Training materials for teachers of learners with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he
or she:

• Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
• Has a disability which prevents or hinders him
  or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream
  post-16 institutions.

A child under compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she is likely to be within subsection (2) when of compulsory school age (or would be likely, if no special educational provision were made).

A child or young person does not have a learning difficulty or disability solely because the language (or form of language) in which he or she is or will be taught is different from a language (or form of language) which is or has been spoken at home.

(Children and Families Act 2014)

Teachers are at the heart of the new 'SEN support' system. They are supported by the strategic role of the SENCO, with strong leadership from headteachers and governors.

A SENCO's role includes:

• Jointly determining the strategic development of special educational needs policy and provision, and establishing a clear picture of total available special educational needs resources;
• Operationalising special educational needs policy across the school;
• Working closely with and providing professional support and guidance to colleagues and parents;

• Coordinating specific special educational needs provision for individual pupils;
• Working with the class or subject teacher (and collaborating with specialists and parents) to assess for special educational needs, develop evidence-based interventions and monitor progress towards agreed outcomes;
• Ensuring parents are informed of any special educational provision made for their child;
• Working closely with the Designated Teacher for 'looked after' children;
• Being aware of provision in the Local Offer.

(Department for Education, 2014)

Getting the right education for children/young
people with special educational needs/disabilities is a matter of recognising individuality and providing personalised, timely and appropriate responses.

Whether this is provided within a special school or through inclusion in a mainstream setting, or a combination of both, should be determined by the needs and wishes of each child/young person and their family, not a presumption based on their ‘category’ of disability.

On the next page, Harvey's dad Simon talks about the diagnosis and treatment of his son's deafness.

Although Harvey is now 14 years old, and a diagnosis of his deafness was made early, his family still finds that educational support for hearing and language has been disappointing. In other words, although early identification is important, so is a timely and appropriate response.