Pre-School Help

If your child is not yet at school you may be referred to the Portage service. Portage is a home teaching service for pre school children who have developmental delay. Parents are supported by trained personnel who visit the family regularly.

For Children At School

The first person to discuss your concerns with, is your child’s class teacher or key worker.  If it is felt that your child needs help that is different from, or in addition to, the rest of his class or group, he or she will be placed on School Action, or if in a preschool setting, Early Years Action.

School Action

School Action is simply a means of highlighting children who need extra or different help in the classroom. This will be provided from existing school resources. Details about this help will be kept on your child’s school record.

The kind of help that is given will be recorded in an Individual Education Plan or IEP.

IEPs are written by the class teacher and SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). They set out 3 or 4 short term targets for the child, together with the strategies and resources to be used.

The IEP should also include a review date – when the class teacher and SENCO will review progress and see if the IEP needs to be modified. The school will be happy to give you a copy of the IEP. You may also attend the IEP meeting if you wish.

What Happens If My Child Does Not Make Progress On School / Early Years Action?

When the school needs to consult specialists about a child’s progress, this is called School Action Plus or if in a preschool setting, Early Years Action Plus.

At this stage, advisers from external services may visit the child and offer suggestions for strategies.

The permission of parents or carers must be given before the specialists can visit the child. You are entitled to see any reports they make but you may have to request these separately and there may be a small administrative charge. Your understanding and knowledge of your child are vital, so your views, and those of your child, must be taken into account.

On School Action Plus, your child will still be taught in the classroom as far as possible, but may be given some one-to-one help or extra sessions where appropriate.

Keeping Track Of Progress

The IEP should be reviewed at least twice a year, but many primary schools do this termly and this would be good practice. Parents must be invited to discuss their child’s progress. Secondary schools may follow their own procedures but are still required to meet the needs of SEN children.

For more information please download the School Based Help leaflet.