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Home Children, families and education Somerset’s SEND Local Offer Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

Most children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) can get the support they need at their local mainstream school or setting.

Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

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Back to Somerset’s SEND Local Offer

Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

The purpose of this pathway is to ensure every child and young person in a Somerset school receives the support they are entitled to

1Statutory Special Educational Needs (SEN) information

  1. Statutory Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) information

2Understanding the Graduated Response

  1. Somerset Inclusion Tool (SIT)
  2. What is the Graduated Response?
  3. The Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle
  4. Screening and Assessment Tools as part of the APDR process
  5. Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC plans)

3Funding

  1. Funding
  2. Available funding for Special Educational Needs (SEN)

4Expectations for Teachers, Governors, SENCOs and Headteachers

  1. What different people in schools should do
  2. School Governors’ responsibilities
  3. Headteachers’ responsibilities
  4. Teachers’ responsibilities
  5. SENCos’ responsibilities

5Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

  1. Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

6Quick checkers

  1. Quick Checker – Cognition and Learning
  2. Quick Checker – Communication and Interaction
  3. Quick Checker – Sensory and Physical
  4. Quick Checker – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

7Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

Information about the four areas of need set out in the Code of Practice

  1. Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

8Cognition and Learning

  1. Universal – Cognition and Learning
  2. SEN support – Cognition and Learning
  3. How can I find out more? – Cognition and Learning

9Communication and Interaction

  1. Universal – Communication and Interaction
  2. SEN Support – Communication and Interaction
  3. How can I find out more? – Communication and Interaction

10Sensory and Physical

  1. Universal – Sensory and Physical
  2. SEN Support – Sensory and Physical
  3. How can I find out more? – Sensory and Physical

11Social, Emotional and Mental Health

  1. Universal – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
  2. SEN support – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
  3. How can I find out more? – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

12Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

  1. Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

13Supporting tools, documents and signposting

  1. Supporting tools, documents and signposting

Introduction

We have separated the next sections by the four areas of need set out in the Code of Practice.

Many learners may have needs across more than one category and certain conditions may not fall neatly into one area of need. When reviewing and managing special educational provision the four broad areas of need may be helpful as a guide to ensure you can provide support across these areas.

These areas are:

  • Cognition and learning
  • Communication and interaction
  • Sensory and physical
  • Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH)

Whilst there is a wealth of suggestions and strategies, this is not an exhaustive list of the barriers that you might see and the provisions that could be used to support children and young people.

Children and young people say:

The education was brilliant because I got all of the right help.

When I had an assessment for what would make my life at school easier, they were quite willing to put procedures in place.

There needs to be a broader and better understanding of SEND in order to give people a better experience in a mainstream school.

Last updated: October 24, 2025

Next review due: April 24, 2026

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