Your child's education
Most children with additional needs and/or disabilities attend a mainstream school in their local community where they get the support they need.
School staff and professionals all work together to make sure pupils can achieve their academic potential.
A small percentage of children will require more specialist provision. There is an overview of provision below, but you can find details of specific Surrey schools in the Surrey schools directory.
In this section:
- Mainstream school
- Support in school - Ordinarily Available Provision
- Ordinarily Available Provision guidance for schools
- Monitoring support in school
- Disabled children and young people
- Children and young people with medical conditions
- Special Education Provision
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
- Specialist education and alternative learning
- Surrey's Alternative learning
Mainstream school
All mainstream schools are expected to provide a range of support for children with identified additional needs. The support will be at the level the child needs when they need it. This will be stepped up over time as needed. This is called the graduated approach.
Any child who is defined as 'disabled' under the Equality Act 2010 has a right to reasonable adjustments. These are the changes the school must make for example, changes to the building or access arrangements. You can read more about this in the section about Education and below. Your child does not need a diagnosis to be supported in school.
Support in school - Ordinarily Available Provision
All children in state funded mainstream schools will receive 'Ordinarily Available Provision.' This provision is everything that the school offers to all of the children on roll, for example the staff, teaching, building and equipment.
It includes High-Quality Teaching which is tailored to the different needs of all of the children in the class. It also includes other adaptations and additional support for children with additional needs and/or disabilities. Sometimes additional support is referred to as SEN Support.
Adaptations and support will be provided through a variety of ways, for example: assistive technology, individual or small group teaching, or in-class support.
The majority of children and young people with additional needs or disabilities go to their nearest mainstream school and are supported through what is ordinarily available to all children.
Ordinarily Available Provision guidance for schools
The guidance has lots of ideas school staff can use to help children with additional needs and/or disabilities. It includes High Quality Teaching and additional support.
It is a tool for school staff, but anyone can access it. It should help families and schools develop the right support at the right time.
Support will be based on the child's needs. They don't need a diagnosis or any formal plan, such as an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to receive this level of support in school.
School staff will think about what works in their school and with the specific child. All learners are different so not all of the ideas will work with all children. They will ask parents/carers and the child/young person what they think too.
Monitoring support in school
If your child has additional support, the school should monitor this. They will usually do this through a document known as a SEND Support Arrangements document or Individual Support Plan. Sometimes they have a different name for this, but they all record the support and progress.
Schools use a four-part approach; Assess, Plan, Do, Review:
Disabled children and young people
Some children may have a disability that does not impact on their ability to learn. It is only where this disability has an impact on their ability to learn that they may have special educational needs.
They still have a right to have their needs met. A school must by law make accommodations for disabled students, including reasonable adjustments to make the setting accessible.
Reasonable adjustments are the changes a school can make for disabled people to make the service or environment accessible for them. They could be things like:
- getting notes or information in advance of classes
- alternative formats for learning materials (e.g., large print, audio or braille)
- equipment or aids, such as British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters, scribes, or specialist
computer equipment - one-to-one support
- accessible rooms and venues, such as having a quiet space
Your child does not need a statutory plan to have reasonable adjustments made. Anyone can ask for adjustments if they need them. But to have legal rights to reasonable adjustments, your child will need to be defined as 'disabled' under the Equality Act 2010. This usually means how the condition affects them, not what their condition is.
What you can do
Your first step is to speak to the expert member of staff, for example the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO), disability adviser or exams officer. Explain:
- what the needs are
- how they impact your child
- what adjustments may help
If needed, the school can explain its local policies and procedures. You can ask the school to:
- make changes or adaptations to the way things are done, for example to make an exception to a rule or practice
- provide extra aids or services, e.g., extra staff assistance, a BSL interpreter, specialist equipment like an induction loop or an adapted keyboard.
Children and young people with medical conditions
Your child's school has a legal responsibility to make necessary arrangements or adjustments to meet your child's health needs.
Your child does not need an EHCP to have their medical needs met. You can find out more about the support your child should receive in the medical conditions and education page.
As soon as you know your child has a long-term illness or medical condition, you need to talk to their school to get the necessary support. Medical needs do not usually mean a child has educational needs. If the medical need has an impact on the child's ability to learn, however, they may have special educational needs.
The school may suggest putting in place an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP). See the section on heath for more information on this.
Special Education Provision
Although most children will have their needs met within what is ordinarily available, a minority of children may need additional support above this. This could be provided through an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
More than 95% of children had their needs met within ordinarily available provision in 2021/22.
Less than 5% of students in Surrey had an EHCP in 2021/22.
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Where there is evidence, the child may require more support than is ordinarily available, an Education, Health and Care needs assessment may be required.
The education setting, parent/carer or young person can request this assessment. More information about this is available in the EHC section.
The assessment is a detailed look at a child or young person's additional needs and/or disabilities and the support that will help them learn. Surrey County Council is responsible for carrying out EHC needs assessments in Surrey.
The assessment may result in an EHCP being issued for your child, but it will not always lead to this. Instead, your child's school may be able to use the information gathered to meet their needs without one.
Important:
A child does not need a diagnosis to have an EHC needs assessment.
Most children/young people with an EHCP go to mainstream schools.
Having an EHCP does not automatically mean your child will go to a specialist school, it depends on the individual child's situation.
If an EHCP is issued, you and your child/young person can express a preference for where they are educated.
A small number of children and young people will attend a specialist school.
Below is an overview of the types of specialist provision we have in Surrey.
You'll find more information on the EHC needs assessment page.
SEND Case Officers carry out comprehensive casework and oversight of a children and young people with EHC Plans in place, or who are going through assessment. If your child is going through assessment or already has an EHCP your Case Officer will be able to provide you with information and guidance.
Specialist education and alternative learning
Our specialist schools and specialist centres meet a wide range of learning needs. In addition to core curriculum subjects, learning is structured to help children acquire personal, social and other skills important for secondary school and later life.
Specialist centres or bases at mainstream schools
These are suited to some children who benefit from learning and socialising for part of the time in a mainstream school, but who are unable to progress satisfactorily without the more personalised teaching and learning in small groups provided in a specialist centre in a mainstream school.
Careful attention is given to making sure children receive the necessary help and support outside the classroom as well as inside. This includes unstructured periods, such as lunchtimes and breaks in the school timetable, as well as participation in organised visits, sports, leisure and after school activities.
A child must have an EHCP to access support in a specialist centre or base.
Our specialist centres cater for different kinds of needs including:
- Learning and additional needs (LAN)
- Sensory impairment (SI)
- Social communication and interaction needs, including Autism Spectrum Condition
- Speech and language needs
- Specialist schools
Sometimes a child or young person has complex or high needs that require special arrangements throughout the school day. In this case, the best choice may be a specialist school that caters exclusively for children with specific additional needs or disabilities.
There are more than 20 special schools and special academies (which we call maintained schools or academies) in Surrey.
A special or specialist school is "specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with SEN."
Different schools cater for different needs and the teaching will be tailored to the pupils' individual needs and abilities.
A child must have an EHCP to access support in a specialist school.
You can find details of Surrey schools that cater for special educational needs in the Surrey schools directory.
Independent and non-maintained special schools
Independent schools (also known as private schools or fee-paying schools) charge for pupils to attend instead of being funded by the government.
Pupils who go to an independent or private school don't have to follow the national curriculum.
Non-maintained special schools are usually run by charities rather than a local authority such as Surrey County Council. They must:
- be non-profit making
- operate to a level at least equivalent to state maintained special schools
Independent schools approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act. All private schools must be registered with the government and are inspected regularly.
The Department for Education has a list of registered Independent Schools and colleges for pupils with special educational needs approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act.
Surrey's Alternative learning
Some children in Surrey, particularly those at risk of exclusion and those missing education, may need extra support from us. We provide this through these alternative learning services.
They are usually provided for a short specific period before a child is reintegrated to school.
Access to Education (A2E)
A2E provides a flexible, short-term education service. It is for pupils who cannot attend school through exceptional circumstances such as medical reasons and permanent exclusions.
It offers teaching, emotional, behavioural and social development work, mentoring and access to virtual learning online resources.
Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)
PRUs are educational settings for children who are excluded, sick or otherwise unable to attend a mainstream or special maintained school.
Surrey Online School (SOS)
SOS provides a range of live, in real time, online lessons, delivered by qualified and experienced teachers. The lessons provide an opportunity to access and fill any gaps in learning for children and young people that are unable to attend school full time. SOS is provided via a referral by your child's school or Surrey County Council services.
Education Other than at School (EOTAS)
Some children or young people cannot be educated in a formal educational setting. This can be for lots of different reasons, for example health. In a small number of cases, it may be necessary for the child/young person to receive education outside of a formal education setting. It means the child or young person would not be on roll at a school or post 16 institution and the special educational provision could happen at home or could be at another setting, which is not a registered educational setting.
It can only be agreed with the Council via an EHC needs assessment, a reassessment of needs or at the EHCP annual review. It means the child or young person would not be on roll at a school or educational setting. The special educational provision could happen at home or could be at another setting, which is not a registered educational setting.
EOTAS is different from elective home education (EHE). If you choose to home educate, parents are responsible for making their own suitable arrangements for the child's educational provision, see the Elective Home Education page for more information.
Some examples of types of EOTAS are:
- Online schooling
- Tuition at home or tuition centres
- Hospital schooling
The Council must consider a request from the parent/carer and decide if EOTAS is appropriate. This decision will be based on evidence that EOTAS is necessary as it would be inappropriate for the provision to be made in an educational setting such as a school or post 16 institution.
If you are considering requesting EOTAS please discuss this with your child's SENCo and your SEND Case Officer.
For more information, see the Elective Home Education page
Elective Home Education (EHE) is when a parent/carer chooses not to send their child to school and instead decides to educate them at home.
You must still make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of five, but you do not have to follow the national curriculum. You have to pay all costs, such as textbooks and exam fees.
It is your decision whether to educate your child out of school and you should not be placed under pressure by school to do this. If you feel this is happening, please contact your SEND Case Officer, SEND Advice Surrey or L-SPA for advice.
If your child attends a special school but you choose to home educate, you must write to Surrey County Council (not the school) to get its agreement to remove your child from the school roll.
If your child is at any other type of school, you must inform the school.
If you are considering EHE you can find more information on the government website:
Personal Budgets
A personal budget is an amount of money identified by the Council to deliver provision set out in an EHC Plan where the parent or young person is involved in securing that provision.
The 'Local Offer' sets out what is available from education, health, and social care to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including those who do not have EHC Plans.