| Children
have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty,
which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
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| Children
have a learning difficulty if they: |
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a)
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have
a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of
children of the same age; or |
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b)
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have a disability which
prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities
of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools
within the area of the local education authority
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c)
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are
under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a)
or (b) above or would so do if special educational provision was not
made for them. |
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| Special
Educational Needs: Code of Practice 1:3 |
In other words, a child has
special educational needs (SEN) if s/he has learning difficulties and
needs special help, this help is known as special educational provision.
Other children may have difficulties
in some areas of schoolwork, or make slow progress at some time in their
school life. This does not necessarily mean they have a special educational
need. Often a teacher can help a child overcome difficulties by using
different ways of working and giving support.
Teachers should consider a
number of options and choose the most appropriate ways to help each child
learn, from a range of activities. This often described as 'differentiating
the curriculum'.
If the child continues to
have difficulties and does not make adequate progress your child's teacher
may decide that s/he has a special educational need and a greater level
of help is needed. As a parent/carer you should be kept informed of any
difficulties your child appears to be experiencing.
Inclusion:
The Special Needs and Disability
Act 2001 enables more children who have special educational needs to be
included successfully within mainstream education. It means that where
parents want a mainstream education for their child everything reasonably
possible should be done to provide this. Parents who want a special school
place should also have their views taken into account. The 'right' to
request a special school placement is also retained, for pupils with a
'Statement of SEN'.
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