Securing the right education for adopted children with SEN

October 2024

IPSEA supports children and young people in England with all kinds of special educational needs (SEN), including those who have been adopted. To mark National Adoption Week 2024, Kate, a member of our Legal Team and an adoptive parent, has written this article highlighting some common challenges faced by adopted children in education. She also explains the support available and offers practical advice on how to secure the right education for your child.

Common challenges 

Research and government statistics show that compared to their classmates adopted children and young people:  

  • routinely feel confused and worried at school
  • are more likely to be excluded, and
  • are less likely to leave school with higher GCSEs. 

This needs to change. 

Sadly, many adopters have had to fiercely champion and advocate for their children’s rights since day one and getting the right education in place may feel like yet another challenge to overcome – but change can happen, and IPSEA is here to support you with this. 

Does my child have SEN? 

Research by Adoption UK shows that adopted children are more likely to have SEN than their classmates.

This includes social, emotional, and mental health needs and developmental and neurological conditions, although they may also have other needs. You are probably all too well aware that all these needs can, and often do, create barriers to learning.  

So, what can parents do? Firstly, know what the law and guidance says about needs. Important statutory guidance called the SEND Code of Practice sets out 4 broad areas of needs:  

  • social, emotional, and mental health needs (for example attachment difficulties, anxiety, or depression) 

  • communication and interaction needs (for example finding social interaction difficult) 

  • cognition and learning needs (for example difficulties with focus or dyslexia), and 

  • sensory and/ or physical needs (for example sensory processing difficulties or hearing impairments). 

Developmental trauma, for example, can lead to a child facing barriers to learning across all 4 areas of need, and maybe more (such as independence).  

Maybe your child is experiencing a wide range of challenges but doesn’t have any formal diagnoses in place, and you’ve been told support can’t be accessed without one. This is a myth.

Your child does not need a diagnosis for support to be put in place.  

Now let’s look at what support your child is legally entitled to, and how you can make sure they receive it. 

Support from nursery, school or college 

If your child or young person has SEN, goes to a mainstream setting and doesn’t have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, they should be supported from the setting’s own resources and the setting must do everything it can to support your child’s SEN. If not, you can take action. You can raise your concerns with their setting. You can also ask for an EHC needs assessment. 

Your child or young person may also need help in exams, and their setting should be making sure they receive it. Talk to the SENCO if you think for example extra time, a computer, or a person to read or write for your child is needed. 

Support from your local authority 

Maybe your child’s nursery, school or college doesn’t fully understand your child’s needs, as can be the case with a SEN profile different to others in their class or school.

Maybe school has excluded your child or keeps issuing detentions. Or maybe their setting understands their SEN but isn’t able (or willing) to put the right support in place.

If this sounds familiar to you, consider asking for an EHC needs assessment. You can do this at any time - use our template letter to help you. You can also ask their school or college to do this for you, if you prefer. If your child’s setting makes the request, ask it to act quickly and provide you with a copy of it, so you know the request has been made.

What is an EHC needs assessment? Well, it involves a wide range of professionals providing information on your child’s needs, support, and expected outcomes. It is the first step in getting an EHC plan.

EHC plans are important legal documents giving a number of rights and place legal duties on local authorities (LAs) and health bodies. Once EHC plans are issued, the support must be put in place straight away – no ifs, buts or maybes.  

Changing the narrative

The statistics highlighted above need not be the case. Schools and LAs can, and must, make sure the right support for your child or young person is put in place.  

Your child is legally entitled to an education which meets their needs, and with this in place, they can reach their potential and thrive. 

If you need help on any of the topics raised in this blog, please get in touch and get support.  

Our website also contains information on a wide range of SEN-related topics including school anxiety, transport, exclusions, disability discrimination, and much more. 

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