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Professional Resources
Assessment of SEN (SENA)
The Special Educational Needs Assessment and Commissioning Service (SENA) carry out statutory assessment and review of children and young people who have an EHCP from age 0 – 25.
The service is responsible for writing Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) if a statutory assessment is agreed, and will commission the identified provision to meet identified needs. The service can provide advice and guidance to families as well as educational settings around statutory duties.
SEND assessment pathway Opens new window
Requesting statutory assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan
To apply for an EHCP, schools should submit a request for statutory assessment cover sheet along with a completed SEND Support Plan. This must include:
- Advice from a relevant service (e.g. educational psychology) which should be no more than 18 months old. See the SENA Information Requirements Grid (above) for the requirements for advice and other information needed to support requests for statutory assessment
- Evidence that the child or young person meets the thresholds (these are currently under review)
- Evidence of an assess-plan-do-review process
- Information on how the school has made use of the delegated funding and how an EHCP would enable the school to meet the child or young person’s needs
Annual Review of EHCP
A transition plan should be included with annual reviews from year 9 onwards:
Health professional contribution to annual review
Social Care contribution to annual review
Annual Review of an EHCP - template
SEND Support Plan
A school may choose to use the below templates to help assess, plan and review a child’s needs. These plans are written by the school to help see the full picture and plan how to help a child. SEND Support plans should be written with input from the child and parent or carer. They do not have a legal status
SEND Support Plan - early years
SEND Support Plan - schools and colleges
Providing for the needs of children and young people with SEND
The following guidance documents can help a school identify what they can do to meet a child’s needs and when it may be appropriate to ask for an assessment.
Guidance for: Communication & Interaction including Autism Spectrum Disorder Opens new window
Physical, Sensory and Medical Needs Opens new window
Speech, Language and Communication needs Opens new window
Cognition & Learning Opens new window
Guidance for Hearing Impairment Opens new window
Guidance for Visual Impairment Opens new window
Applying for top-up funding
Top-up funding above the £6,000 delegated SEND funding is available to schools for children and young people with a high level of need for anywhere from a term to a key stage, depending on need.
To apply for top-up funding, schools must submit a request for top-up funding cover sheet along with a completed SEND Support Plan. This must include:
- Advice from a relevant service (e.g. educational psychology) which should be no more than 18 months old. See the SENA Information Requirements Grid (above) for the requirements for advice and other information needed to support requests for top-up funding
- Evidence that the child or young person requires additional support to that already in place by the school
- Evidence of an assess-plan-do-review process
- Information on how the school has made use of the delegated funding and how top-up funding will be used to meet the child or young person’s needs
Requesting an extension of top-up funding
If top-up funding for a child or young person with SEND is due to cease, an extension can be requested if top-up funding is still needed to meet their needs. This can be requested by submitting a request for extension of top-up funding cover sheet alongside an updated SEND Support Plan. The request should be received by SENA not more than a fortnight before the end of the academic term when the funding is due to cease.