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  • Temporary changes to the law

    Temporary changes to the law

    The advice on these pages may be temporarily affected by the changes in the law due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – please see here for more information. Read more

  1. How we help
  2. Get support

Get support

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities are entitled to support with their education. Follow the links below to find out more and to access our free resources - if you can’t find the answer to your question, please visit our services page and consider booking an appointment to speak with one of our legally trained volunteers.

Temporary changes to the law

Temporary changes to the law

The advice on these pages may be temporarily affected by the changes in the law due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – please see here for more information. Read more

Published: 5th May, 2020

Author: Robert Chapman

What are special educational needs?

What are special educational needs?

Special educational needs (“SEN”) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn Read more

Published: 1st February, 2018

Updated: 21st May, 2021

Author:

How should the local authority help?

How should the local authority help?

Local authorities have legal duties to identify and assess the special educational needs of children and young people for whom they are responsible Read more

Published: 3rd November, 2017

Updated: 11th May, 2018

Author: Susan Curtis

How should your nursery, school or college help?

How should your nursery, school or college help?

Nurseries, schools and colleges have legal duties to support children and young people with SEN Read more

Published: 2nd November, 2017

Updated: 18th April, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Exclusion and children out of school

Exclusion and children out of school

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are much more likely to be out of school than their classmates. Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 6th December, 2019

Author: Robert Chapman

Education, Health and Care plans

Education, Health and Care plans

An EHC plan is a legal document which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 20th April, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Choosing a school or college

Choosing a school or college

Getting the right school or college setting can be very important for children and young people with special educational needs Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 23rd March, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Transport to school or college

Transport to school or college

Local authorities have particular duties towards some groups of children and young people who require home to school transport arrangements Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 11th May, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Young people (aged 16-25)

Young people (aged 16-25)

The Children and Families Act 2014 extends the statutory framework of support to young people with SEN up to the age of 25 Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 11th May, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Model letters

Model letters

IPSEA model letters are available to download and amend for your own purposes Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 6th May, 2022

Author: Emma Brock

SEN and disability law

SEN and disability law

There may be times when you need to refer to the law relating to children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities Read more

Published: 30th October, 2017

Updated: 23rd March, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Making a complaint or challenging a decision

Making a complaint or challenging a decision

Information and guidance for if you need to take further action Read more

Published: 1st June, 2017

Updated: 15th April, 2018

Author: Emma Brock

Health and social care

Health and social care

Many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will also require support from the health service and social care Read more

Published: 1st May, 2017

Updated: 9th April, 2021

Author: Emma Brock

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Showing 10 of 13

Latest

  • Local authorities - SEND decision making and the law: 14th September

    Local authorities - SEND decision making and the law: 14th September

    Jointly developed with the Department for Education (DfE), this workshop assists local authority decision-makers to interpret and apply the legal requirements of the Children and Families Act 2014 to key decision points

  • EHC plan masterclass - existing plans: 15th September

    EHC plan masterclass - existing plans: 15th September

    For parents and carers who already have an EHC plan in place for their child, this training looks at the information a plan should contain, through to how to achieve that through annual reviews, re-assessments and appeals to the SEND Tribunal

  • Setting children with SEND up to fail: our response to consultation on behaviour management and school exclusion

    Setting children with SEND up to fail: our response to consultation on behaviour management and school exclusion

    Treating all children fairly does not mean treating them all the same - this is our message to the Government on school behaviour policies

  • National policy priorities

    National policy priorities

    Our main priorities for national SEND policy, along with some of our recent activities in each priority area

Most read

  • Asking for an EHC needs assessment

    Asking for an EHC needs assessment

  • EHC needs assessments

    EHC needs assessments

    An EHC needs assessment is an assessment of a child or young person’s education, health and care needs

  • Making a request for an EHC needs assessment: Model letter 1

    Making a request for an EHC needs assessment: Model letter 1

  • Model letters

    Model letters

    IPSEA model letters are available to download and amend for your own purposes

  • Advice Line

    Advice Line

    Book an appointment on our Advice Line for legally based information and next step advice on any educational issue that is the result of a child’s special educational needs or disability

  • What happens in an EHC needs assessment

    What happens in an EHC needs assessment

  • Choosing a school/college with an EHC plan

    Choosing a school/college with an EHC plan

  • Contact us

    Contact us

  • The annual review process

    The annual review process

  • Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

    Appealing to the SEND Tribunal

    The SEND Tribunal is an independent national tribunal which hears parents’ and young people’s appeals against LA decisions about the special educational needs of children and young people

How you can help IPSEA

How you can help IPSEA

Have you found the information on our website helpful today? If so, please consider donating! At IPSEA, we rely on your donations and fundraising efforts to help keep our vital services running. Read more

Donate Fundraise

Published: 19th March, 2014

Updated: 11th March, 2020

Author:

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IPSEA is registered charity number 327691
Limited company 2198066

Registered office: IPSEA, 24-26 Gold Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1EJ