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SEND Code of Practice: Key Points Explained

Rosanna Killick

Written by: Rosanna Killick

Reviewed by: Holly Barrow

Published

SEND Code of Practice Key Points Explained

Contents

  1. 1. Key Takeaways
  2. 2. What Is the SEND Code of Practice?
  3. 3. The Four Areas of Need
  4. 4. What Are Teachers Responsible For Under the Code?
  5. 5. The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review
  6. 6. Working with the SENCO and Support Staff
  7. 7. Involving Parents and Pupils
  8. 8. What Does 'Reasonable Adjustment' Mean in Practice?
  9. 9. EHCPs and SEN Support: What's the Difference?
  10. 10. Frequently Asked Questions
  11. 11. Final Thoughts
  12. 12. References

When you’re juggling planning lessons, marking, and managing behaviour in the classroom, it’s easy to wonder if you’re doing enough for your pupils – especially those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 

Knowing that you have legal responsibilities, particularly if you’re not quite sure what they are, can make this even more overwhelming.

While the SEND Code of Practice tells you everything you need to know, its almost 300-page length makes it difficult to know what the key points are.

That’s why we’ve broken down what the SEND Code of Practice is, what it means for you, and how to apply it effectively. With this guide, you’ll be able to meet SEND expectations confidently and compliantly.

Key Takeaways

  • The SEND Code of Practice is a statutory document that all schools in England must have regard to

  • As a classroom teacher, you are responsible and accountable for the progress of all pupils in your class

  • You should apply these principles using a graduated approach with four stages of action: assess, plan, do, review

  • Keep in mind that the profile for every child with SEND is different, and their needs may change over time

What Is the SEND Code of Practice?

The SEND Code of Practice is statutory guidance on the SEND system. All schools in England must follow it, unless they have good reason not to. It outlines legal requirements and best practices for supporting children and young people (ages 0-25) with SEND.

Central to the SEND Code of Practice is the idea that all children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education: one that best suits their needs, promotes high standards, and allows them to fulfil their potential.

The Four Areas of Need

The SEND Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of need which are outlined in the table below:

Need

Meaning

Who it Includes

Classroom Example

1. Communication and interaction

Difficulties with speech, language, communication, imagination or social interaction

Those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

A Year 3 pupil who is strong academically, but does not understand the social rules of communication

2. Cognition and learning

Learning at a slower pace that one’s peers, even with appropriate differentiation

Those with moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) or specific learning difficulties (SpLD) like dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia

A Year 8 pupil who is working at a Year 5-level across most subjects, despite high-quality teaching and targeted interventions

3. Social, emotional and mental health

Difficulties with emotions or behaviour, typically manifesting as becoming withdrawn or isolated, or displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour

Those with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, medically unexplained physical symptoms, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), attachment disorder, and those who self-harm or misuse substances

A Year 6 pupil who becomes physically aggressive towards peers and members of staff

4. Sensory and/or physical needs

Requiring special educational provision due to a disability that prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided 

Those with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), multi-sensory impairment (MSI) or a physical disability (PD)

A Year 10 pupil who requires large-print handouts

What Are Teachers Responsible For Under the Code?

The code stipulates that you are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all pupils in your class – including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.

You’re also responsible for the following:

  • Identifying need

    • Recognise when a pupil is not progressing as you would expect

    • Raise your concerns with your Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)

  • High-quality teaching

    • Have high ambitions and set stretching targets for your pupils 

    • Offer differentiated and personalised learning to meet the needs of each pupil

  • Monitoring progress

    • Track your pupil’s progress towards the learning goals you set for them

    • Use your own knowledge of the pupil alongside regular assessments to determine whether additional support is needed

  • Working collaboratively

    • Work with the pupil, SENCO, support staff and external specialists

    • Inform parents when you are making special educational provision for their child

The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review

The graduated approach is a four-stage cycle that helps you systematically identify and address SEND needs. The four stages are outlined in the table below:

Stage

What it Involves

Classroom Example

1. Assess the child’s need

Teacher assessment and knowledge of the child; data on the child’s progress, attainment and behaviour; the child’s development in comparison with their peers; the views and experience of parents; specialist assessments

You notice a Year 5 pupil consistently struggling with written tasks. You gather evidence: their verbal contributions are excellent, but written work is minimal and poorly organised. Parents report frustration over homework. The pupil says writing "hurts their hand" and takes too long.

2. Plan support and intervention to meet the child’s needs and ensure they can make progress

Consider how to provide high-quality teaching and targeted provision that includes relevant changes or adaptations

You plan for the pupil to use a laptop for extended writing, receive 15 minutes of daily fine motor skills exercises, and have access to graphic organisers for planning. Their expected outcome is to produce a structured paragraph independently within six weeks.

3. Do the intervention by supporting the child for an agreed period of time

Work closely with teaching assistants or other specialist staff to regularly monitor progress

The pupil begins using a laptop in lessons. You notice they're more willing to write, but still struggle with organisation. You add in daily check-ins to review their planning before they start writing.

4. Review the progress the child has made as a result of the intervention

Attend meetings with parents and other specialist staff and consider any changes you might need to make to support, provision and targets

After six weeks, the pupil can write structured paragraphs with the laptop and planning support. You decide to continue this support, but reduce the frequency of fine motor exercises to three times weekly as their stamina improves.
The cycle then begins again with a new assessment.

Working with the SENCO and Support Staff

You’re not expected to manage pupils’ SEND requirements alone. In fact, you’re expected to collaborate with other staff members and regularly review the impact of interventions together.

  • The SENCO

    • A qualified teacher responsible for leading the school’s SEND provision

    • Work with them to assess pupils’ needs, suggest appropriate strategies and interventions, and arrange training or support from specialists like educational psychologists or speech therapists

  • Support staff

    • Brief your teaching assistants clearly on how they can help you provide support in the classroom

    • Make sure they understand your expectations and have the resources they need to work with you

Involving Parents and Pupils

The Code emphasises that parents, children, and young people should be involved in decision-making about SEND support. This is sometimes called ‘co-production’.

Keep parents informed and meet with them at least three times a year. Raise concerns calmly by explaining what you're noticing, and listen to their insights on what works for their child at home. Agree on outcomes, create a plan, and make sure they understand what support will be provided.

Involve pupils, too. Even young children can tell you what helps them learn. Older pupils should be active participants in planning and reviewing their support.

What Does 'Reasonable Adjustment' Mean in Practice?

Reasonable adjustments are modifications made to ensure that pupils with SEND can access education on the same basis as their peers. These are legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

‘Reasonable’ means that adjustments should remove barriers without creating undue burdens on the school, or affecting other pupils negatively.

Here are some common reasonable adjustments:

  • Allowing pupils with dyspraxia to type rather than write by hand

  • Letting pupils with ADHD use fidget tools

  • Breaking tasks into smaller steps for pupils with MLD

EHCPs and SEN Support: What's the Difference?

An education, health and care plan (EHCP) is a legal, formal document put together by the school’s SENCO and other professionals. It details the exact provisions a pupil needs to meet their educational requirements, and can take up to 20 weeks to put together.

SEN support, on the other hand, is a broader concept referring to any provision supporting a pupil with SEND.

Not all pupils with SEND have an EHCP, as they’re typically only supplied for those who need more than SEN support.

As an EHCP is statutory, you’re legally required to follow what it stipulates. With SEN support, however, your main job role is to follow the graduated four-stage approach outlined above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read the full SEND Code of Practice?

No, but you do need to understand the key principles and your responsibilities. The most relevant section for teachers is Chapter 6: Schools.

Referring to the full Code can be helpful when you need detailed guidance on specific situations, such as working with external agencies or understanding EHCPs.

What should I do if I think a student has an unidentified need?

Gather evidence (such as examples of work and observations of behaviour) and present it to your SENCO as soon as possible. Keep parents informed throughout the process and continue to provide high-quality, differentiated teaching.

Can I decide what support a pupil gets in my classroom?

For reasonable adjustments and general differentiation, yes — these are part of your everyday teaching practice.

For pupils on SEN support, you work collaboratively with the SENCO, parents, and the pupil to agree on support before implementing it.

For pupils with EHCPs, the provision specified in the plan must be delivered. You can't decide to remove or change provision in an EHCP without following a formal review process.

What's the difference between differentiation and SEND support?

Differentiation is adapting your teaching to meet the diverse needs of all pupils in your class. SEND support, however, is additional and/or different in that it specifically targets pupils with SEND. 

When differentiation isn't enough, you must provide additional SEND support.

Final Thoughts

Supporting pupils with SEND isn't about knowing everything. What matters is understanding your responsibilities, working collaboratively, and always putting pupils' needs first.

The SEND Code of Practice helps ensure fair, consistent and effective provision for all pupils. You are responsible for your pupils’ progress, as well as using the graduated, four-stage cycle to help those with SEND.

While teachers play a vital role in SEND provision, remember that you’re working as part of a team to provide high-quality, differentiated support. Work with your SENCO, staff, pupils and parents to give your pupils with SEND the best chance of success.

References

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Author
Reviewer
Rosanna Killick

Author: Rosanna Killick

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating from Oxford University with a BA in History, Rosanna became a full-time, qualified tutor. She has since amassed thousands of hours of tutoring experience, and has also spent the last few years creating content in the EdTech space. She believes that a nuanced understanding of the past can help to contextualise the present. She is passionate about creating clear, accessible content that helps students to identify and select the most relevant facts and concepts for writing focused, persuasive exam answers.

Holly Barrow

Reviewer: Holly Barrow

Expertise: Content Executive

Holly graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA in English Literature and has published articles with Attitude magazine, Tribune, Big Issue and Political Quarterly.

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