What to Do When SEN Support Is Not Working

When a child is receiving SEN Support but continues to struggle, parents can feel unsure about what to do next.

You may have attended meetings, agreed strategies and waited for progress, yet your child may still be distressed, falling behind, unable to attend consistently or struggling to access everyday school life.

SEN Support should not remain unchanged when it is not meeting a child’s needs. Schools should regularly assess the child’s needs, plan support, put it in place and review whether it is working. This is known as the graduated approach or the assess, plan, do, review cycle.

Ask for a Review Meeting

Request a meeting with the class teacher, SENCO or relevant college staff.

Before the meeting, write down:

• what your child is finding difficult
• what support has been agreed
• whether that support is being delivered
• what progress has or has not been made
• how school is affecting your child at home
• what you believe needs to change

Use clear examples. For instance, explain whether your child is experiencing anxiety, meltdowns, shutdowns, school refusal, exclusions, reduced hours or difficulty communicating their needs.

Review the Current SEN Support Plan

Ask for a copy of your child’s current SEN Support plan or provision map.

Check whether it clearly explains:

• your child’s identified needs
• the support being provided
• how frequently it should happen
• who is responsible for delivering it
• the intended outcomes
• when the support will be reviewed

Schools should review the effectiveness of interventions and their impact on the child’s progress at the agreed time.

Avoid accepting vague statements such as “support is available” or “staff will monitor the situation.” Ask what this means in practice.

Ask for Evidence

When the school says that support is working, ask what evidence demonstrates this.

Evidence may include:

• progress data
• observations
• intervention records
• attendance information
• behaviour or incident records
• examples of work
• feedback from your child
• reports from professionals

Academic progress is only one part of the picture. The review should also consider your child’s communication, emotional wellbeing, independence, sensory needs, attendance and ability to participate in school life.

Request Changes to the Support

When an intervention is not working, it should be reviewed rather than repeated indefinitely.

You may ask the school to consider:

• different teaching strategies
• more individual or small-group support
• visual communication tools
• sensory adjustments
• support during breaks and lunchtimes
• a safe or quiet space
• changes to the environment
• support with transitions
• a risk assessment
• staff training
• advice from specialist professionals

Any new actions should be written into the support plan with clear responsibilities and review dates.

Ask for Specialist Advice

Your child may need input from professionals such as:

• an Educational Psychologist
• a Speech and Language Therapist
• an Occupational Therapist
• a specialist teacher
• a mental health or health professional

Ask whether the school can seek specialist advice and when the referral will be made.

Where professional recommendations already exist, ask how each recommendation is being implemented and monitored.

Keep Everything in Writing

After the meeting, send a short email confirming what was discussed and agreed.

Include:

• the main concerns raised
• the support that will be introduced or changed
• who is responsible
• when it will begin
• when it will be reviewed

Keep copies of plans, reports, emails and meeting notes. A written record can be important if concerns continue or further assessment is needed.

Consider an EHC Needs Assessment

Some children need more support than their school or college can provide through ordinary SEN Support.

Parents can ask the local authority directly for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment. You do not have to wait for the school to make the request.

An assessment may need to be considered where, despite relevant and purposeful action by the setting, the child is not making expected progress or their needs cannot be properly met through the existing support arrangements.

Evidence of repeated assess, plan, do and review cycles can help demonstrate what has been tried, what impact it had and why further assessment may be necessary.

Remember That a Diagnosis Is Not Required

A child does not need to have a formal diagnosis before receiving SEN Support.

Support should be based on the needs and barriers that have been identified. Government guidance advises parents who believe their child may have SEND to speak to the school or nursery SENCO.

Schools should not delay reasonable support simply because a child is waiting for an assessment or diagnosis.

When Concerns Remain Unresolved

When agreed support is still not delivered or concerns are not being addressed, parents may consider:

• writing formally to the headteacher
• using the school or college complaints procedure
• seeking advice from the local SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
• contacting the local authority SEND team
• requesting an EHC needs assessment
• obtaining independent SEND advice

The right next step will depend on your child’s circumstances and the nature of the concern.

The NLH View

SEN Support should be active, individualised and regularly reviewed.

Children should not have to repeatedly fail, become distressed or reach crisis point before their support is changed.

When provision is not working, families should receive clear explanations, evidence and a plan for what will happen next. Parents should be treated as partners, and the child or young person’s views should remain central throughout.

Neurodiversity Learning Hub
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This article provides general information for families in England and should not be treated as individual legal advice.