Do you find learning or taking part at sixth form or college a struggle and need extra or different types of help, compared to other students of the same age?
Are you aged between 16 and 25 years old? If yes, this may mean you have special educational needs (SEN)!
Examples of SEN
You may have special educational needs if you have one or more of the following difficulties with learning:
- Math’s or English (spellings, writing or reading)
- Concentration/focusing in class
- Speaking or understanding what’s been said
- Seeing or hearing
- Anxiety or feeling depressed
- Making or keeping friendships
- Getting frustrated or angry often
- Walking, using your arms or hands
- Sensitive to noise and big crowds
- Health needs that make it difficult to learn
- Other?
The extra or different types of help, you may be provided with at sixth form or college if you have SEN, is known as SEN provision.
Examples of SEN Provision
SEN provision can include:
- Extra help with taking part on your course, for e.g. support from a learning support assistant to help go through or break down the learning in class, so it’s easier to understand
- Working in a small group for certain subjects
- Dyslexia ruler
- Time out card
- Someone to talk to at Sixth Form or College when you are feeling overwhelmed
- Learning support in class, e.g. a teaching assistant
- Larger fonts and coloured backgrounds
- Visual timetables and/or checklists
- Extra time in exams
- A quiet space to have lunch
- Therapies, such speech and language therapy or Occupational therapy
What can I do if I have or may have special educational needs?
You can speak to your course tutor at sixth form, a member of the learning support team at your college or your parent/carer, so an appointment can be made to discuss this with them.
The SENCo’s role or the person who oversees SEN, is to make sure that your needs are identified, and to let sixth form or college staff know what help you will need.
The SEN Support Cycle
The diagram below tells you what happens at each stage of the cycle.
Getting extra help or different types of help at school/college
You must be at the centre of this cycle, which means your views, wishes, and feelings must be considered at each stage of this cycle.
Your parent/carer will be involved if you ask for them to be.
This cycle can be for one term or go on longer, depending on how much progress you make!
A detailed plan of this cycle should be written up and provided to you and your parent/carer if you agree for them to have a copy. This is sometimes called a SEN Support plan, IEP (Individual Education plan) or Provision map.
Requesting and Education, Health Care Needs Assessment
If you, your sixth form or college feel that you have not made enough progress or are still struggling, despite, of the help provided during the SEN support cycles. A decision can be made to request EHC Needs Assessment.
This request is usually made because the sixth form or college need extra money from the council (usually referred to as the local authority (LA)), to give you more help or to continue with providing you with the help you need. Find out more information about EHC Needs Assessments.
How we can help
We can:
- Go through any questions you have about this cycle
- Support you to give your views during each step of the cycle
- Help you to take part in meetings about your SEN and the help you need
- Provide you with your options when you are not in agreement with the help your sixth form of college is providing
How to contact us
You can contact us by:
- Phone: Call or text our Children and Young People’s Officer on 07917 504 390
- Phone: Call our office Helpline Number on 020 8871 8065
- Email: wiass@wandsworth.gov.uk