Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Children with 'special educational needs' (SEN) have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to progress in schools than most children of the same age.

Children with special educational needs may need extra support in a number of areas such as schoolwork, communication and understanding other people, personal behavior and overcoming barriers caused by sensory or physical disabilities.

We aim to provide the best possible support to children with special educational needs in a flexible way which meets the individual needs of pupils. 

Concerned about your child's progress?

If you are worried about your child’s progress at school, you should first talk to the Head teacher. The school can provide school-based support and individualised programmes and strategies to help your child make progress.

If your child does not respond to the measures the school has put in place, they may seek help from specialist professionals from outside the school such as an educational psychologist, specialist teacher or a health professional.

For a very small number of children with complex and very significant needs a statutory assessment may be carried out, which may lead to a Statement of Special Educational Needs. An assessment will also take place for children who need specialist provision.

Some children who meet the SEN eligibility criteria and have very complex needs may be able to get home to school transport or assistance with travel expenses.

Free and independent advice for parents

The Parent Partnership Officer (PPO) provides a free and independent advice service for parents who are worried about the statutory assessment process. The PPO can help you to express your views and offer you support whenever you need it. You can contact the Parenting Partnership Officer (Chris White) on 020 7926 9805.

Support for children under five

The Early Years Alliance Team provides support for children under five with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes an Under 5’s Autism Outreach Service and a Home Support Service who work with families mainly in the home and also on transitions into settings. The team includes Inclusion Outreach officers who support staff with managing children’s needs in provision and may also help you with finding a suitable nursery for your child.

The Early Years Alliance also support a number of parent run groups such as a Downs Syndrome group and a Deaf group. We also run parent support groups such as our Lambeth Autism Parent Program and toilet training (Pees & Poos). We also run a number of stay to play groups for children. For further details of these groups and how to access them please contact the Family Information Service (FIS) on 0845 601 5317 or email fis@lambeth.gov.uk.

Lambeth's SEN section

The Special Educational Needs Section is responsible for ensuring we deliver an effective service to children with special educational needs. Find out more about the SEN section.

Frequently Asked Questions