SEND Code of Practice
‘Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided. These difficulties can be age-related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Information on how to provide services for deafblind children and young people is available through the Social Care for Deafblind Children and Adults guidance published by the Department of Health (see the References section under Chapter 6 for a link). Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.’ Code of Practice, 6.34 and 6.35.
Children and young people say:
School wanted to know what helped me best and put in extra-curricular activities for me.
Listen to us, our parents and our carers. We can help you understand how to support our learning.
They did building works in order for my needs to be accommodated.
Physical Needs
Physical access to the school
Children and young people may:
- seek adult support to move around the school
- refrain from moving between areas of the school
- struggle to open doors
- require additional support to evacuate a building in case of emergency
- require physical support to negotiate the school site
Physical access to the school – tools for identification
- SIT pupil profile
- Conversation with the parent carer including whether any health professionals are involved – for example, occupational health, Paediatrician, Physiotherapist
- Sensory Processing Handbook
Physical access to the school – what can help
The view of the child or young person around how they feel has been sought in a child-friendly way. Close home/setting/parent carer links/relationship (not just ICT based) so that staff are aware of any changes in home circumstances and environmental factors that might impact on progress. Also to ensure that information is shared appropriately.
- Provide alternative areas for specific tasks to be carried out
- Allow alternative routes around the school
- Consider changing classroom locations to increase accessibility
- Consider changing door handles and handrails on steps
- Consider the use of a step to access the toilet/basin
- Consider arrangements for lunch and break times – for example, queuing earlier
- Leaving lessons early or later
- Reduce physical exertion around the school site – for example, to lockers, cloakroom pegs
- Create a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP)
Toileting and self-care
Children and young people may:
- require adult assistance with cleaning themselves occasionally
- require adult support to change their clothes
- be unable to get on and/or off the toilet
- demonstrate poor balance on the toilet
- be unable to reach the sink
- be unable to use taps/dry hands
Toileting and self-care – tools for identification of need
- School Age Fact File for ages 4 to 19, free to access
- Dressing Skills – page 62
- Fasteners – page 66
- Shoes and Socks – page 106
- Tying shoe laces – page 119
- Sensory Processing Handbook
Toileting and self-care – what can help
- Provide adaptations and commercially available equipment such as:
- installation of rails
- provision of bath steps or stools
- change taps to leavers
- provide toilet seat with arms
- toilet seat insert
- follow guidance for Personal and Intimate Care Plan
- School Age Fact File for ages 4 to 19, free to access:
- Dressing Skills – page 62
- Fasteners – page 66
- Shoes and Socks – page 106
- Tying shoe laces – page 119
Sitting and seating
Children and young people may:
- appear to be fidgeting/leaning in their chair
- appear to be distracted/taking longer to complete tasks in comparison to their peers
- complain of pain or falling off their chair
- demonstrate poor quality of work, such as poor handwriting, longer time to eat
- struggle to maintain posture throughout the school day
- struggle to sit on and get up from the chair
Sitting and seating – tools for identification of need
- Conversation with the parent carer including whether any health professionals are involved – for example, occupational health, Paediatrician, Physiotherapist
- ‘What you may see’ in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files. Please see:
- Core Stability – page 48
- Pelvic Stability – page 95
- Shoulder Stability – page 109
- Sensory Processing Handbook
Sitting and seating – what can help
- Dining area – some tables and chairs (with back rest and armrests) should be available, especially for younger children and young people
- Hall – some chairs of different heights, with backrests and some with armrests should be available
- Use of cushions such as wobble cushions or wedge cushions. Trial of a writing slope
Differentiation and modification of school day including:
- rest periods
- consider working in different areas of the classroom—allow different positions for working; high kneeling, standing etc
- consider alternative workstations to allow flexibility for work whilst sitting on the carpet or working in standing
- allowing additional time for activities
- regular mobility/movement breaks
A range of strategies can be found in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files. Please see:
- Core Stability – page 48
- Pelvic Stability – page 95
- Shoulder Stability – page 109
Handwriting and fine motor skills
Recording work
Children and young people may:
- have illegible handwriting
- be reluctant to hand write
- be unable to keep up with pace
- be unable to record ideas
Keyboard access
Children and young people may:
- be unable to type with both hands
- use single fingers
Copying from the board
Children and young people may:
- be unable to track between board and book
- be unable to record accurately
- miss information
Using tools
Children and young people may:
- have difficulties manipulating small objects – for example, beads
- have difficulties using scissors
- have difficulties using cutlery
Handwriting and fine motor skills – tools for identification of need
- Conversation with the parent carer including whether any health professionals are involved. For example, occupational health, Paediatrician, and Physiotherapist
- ‘What you may see’ in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files:
- Developing fine motor skills – page 57
- Hand Gym for the Older Child – page 71
- Handwriting – page 75f
- Scissor skills – page 102
- Bilateral integration – page 39
- Sensory Processing Handbook
Handwriting and fine motor skills – what can help
Keyboard access – what can help
- Consider an alternative mouse, keyboard or other suitable equipment and associated keyboard/touch typing software.
- Simple Changes for Pupils using Technology
- Developing Keyboard Skills
Copying from the board – what can help
- Have a handout on the desk
- Have an electronic version
- Consider where the student sits
A range of strategies can be found in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files. Please see:
- Developing fine motor skills – page 57
- Hand Gym for the Older Child – page 71
- Handwriting – page 75
- Scissor skills – page 102
- Bilateral integration – page 39
- Enlarged worksheets to account for larger/less clear handwriting
- Consider positioning of worksheets, some children and young people find tracking side to side easier than up and down
- Reduce expectations of the volume of work produced
- Allow additional time for activities involving fine motor skills
- Adapting homework tasks to reduce expectations
Coordination and mobility
Children and young people may:
- require occasional, low-level support to mobilise in the setting
- have difficulties sitting on the floor and/or getting up from the floor
- have difficulties changing positions
- struggle to coordinate movements in PE
- have falls/trips frequently in the playground
- have difficulties navigating around the classroom – for example, bumping into furniture/people
- have difficulties throwing/catching
- have poor timing and sequencing of movement
- have difficulties learning new motor skills – for example, swimming, riding a bike/trike
- have difficulties with balance
Coordination and mobility – tools for identification of need
- Conversation with the parent carer including whether any health professionals are involved. – for example, occupational health, Paediatrician, Physiotherapist
- ‘What you may see’ in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files. Please see:
- Balance – page 34
- Ball Skills – page 38
- Bilateral Integration – page 39
- Core Stability – page 48
- Flexible Joints – page 68
- Motor planning – page 86
- Pelvic Stability – page 95
- Sensory Processing Handbook
Coordination and mobility – what can help
- Whole class Wake and Shake or similar
- Regular movement breaks
- Consider a position on the floor – a dedicated spot/cushion with a firm surface to lean against
A range of strategies can be found in the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS) School Age Fact Files. Please see:
- Balance – page 34
- Ball Skills – page 38
- Bilateral Integration – page 39
- Core Stability – page 48
- Flexible Joints – page 68
- Motor planning – page 86
- Pelvic Stability – page 95
Visual Impairment
Children and young people may:
- hold reading materials very close or at an unusual angle
- adopt a poor or unusual posture when reading
- not respond to non-verbal instructions such as facial expressions
- lose their place when reading, skip lines or struggle to find text on a page
- lack confidence in group activities
- be hesitant when walking or bump/knock into things
- walk with an unusual gait
- have difficulty finding dropped items
- have a short attention span when reading or writing
- tilt their head excessively to one side, up or down
- use excessive head movements when reading
- squint or frown when looking at the board
- struggle to copy information from the board or from a peer next to them
- have poor hand/eye co-ordination
Visual impairment – tools for identification of need
- SIT pupil profile
- Conversation with the parent carers around your concerns. Check when the last eye check took place and whether any health professionals are involved such as a Consultant Ophthalmologist
Visual Impairment – what can help
The view of the child or young person around how they feel has been sought in a child-friendly way.
- Close home/setting/parent carer links/relationship (not just ICT based) so that staff are aware of any changes in home circumstances and environmental factors that might impact on progress. Also to ensure that information is shared appropriately.
- Joint working between school and family to discuss child or young person’s vision impairment
- Curriculum differentiation that takes account of individual visual needs
- Enlarging of class resources – for example, larger text on worksheets
- Use of matt laminates to reduce glare
- Removing unnecessary text on worksheets
- Ensuring good overall glare-free access levels of light
- Following medical advice about the wearing of glasses and/or occlusion (patching)
- Making applications for Exam Access Arrangements as required
- Accessing and using e-books
- Awareness and risk assessment of the impact of vision impairment for safety – for example, PE lessons, fire practice, offsite or unfamiliar visits
- Follow tips and strategies for creating an accessible environment, for ages 5 to 18, free to access
- Follow tips for working with children with a visual impairment, for ages 5 to 18, free to access
Hearing Impairment
It is important to check whether a recent hearing assessment has taken place.
Children and young people may:
- have immature grammar – for example, “me want apple”
- have immature speech sounds – for example, “ bish“ for fish, “gar” for car
- make less than expected progress in phonics
- make less than expected progress in the curriculum
- lose focus or be more often distracted in comparison to peers
- vary in response to hearing their name – for example, good if familiar voice, when close or can see you, in quiet
- not turn their head and smile, look up, and respond verbally to name
- give answers or comments which are not relevant, and show have missed information
- often asks for the repetition of instructions
- have difficulty in starting a task after instructions – for example, looking at other children and young people or asking for help
- use limited vocabulary, not pick up new curriculum words or names readily
- use non-specific language – for example, “that one” “over there” “it’s big”
- have difficulty expressing needs clearly or are difficult to understand if the context is unknown
- use gestures, show or point alongside speech to help them get the message across
- are very quiet in or withdraw from group social situations
- have issues with friendship groups and socialising with peers
- have difficulty joining in playground games or age-appropriate conversation
Hearing Impairment – tools for identification of need
- SIT pupil profile
- Conversation with the parent carers around your concerns. Ask when the child or young person last had a hearing check and if there are health professionals such as a Clinical Audiologist and/or Ear, Nose and Throat Consultant
- School staff are not expected to carry out any specialist assessments relevant to this area of need
Hearing Impairment – what can help
- The view of the child or young person around how they feel has been sought in a child-friendly way.
- Close home/setting/parent carer links/relationship (not just ICT based) so that staff are aware of any changes in home circumstances and environmental factors that might impact on progress. Also to ensure that information is shared appropriately.
- Improve the listening environment by:
- reducing background noise
- reducing reverberation (echo) by introducing soft furnishings, blinds, display boards
- ensuring electrical, plumbing and heating sources are quiet
- installing carpet, stoppers on chair and table legs, closing doors between rooms
- Consider the introduction of a soundfield system allowing all children and young people to hear well wherever they are in a class and whichever direction the teacher faces.
- All staff have ‘deaf awareness’ strategies:
- repetition of contributions from others when required
- organise class routines and seating to optimize the teacher’s voice and minimize other noise
- pupil sits close to the teacher
- the face of the teacher well well-lit
- provide visual cues alongside speech to give meaning
- access to quiet spaces to work and small group support
- Conduct a risk assessment.
- Be aware of the possible impact of hearing difficulties on safety in environments including:
- explicit teaching of fire practice
- allocate watchful adult /hand-holding
- planned fire alarms are not heard in all areas including toilet
- Make sure swimming and PE coach and supply staff are aware of hearing loss
- Consider ways to include sports at a distance, for example, instructions and demonstrations before PE games, visual ‘flag’ to start races or alert children and young people to stops and starts at a distance.
- To support children and young people with hearing aids – Top tips for caring for hearing aids at home, age 0 and above, free to access
- Consider specific strategies for children and young people with different types of hearing loss:
- strategies for supporting children and young people with unilateral hearing loss, for ages 5 to 18, free to access
- strategies for supporting children and young people with conductive hearing loss aged 5 to 18, free to access
- Supporting children and young people with Glue Ear aged 5 to 18, free to access