OVERVIEW
Every child has the right to a good education and to be included, valued and supported to reach their potential. For some children, learning does not come in the same way, at the same pace, or through the same routes as it does for their peers. They may find specific aspects of learning hard, they may have a broader difficulty that affects how they understand and process the world, or they may face sensory, physical, communication or emotional barriers that get in the way of learning. Supporting these children well is one of the most rewarding and important parts of working in education, and it is everyone’s responsibility — not just the job of a specialist.
This course explains what learning difficulties and disabilities are, draws the important distinction between a learning difficulty and a learning disability, and sets both within the framework that schools and settings in England actually use: special educational needs and disabilities, or SEND. You will learn about the four broad areas of SEND need, the SEND Code of Practice 2015, the difference between SEN support and an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, the graduated approach of assess–plan–do–review, and the role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), before exploring practical, inclusive teaching strategies and the reasonable adjustments required by the Equality Act 2010.
