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SEND is an abbreviation of ‘Special Educational Needs and Disabilities'. A child or young person of compulsory school age could have SEND if they have learning difficulties or a disability that affects their ability to learn.

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Any children or young persons aged 0-25 years may have this if they have learning difficulties or a disability that affects their ability to learn. This could be for a short term or long term, depending on the complexity of the individual child or young person's needs. Typically, the class teacher or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO’s) will decide if special educational provisions are required if they feel a child or young person would benefit from this additional support.

This is the support that is given from early years up to higher education to any child or young person with SEND or special educational needs (SEN). This can be given in nurseries, schools or other education settings and it is usually provided by teachers, SENCOs, or support staff.

Schools are required by law to provide support to any child that may need SEND requirements. If they have identified a child requiring this support, they must contact the child's parents. If a child is on the SEN register, parents should already be aware. However, some children can be put on and taken off the SEN register depending on their progress throughout the year.

An Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) is a document created for extra health and education support for any child or young person (0-25 years) with special educational needs and disabilities. They are produced by local authorities with the aim to bring together education health and care teams to support the best outcomes for those with SEN. This can be provided for any age in mainstream schools or for any age in special state funded schools. 

For more information on EHCPs check out this Tes Magazine article: Everything you need to know about EHCPs

According to 2024 data from the Department for Education, the most common type of needs of pupils with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) are:

• an autistic spectrum disorder

• speech, language and communication needs

• social emotional and mental health needs

• moderate learning difficulty

• severe learning difficulty

To become a SEND teacher, there aren't currently specific postgraduate teacher training courses to prepare you for the job. However, there are different courses and experiences you can take depending on where in your career you currently are. Have a look at our How to become a SEND teacher blog, which has all the information you need.