Teachers (or anyone else) can who help me please....

[LynetteScavo]

Can you please explain the differnences between;

being on the SEN register,

Having an Individual Learning Plan,

School Action, and

School Action Plus.

I know I should know, but to be honest I don't.

as far as I understand it (am new senco at preschool)

register is list of all those who are on school action or above

being on school action means that school have identified additional needs, and will have written an individual education plan which will have 4 or 5 targets on for the child. child should have a review once a term, where progress is discussed with parents, teacher and senco

school action plus means externalpeple are involved, so maybe ed pysch, speech therapist, etc.

as above action plus will involve IEP, and regular reviews

oh, on action plua reviews will include all other professionals working with the child

I see, so if a child has an IEP he has Special Educational Needs, and I can presume he is on School Action.

Sorry if I seem thick, (I am!)

yes I would say so.

however, I think some places do Individual Learning plans for each child - was at a course a couple of days ago which touched on this but don't know any more detail

ie every child not just those who have additional needs.

I was once told that DS1 couldn't be SEN unless he was below average academically (which he wasn't) Is this twaddle? I presume so becuase he is near the top of his class academically but on School Action (He was on School Action Plus)

DS2 has an IEP - I knew he was on SEN already, but he he only now has an IEP. This is becuase he is learning at a slower rate than the other children in his class. Should I presume he just isn't very bright? (This isn't actually what I think)

Reading these forums makes me realise that there is huge variation in the use of these terms. If your child is on the SEN register you should be given a copy of the school's SEN policy. This should explain these terms in detail. In my school (and an increasing number of others) IEPs are rarely used as all children have individual learning targets. You should be involved in setting and helping your child work towards his targets. It is shocking that you have not been involved in discussions about your children's SEN.
There are many kinds of SEN which are not linked to intelligence or general academic ability.
Ring school and ask for a chat with the SENCO you need to ask a lot of questions so that you can help your boys.

I'd say it was twaddle to say you can't be on the SEN register unless the pupil is below average academically - what about a pupil who is highly intelligent but visually or hearing impaired??

Ay pupil on School action or action + or statemented should be on the SEN register as far as I know.

I'd say if an IEP is needed to focus on specific aspects of learning, then I assume the pupil would have been idnetified by the school (ie be on school Action) & therefore be included on the SEN register.

I'm a TA in secondary)

you're right whizz. There are also children who need other support strategies such as those with aspergers who need social groups, or those who have behaviour difficulties and need support for that.

spot on bramble, I support a pupil who has Aspergers but is top of most of his classes. The support I provide is more of a dealing with the social side, personal organisation, work planning etc. (he's far better at maths than me!!)

Thanks - thats made things a bit clearer. I just seem to be muddling through all this.

My boys are at 2 different schools, and have SEN for differnt reasons. What % of children do you think have SEN? It seems strange that both of mine have - it's not somthing I'd anticipated when they were toddlers.

Here you go: since 1999-2000 the proportion of children in special schools (around 1%), the proportion of children with SEN (around 18%), and the proportion of children with statements of SEN (around 3%) has plateaued?all within a system still based on the original 1978 Warnock framework.

If you fancy a good read about SEN try this government report - I find it fascinating (sad but true!)

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmeduski/478/47805.htm

Bramb les, M.Ed.(SEN)

Lynette, we all muddle through - if anyone had told us half of what we would be dealing with now we wouldn't have believed them.

an IEP /School Action doesn't necessarily mean they are officially on SEN register, just that they are part of a learning support programme which may be short term. This also doesn't necessairly correlate to intelligence. ie "bright" children can have dyspraxic, dyslexic or asd tendencies.

Ah, so DS2 wouldn't officially be on the SEN register, but would be talked about loosely as having Special Educational Needs as he needs (and is getting) extra support with learning to read and now has an IEP.

Which is why I haven't seen the schools SEN policy.

DS1 is on School Action (was school action plus) so that doesn't mean he is SEN then....or is he classed as SEN but not on the SEN register?

Learning support programmes which are shorter term 'boosters' which are designed to help children to catch up are called 'wave 2' interventions - things like ELS and spring board. Wave 3 interventions are those for SEN and encapsulate those at school action, action plus, etc. These are linked to IEPs or individual learning plans (some schools only have an iep from SA+, however from SA there is a duty to have trackable progress with plans which are shared with parents). Any intervention at school action is an SEN intervention and there is a duty on the school to inform parents and gain permission before these interventions are carried out. The child is placed on the register for children with additional needs at SA.

Once the child has made 'adequate progress' - ie, is closing the learning gap or is making social progress, etc, it is possible to move within the stages of the special needs graduated response. If the child is not making adequate progress over a period of reviews, then the support needed is escalated with the support of outside agencies (SA+, etc) and becomes even more individualised.

Lynette - go and talk to them! He should be on the register given that he has an iep and is on school action.

Lynette - Approximately 60% of the children in my school have Special Educational Needs and have IEPs or behaviour plans. This is much higher than levels in other schools. The school down the road from us has about 8% of children with SEN. Not sure what the average is around the country though.