes, and timescales)
- Do – the planned support should be put into place
- Review – progress against identified outcomes should be reviewed
Support available to schools
Each mainstream and special school in Devon has a named Inclusion Partner from Devon’s Inclusion and Learning Service, who they can ask for help and advice on including children in their setting.
Your child school may also choose to seek additional support from a number of teams or practitioners, for example:
- Educational Psychology Service
- Specialist teachers, for example Teachers of the Deaf (ToD)
- Early help support (social care)
- Specialist teams at Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD), for example Occupational Therapists
- An EHC needs assessment may help identify a child or young person’s specific support needs
- An education, health and care (EHC) plan may be in place to provide extra care and support. The majority of children and young people with EHCPs can be well supported in mainstream schools.
Different types of school
Although most children and young people with EHCPs can be well supported in mainstream schools, some with more complex or severe needs may need more specialist provision.
This could include:
Specialist centres and resource bases
Specialist centres and resource bases support children and young people who have difficulties related to specific areas of SEND.
Special schools
There are a number special schools located across the county that cater for children and young people with severe and complex special educational needs. These schools are usually centred around one specific area of need, for example autism, or social, emotional and mental health needs.
Find out more about Devon’s maintained and academy special schools.
For more information on all the different types of schools available in Devon please see our ‘How to choose a school‘ guide.
Advice and support for parents
More information, advice and support for parents and carers is available – see our who to contact for advice and guidance page.
The duties that education settings have are set out in the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years.
You have the right to raise your concerns or complain formally if you are unhappy with the support your child or young person is receiving.