The school says your child is on "SEN Support." They've mentioned something about a graduated approach. The SENCO has had a meeting with you. But nothing seems to have actually changed.
If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. SEN Support is the most common level of additional help for children with special educational needs. About 13% of pupils in England are on it. But what it actually looks like in practice varies enormously from school to school.
Here's what SEN Support is supposed to involve, and what you can do if your school isn't delivering.
What is SEN Support?
SEN Support is the first tier of help for children with special educational needs. It's what schools are expected to provide from their own resources, without needing an EHCP from the local authority.
The SEND Code of Practice (paragraph 6.44) describes it as support that is "additional to or different from" what's normally available to all pupils. It's not just sitting at the back of the class with a teaching assistant. It should be targeted, planned, and reviewed regularly.
Every mainstream school in England has a legal duty under Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify and support children with SEN. This applies whether or not the child has a diagnosis, and whether or not the parents have asked for help.
The graduated approach
SEN Support follows a four-stage cycle called the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review. This isn't optional. It's the framework the SEND Code of Practice requires.
The cycle repeats. If one approach isn't working, the plan should be adjusted. If several cycles of support haven't produced progress, that's evidence the school's resources may not be enough, and an EHCP assessment should be considered.
You should be involved in every stage of this cycle. If the school is making decisions about your child's support without consulting you, that's not following the Code of Practice.
What SEN Support can include
Schools have more flexibility than many parents realise. SEN Support can include:
- Adapted teaching - modified tasks, visual timetables, simplified instructions, extra processing time
- Small group work - targeted literacy or numeracy groups, social skills sessions
- 1:1 support - individual help from a teaching assistant for specific tasks or times of day
- Specialist programmes - phonics catch-up, speech and language programmes, emotional regulation strategies
- Environmental adjustments - seating position, sensory breaks, quiet space access, movement breaks
- External professional input - the school can refer to speech therapists, occupational therapists, or educational psychologists without an EHCP
SEN Support should change how your child experiences school, not just label them. If nothing feels different after your child is placed on SEN Support, ask the SENCO what's actually changed.
The SENCO's role
Every mainstream school must have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). The SENCO is responsible for:
- Coordinating support for all children with SEN
- Advising class teachers on strategies and interventions
- Managing the assess-plan-do-review cycle
- Meeting with parents to discuss progress
- Liaising with external professionals
- Maintaining the SEN register
The SENCO should be your main point of contact. In many schools, the SENCO is a senior member of staff. In some smaller schools, the headteacher acts as SENCO.
Ask for a meeting with the SENCO at least once per term. You're entitled to know what support is in place, whether it's working, and what the plan is if it isn't. Don't wait for the school to invite you.
What the school must record
When your child is on SEN Support, the school should maintain:
- A record of your child's SEN needs (the SEN register entry)
- The support plan or provision map showing what's in place
- Evidence of the graduated approach being followed (assess-plan-do-review records)
- Notes from meetings with you
- Progress data showing whether interventions are working
You have the right to see these records. If the school can't show you evidence of the graduated approach being followed, they may not be meeting their legal duties.
When SEN Support isn't enough
SEN Support works well for many children. But for some, it's not enough. Signs that your child may need more than SEN Support:
- Progress has plateaued despite multiple cycles of intervention
- Support requires specialist provision the school can't fund from its own budget (such as a dedicated 1:1 support worker or specialist therapy)
- Multiple professionals are involved and the school can't coordinate effectively
- Your child needs a specialist placement that requires an EHCP
- The school is willing but overstretched, and your child keeps falling through the gaps
If any of these apply, it may be time to request an EHC needs assessment.
The £6,000 myth
You might hear the school or LA say "we haven't used up the £6,000 yet" when you ask about an EHCP. This refers to the notional SEN budget, which is funding allocated to every school for SEN provision.
This is not a legal threshold. There is no requirement to spend £6,000 before requesting an EHCP assessment. The £6,000 figure is a funding mechanism, not an eligibility criterion. IPSEA and the SEND Tribunal have confirmed this repeatedly.
If anyone tells you otherwise, they're wrong.
Getting help
Your local SENDIASS can attend school meetings with you, help you understand what support should be in place, and advise if the school isn't meeting its duties.
IPSEA has free legal advice on school duties and SEN Support, including what to do if the school isn't following the graduated approach.
Contact provides guides on education support for disabled children and can help you understand your rights.
How our free tool can help
The AI assistant at SEND Parents Help can help you understand what SEN Support should look like for your child's specific needs, check whether the school is following the graduated approach correctly, and advise on when to escalate to an EHCP request.
Know what to expect
SEN Support should be active, not passive. It should change what happens in the classroom, not just add your child to a list. And it should be reviewed regularly, with you involved at every stage.
If your child is on SEN Support and things aren't improving, ask the SENCO three questions: What exactly is in place? How do you know if it's working? What's the plan if it isn't?
Those questions are your starting point. The answers will tell you everything you need to know.
Sources and further reading
Legislation and official guidance
- Children and Families Act 2014, Part 3 (school duties for children with SEN)
- SEND Code of Practice, Chapter 6 (schools' SEN duties and the graduated approach)
- School SEN information report requirements (what schools must publish about SEN provision)