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 guides, resources and template letters. If you’re not sure where to find the information you need, you can also use our website search function. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please visit our services page and consider contacting our helplines to speak with one of our advisers.
Please note the law is different for children and young people detained in the criminal justice system.
These guides and resources are for families in England.
Our 'quick guides' reference tool is here to provide you with simple definitions and descriptions of some of the key terms you might come across when navigating the SEND system Read more
Special educational needs (SEN) can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn Read more
Read our information about the legal duty local authorities have to identify and assess the special educational needs of children and young people they are responsible for Read more
Read our information about how nurseries, schools and colleges should identify and support children and young people with SEN Read more
Read our information on what happens if your child does not have a school place, or cannot attend school for any reason including exclusion, illness and school anxiety Read more
Guidance on exclusions from school or college, other sanctions used by schools such as isolation, and information on the use of restrictive interventions Read more
Information on how to ask for an EHC plan, what an EHC plan should contain, how to change an existing EHC plan, and how to challenge a local authority decision Read more
Getting the right school or college setting can be very important for children and young people with SEN - learn more about the different types of schools and colleges Read more
Local authorities have particular duties towards some groups of children and young people who require home to school transport arrangements Read more
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
Download and make changes to our template letters to fit your situation Read more
Learn about your child’s rights not to be discriminated against at school, and what you can do if this has happened Read more
Information and guidance for if you need to take further action Read more
Many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will also require support from the health service and social care Read more
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
Other advice organisations, whether on SEN or another topic, that may be able to help you Read more