{"id":6212,"date":"2022-04-20T17:33:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T16:33:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/?page_id=6212"},"modified":"2025-03-28T15:43:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T15:43:45","slug":"northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/information-and-advice\/life-stages\/childhood-and-school\/send\/northern-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Special educational needs in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">This page covers special educational needs (SEN) support in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It gives a brief overview of early years and school-age settings, covering Statutory Assessments, Statements of Special Educational Needs, Annual Reviews, Transition Planning, the 1998 Code of Practice and Individual Education Plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On this page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-primary-bullets wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#early\">Early years settings<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#statutory\">Statutory Assessment<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#statement\">Statement of Special Educational Needs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#annual\">Annual Review<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#transition\">Transition planning<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#school\">School-age settings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">In Northern Ireland, the term Special Educational Needs (SEN) is generally used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <div class=\"wp-block  box    is-style-textured-grey-tint-10  align-right  size-medium\">    <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sense is here for you at every stage of life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">We support people with complex disabilities of all ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">From our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/our-services\/support-for-children\/free-play-services-for-children-with-complex-disabilities\/\">free play sessions for children under eight<\/a>, to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/our-services\/support-for-adults\/residential-care\/\">adult residential care services<\/a>, we\u2019re with disabled people and their families every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Get in touch with our team to find out more about Sense services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-primary\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/information-and-advice\/information-and-advice-service\/\">Contact us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"early\">Early years settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The SEN Early Years Inclusion Service (SEN EYIS) is a regional service that supports pre-school children with SEN through advice and support to children, families and pre-school settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Children and Young People\u2019s Services<strong> <\/strong>Early Years Hub (EYH) is the single point of referral to the service.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Referrals to the EYH come from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-primary-bullets wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paediatricians for pre-school aged children.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educational psychologists for pre-school aged children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>SEN EYIS offers advice to and runs workshops and tailored programmes<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>for families and early educational settings of children referred by the Early Years Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEN EYIS also provides training for leadership and early years practitioners through the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eani.org.uk\/school-management\/children-and-young-peoples-services-training-programme\">Children and Young People&#8217;s Training portal.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"statutory\">Statutory Assessment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A statutory assessment is the formal process to find out what your child\u2019s special needs are, and what additional support they may need in their early years setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your child may need a statutory assessment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-secondary-bullets wp-block-list\">\n<li>Before going to nursery school if they have very severe or complex needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a child or young person already at school if the extra support they have been getting for their SEN is not helping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A statutory assessment is only necessary in a very small minority of cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the Education Authority is carrying out a statutory assessment, your child will continue to receive help and support from the school through their <a href=\"#individual\">Individual Education Plan.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"statement\">Statement of Special Educational Needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A request for a statutory assessment can lead to a Statement of Special Educational Needs being issued, but not always.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Statement of Special Educational Needs sets out a child or young person&#8217;s&nbsp;SEN, describes the support needed to meet those needs and which&nbsp;educational&nbsp;setting they should attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"annual\">Annual Review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Statement of Special Educational Needs is reviewed every year to make sure the child or young person\u2019s needs are still being met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"transition\">Transition planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child is due to start primary school or move to secondary school, you should discuss transition arrangements at the annual review during their last year nursery or current school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Education Authority has to consider your preferred school but can still name a school it thinks can meet your child\u2019s needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, when the Statement of Special Educational Needs is issued, you have the right to appeal through the <a href=\"#resources\">Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"school\">School-age settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the 1996 Education Order, a child has special educational needs if they have significantly greater difficulty learning and need special educational support on top of, or different from, the education that children of a similar age get in an ordinary school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A child also has SEN if they have a disability that calls for them to get special educational support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <div class=\"wp-block  box    is-style-textured-primary-tint-10\">    <div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the\">The 1998 SEN Code of Practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All schools must follow the 1998 SEN Code of Practice when making decisions about children who have SEN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child\u2019s school thinks that your child needs special educational support, they will discuss this with you and place your child on the school\u2019s SEN register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All children with SEN are recorded on the school\u2019s SEN register under one of five stages of the Code of Practice, according to the level of support they need to help them make progress in school.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only the school can decide if your child should be placed on the SEN register.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"individual\">Individual Education Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The school will meet regularly with you to discuss your child\u2019s needs and agree targets for their Individual Education Plan (IEP).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They will also discuss what you can do to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child doesn\u2019t make adequate progress on their IEP targets and continues to have significant difficulties, the school may ask for further advice and support from the Education Authority.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The school\u2019s principal and\/or Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will discuss this with you.<\/p>\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 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