CHOOSING & APPLYING


P


arents of children with special educational needs (SEN) often have to fight to get the necessary support. When moving to a new school in a new location, the process becomes even more challenging.


While the UK government recognises the challenges and has updated its system of support in England, the situation for families moving overseas is more uncertain, with little regulation and consistency of integrated support in some international schools.


SEN PROVISION IN THE UK


The UK government considers children to have SEN if they have a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.


All state schools in England are required by law to ensure that help is provided for children with SEN, and every local authority in England has a responsibility to support the children living in its area. However, the system of support available for children with SEN through local authorities is, by their own admission, complex. Teachers, health workers and social care workers often work separately to meet the particular needs of the child. Parents very often have to battle to confirm that their child even requires extra help and to be provided with a coordinated education and health plan – that is, an official record of the specific needs and requirements of the individual child. It can take years for parents to get an acceptable level of provision, so for them to up sticks and start again will be a not- insignificant task. Not surprisingly, the ability to get the right support can be a dealbreaker for these families when it comes to accepting a new assignment. In an attempt to make the process easier, the UK government has introduced a single assessment process for education, health and care, which results in what is known as the EHC Plan for children and young people (25 and under) who have SEN. An EHC Plan can only be issued after a child or young person has gone through the process of EHC Needs Assessment.


The Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families,


Edward Timpson, announced in January 2017 that an extra £60 million of funding would be made available to “help embed the reforms made to the system of support for SEN and continue the support for the groups who have been instrumental in bringing about the progress seen to date”.


BEST PRACTICE


It is important that the parents of a child who is currently receiving assistance in a mainstream school have documentation of everything that is being provided, to enable the new school and authority to make similar provision. A visit and an interview with the headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) will also be indispensable. For example, at Marymount International School, an independent girls’ school in London, the director of specialist learning Provision, Sandra Forrest, is always included, at the earliest possible stage, in the admission of students who may need SEN support.


“I work very closely with families before they even enrol at Marymount,” says Ms Forrest. “They send the relevant documentation to me when they apply, and I write a report for the headmistress and the admissions director outlining exactly what the student requires in the way of support, and whether or not we can provide that support. If they enrol and are accepted, an IEP [Individualised Education Plan] is developed in conjunction with the families before the student starts school, and is sent to teachers before the student enters their class.” In some cases, though, a mainstream school, no matter how well intentioned, will not suit the child’s needs, and parents will need to investigate a school specialising in the provision of education and care for children with specific learning difficulties, and to cope with the particularly demanding emotional and social issues that can arise. Cavendish Education, a group of five coeducational day and boarding schools in England, aims to challenge the


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