Clear conversations. Agreed actions. Better-informed next steps.
Practical guidance for working with your child’s school on SEND support.
When communication feels difficult, bring the discussion back to your child’s needs, relevant evidence and the changes that could help. You can work collaboratively and still ask clear questions or challenge decisions.
Parent guidance for England · Communication, support reviews and practical follow-up.
Build a fuller picture of your child’s needs.
School sees your child in a learning environment. Parents see what happens before school, afterwards and at home. Your child’s own perspective matters too.
Share what you see
Describe learning, anxiety, sensory needs, attendance, homework, exhaustion and what helps at home.
Ask what school sees
Explore progress, participation, independence, wellbeing and the support required during the day.
Connect the information
Use both perspectives to identify barriers, agree provision and review its impact.
Different presentations do not cancel each other out. A child may appear to cope at school but experience distress afterwards. Record the differences and ask what might explain them.
Who should you speak to?
The right contact depends on the concern and the school’s arrangements. Ask who will coordinate communication if several staff are involved.
Class teacher or form tutor
Start with day-to-day learning, routines, homework and observations. Ask what support is already in place.
SENCo
A key contact for SEN Support, provision, adjustments, professional advice and review arrangements.
Head of year or pastoral lead
Discuss wellbeing, attendance, peer relationships and how pastoral support connects with SEND provision.
Headteacher or senior leader
Raise unresolved concerns about communication, implementation or decisions through the school’s relevant process.
Local authority SEND team
Where your child has an EHCP, involve the authority in concerns about securing the provision specified in the plan.
Further advice
Seek independent guidance if you are unsure about options, complaints, evidence or the next appropriate step.
Choose a few clear priorities.
A focused discussion is easier when you connect each concern to an example, relevant information and a question or requested action.
Bring the useful information
- Your main concerns and when they occur
- Your child’s views and examples from home
- Current support plans and previous meeting notes
- What has been tried and what helped
- Relevant reports and recommendations
- Attendance or progress patterns
Decide what you want to clarify
- What needs are recognised?
- What support is happening?
- What needs changing?
- What information is missing?
- What outcome would help your child?
- When should progress be reviewed?
Make the concern specific.
Instead of only saying “my child is not coping”, describe what happens, how often and its impact—for example, distress before school, missed lessons or homework taking much longer than expected.
Use your own accurate examples. If information is uncertain, say so.
Ask questions that make support clear.
Needs, barriers and school observations
- What does my child find most difficult?
- What patterns do you see in learning, anxiety or participation?
- Is my child receiving SEN Support?
- How have parent observations and pupil views been considered?
Provision and adjustments
- What support is currently in place?
- How often does it happen, and who delivers it?
- What adjustments are used across lessons?
- How are relevant professional recommendations being considered?
Progress and the level of help required
- What outcomes are being worked towards?
- How is progress measured?
- What prompting or adult support does my child need?
- What evidence shows whether the approach is helping?
Next actions and review
- Does further advice or assessment need discussing?
- What will change after this meeting?
- Who is responsible, and when will actions happen?
- When will we review progress?
- What happens if support remains insufficient?
Connect everyday support with a clear plan.
School support may involve adapted teaching, targeted interventions, pastoral help, adjustments, monitoring and specialist advice where needed.
SEN Support and APDR
Ask how needs are assessed, support is planned and delivered, and its impact is reviewed.
Clarify the outcomes, provision, responsibilities and review date in the school’s recording system.
Explore SEN Support Plans and APDR →Reasonable adjustments
Discuss the specific barriers your child experiences and changes that could improve access to learning and school life.
Ask where agreed adjustments are recorded and how staff will use them consistently.
Explore reasonable adjustments →Confirm the agreement in writing.
A short follow-up helps prevent different understandings of what was agreed. Invite school to correct anything you have misunderstood.
Discussion
The main concerns and information considered.
Actions
The changes or support agreed.
Responsibility
Who will arrange or deliver each action, and when.
Review
How progress will be checked and the next review date.
Keep a useful record.
Retain plans, reports, emails, meeting notes, intervention information and attendance records. A brief dated timeline can help show what was raised, what was agreed and what happened.
Short, factual summaries are often easier to act on than long emails covering many unrelated concerns.
You can be collaborative and still be firm.
Acknowledge what is helping, raise concerns early and keep requests focused on your child’s needs. You do not need to agree with every decision.
If you feel unheard
- Ask what evidence informs the decision
- Request the relevant support records
- Ask for your concerns to be recorded
- Request a focused review meeting
- Clarify who will respond and when
If concerns remain unresolved, consider senior leadership, the school’s complaints process or independent advice.
If support is not working
- Were needs sufficiently understood?
- Did provision address those needs?
- Was the agreed support delivered?
- What does the progress evidence show?
- What will be different next time?
Check the provision against the plan.
Use the actual wording of the EHCP to identify what should be happening, rather than relying on a general description of support.
Questions for school
- Is the special educational provision in Section F being delivered?
- Who provides each part, and how frequently?
- What records show delivery?
- Are any parts missing or difficult to arrange?
- Does changed need suggest the plan should be reviewed?
Raise missing provision with the local authority too.
The local authority that maintains the EHCP is responsible for securing the special educational provision specified in it. School is an important delivery contact, but the authority’s duty remains.
Write to school and the local authority identifying the missing provision, the dates or pattern of concern and the effect on your child. Ask how delivery will be secured.
Explore annual review support →You do not have to manage every conversation alone.
Guidance may help if communication has broken down, support is inconsistent, needs remain unclear, distress is increasing or you are unsure whether to explore an EHC needs assessment.
A parent can request an EHC needs assessment directly from the local authority. You do not need school to make the request on your behalf.
Choose the help that suits your next step.
SEND Review & Action Plan
£195
A structured written review of agreed school and professional evidence, with practical recommendations, questions for school and next steps.
Useful when you have plans and reports but need help understanding them together.
Explore the SEND Action PlanSENCo Meeting Support
Prepare your concerns, evidence points, questions and requested outcomes.
Continued help, including agreed online attendance and follow-up, can be discussed through Supported SEND Casework.
Supported casework from £425. Scope, availability and the final fee are confirmed before work begins.
Explore meeting supportWorking with school: your questions answered.
Who should I contact about support?
Start with the class teacher or form tutor for everyday concerns and involve the SENCo for SEND provision and reviews. Pastoral staff or senior leadership may also be appropriate, depending on the issue.
What should I ask in a meeting?
Ask what needs are identified, what support happens, how often, who delivers it, how progress is measured and when it will be reviewed.
What if school says my child is fine but I remain concerned?
Share specific home observations and ask about wellbeing, independence and the level of support needed in school. Request that both perspectives are recorded and considered.
Can I request an EHC needs assessment myself?
Yes. A parent can make a request directly to the local authority. School evidence can be helpful, but school does not have to submit the request for you.
What if school support is not helping?
Request a review of needs, provision, delivery and impact. Discuss what should change and whether specialist advice or further assessment is needed.
What if Section F provision is missing?
Raise the specific gaps in writing with school and the local authority. The authority maintaining the EHCP is responsible for securing its special educational provision.
How can I keep communication effective?
Use clear examples, focused questions and short written summaries. Record actions, responsibilities and review dates, and invite correction if you have misunderstood an agreement.
Further reading: SEND Code of Practice, GOV.UK EHC assessment guidance and Children and Families Act 2014, section 42.
Turn concerns into a clearer conversation.
We can help you organise the evidence, identify priorities and prepare what to raise with school.
Tell us what is happening.
Include the support currently in place, your main concerns and any approaching school meeting or deadline.
office@schoolofdiversity.com
0333 577 1179
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