What is SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)?

SEND is the name for the whole system of support for children and young people in England with special educational needs, disabilities, or both. It covers ages 0 to 25 and brings together education, health and social care. The SEND Code of Practice is statutory guidance that schools, colleges, local authorities and health bodies must have regard to.

Not every disabled child has special educational needs, and not every child with SEN is disabled, but the two often overlap. That is why the combined term is used. Duties under the Equality Act 2010, such as making reasonable adjustments, apply alongside the SEND framework.

England and Wales

SEND is an English term. In Wales, the equivalent system is additional learning needs (ALN), introduced from September 2021 under the ALN Code for Wales. The two systems use different plans (EHCPs in England, IDPs in Wales) and different coordinator roles (SENCo and ALNCo).

Why it matters for your setting

• A large share of pupils referred to alternative provision have SEND, so your staff need to know each pupil’s needs.
• Local authorities and schools will expect you to follow any EHCP and to share progress for reviews.
• Clear records help you make reasonable adjustments and show how you have done so.

How PupilDB helps

PupilDB stores SEN/ALN status, coordinator and medical notes on every pupil record, and the SEN/ALN report pulls this together in one place.