Cognition and Learning

Cognition and learning descriptors of need overview

The SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdfdefines cognition and learning needs as follows:

Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where young people are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where young people are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.
Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and Development Coordination Disorder. (A definition of dyslexia can be found in appendix 1 below)

Before considering range descriptors for Cognition and Learning, steps should have been taken to ensure regular attendance and consistently high quality first teaching. It is expected that school will have made provision at Range 1 and Range 2 level following the Assess, Plan, Do Review cycle and that limited progress will have been made before requesting formalised assessment for SpLD (dyslexia).

Primary schools will need to make allowances for young people who have birthdays in the summer term.

The Sir Charles Parsons School Assessment and Recording Tool (SCART) will be a useful document to support SENCos and teachers in determining an individual’s level of cognition and learning need.

The summary of needs is not intended to be used as a checklist; teachers and SENCos will need to consider achievement over a range of activities before deciding on the level that best fits an individual at any point in time.

It should be ensured that learning of new concepts is consolidated before moving on.

Teaching and learning should provide an emphasis on literacy, numeracy, PSHEE and ICT alongside weekly access to full curriculum ensuring that young person has the opportunity to take part in lessons and activities which play to individual interests and strengths, therefore, maintaining confidence and self-esteem.

When identifying the most relevant range for a young person, it is important to recognise that learning does not happen in isolation and to consider the level of mediation or support required to facilitate learning. The gap between what a young person can do on their own and what they can do with tailored support (known as their Zone of Proximal Development) helps to determine what support is required and how much (i.e. what intensity of support is needed to help the young person make progress?).

Range 1: Cognition and learning

May be below age related and national expectations.
Progress is slower than for young people of the same age.
Some difficulty with the acquisition and use of language, literacy, numeracy skills and/or motor coordination skills.
Find it difficult to keep up with usual pace of lesson delivery.
There may be evidence of a mismatch between attainment in different subject areas.
With universally available support and provision the young person is able to move towards age-related expectations across all lessons.
Level of focus and attention is close to age related expectations when task is suitably adapted/differentiated.
Quickly able to apply and generalise the mediation that is offered, enabling them to work independently across a range of tasks. For example, having learnt something new in their classroom the young person then spontaneously engages in these same learning behaviours in other situations where appropriate.

Assessment and Planning

Quality First Teaching includes planned adjustments and differentiated work to reduce barriers to learning.
Class/subject teacher plans and oversees small group work or targeted and time limited intervention work.
Use school checklists to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Monitor and review progress over specified period of time.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Refer to Universally Available Guidance for Schools.
Mainstream class with flexible groupings/sets.
Simplify level and pace of teacher talk.

Curriculum/Intervention

Small group work or one to one for time limited period.
Emphasis on identifying and addressing gaps in learning.
May involve tracking back through earlier learning goals.

Resources and Staffing

Class/subject teacher makes main provision.
Young person is in mainstream classroom for most, if not all, of the time.
Young person should not routinely be withdrawn and taught by a TA.
TA may support independent learning in class.
Some additional resources and equipment to support independent learning.
CPD opportunities to support school staff understanding of common SENs/ Graduated Response.
EPS/specialist teacher teams may be consulted at a general level.

Range 2: Cognition and learning

Attainment at least 1 yr below age related and national expectations.
Well recognised and reliable tests may provide standardised scores below 85 (16th percentile).
Progress in language/literacy and numeracy continues to be slow despite Quality First Teaching (QFT) and targeted period of support.
Some evidence of difficulties with aspects of cognition such as memory, concept development, information processing, sequencing and reasoning that impact on learning.
Some signs of SpLD (Dyslexia) may be evident
Processing difficulties limit independence and may require adult support in the classroom.
Benefits from additional adult prompts to work independently.
May appear more disorganised compared to peers.
Motor coordination needs/handwriting difficulties are beginning to affect progress
Self-esteem and motivation may be affected.
Evidence over time suggests that when provided with a period of targeted support, the CYP makes good progress, helping to close the gap between them and their peers and moving them towards age-related expectations.
Can apply and generalise the mediation offered to similar tasks, but may require additional opportunities for explicit teaching, repetition and overlearning to apply learning to new contexts without obvious links. For example, once supported to learn something new in their classroom the CYP spontaneously engages in same learning behaviours in other situations as appropriate.

Assessment and Planning

As Range 1 plus:

SENCo/SEN team in school will use school assessment tools to establish a profile of strengths and weaknesses.
SENCo assessments inform areas for support, intervention and any adjustments required to access curriculum and/or exams.
Teaching plans reflect recommended adjustments and support strategies including deployment of additional adults.
SENCo/SEN team in school works with class/subject teachers to oversee planning, review and assessment of any intervention work.
Interventions are monitored, reviewed and adjusted on at a least termly basis.
Use of SCART
SEN Support Plan is completed with input from parent/carers and CYP.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Refer to Universally Available Guidance for Schools.
Mainstream class with enhanced differentiation.
Flexible groupings reflective of young person’s cognitive ability.
One to one support focusses on specific targets relating to identified weaknesses.

Curriculum/Intervention

QFT with enhanced differentiation.
In class tasks are modified to remove barriers to learning.
May include alternate methods to record and access text including use of ICT as appropriate.
Will involve tracking back through earlier learning goals.
Small group support in class for some of the time.
Regular, targeted small group or one to one evidence-based intervention.

Resources and Staffing

Use of Universally Available Guidance for Schools
Class/subject teacher makes main provision with support from SENCo/SEN team in school.
Additional advice from EPS and/or specialist teachers may be provided as part of a ‘drop in’ session or telephone consultation.
Young person is in mainstream classroom for most, if not all, of the time.
Additional trained adult, under direction of teacher, provides sustained and targeted support on an individual or small group basis.
Short term and targeted intervention programme delivered several times a week directed by class teacher with additional monitoring and evaluation by SENCo and adapted as necessary.
Additional resources and equipment to support independent learning.

Range 3: Cognition and learning

Persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language, literacy/numeracy skills and appear to be resistant to previous interventions; this may include ongoing difficulties with motor coordination/handwriting skills
Attainment is at least 2 yrs below age related and national expectations.
Well recognised and reliable tests may provide standardised scores below 75 (5th percentile).
Significant and enduring difficulties with several aspects of cognition such as memory, concept development, information processing, sequencing and reasoning that impact on learning.
Signs of SpLD (Dyslexia) are evident over time and progress is slow despite well evidence interventions.
Some adult support required to ensure access to mainstream lessons and adapted independent learning tasks.
Unusual profile of strengths and weaknesses requiring a personalised support plan.
Self-esteem and motivation affected, and young person is at risk of developing SEMH needs.
Evidence over time suggests a high level of support needed to make good and sustained progress, preventing the gap from widening and moving towards adapted targets.
Explicit teaching and increased opportunities for repetition and overlearning needed to help apply and generalise learning to related contexts with less obvious links. Eg, once supported to learn something new in their classroom, the young person spontaneously engages in these same learning behaviours in other situations where appropriate.

Assessment and Planning

Following specialist advice, interventions and support are planned and reviewed by teachers, SENCo/SEN team and possibly LA specialist staff.
Targets are individualised, short term and specific
Use of SCART
Use of SpLD (dyslexia) checklists
SEN Support Plan is completed with input from parent/carers add CYP.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Curriculum tasks are modified and adapted to address learning needs.
Daily opportunities for some individualised support focussed on targets within SEN Support Plan.
Flexible groupings with opportunities to work with positive peer models.
Teaching and support staff use the developmental level of language appropriate to the young person in questioning and explanation.
Provide additional time for processing language.

Curriculum/Intervention

QFT with enhanced differentiation.
Tasks and presentation are increasingly individualised and modified within an inclusive curriculum.
Alternate methods to record and access text including use of ICT as appropriate.
Individualised programmes of intervention.

Resources and Staffing

Main provision by class/subject teacher with support from SENCo/ SEN team in school.
Involvement of education and non-education professionals as appropriate through a request to the SEN Advice and Support Allocation Panel.
Consistent and structured environment carefully planned and monitored by class/subject teacher.
Trained adult provides a longer-term intervention programme (during the review process) under the direction of the SENCo/SEN team in school and/or LA specialist staff.
In class adult support as and when appropriate to support independent learning.

Range 4: Cognition and learning

Significant and persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language, literacy/numeracy skills and/or motor coordination skills.
Attainment is at least 3 yrs below age related and national expectations.
Well recognised and reliable tests may provide standardised scores below 69 (2nd percentile).
Significant levels of difficulty in cognitive processing needs high level of alteration to pace and delivery of curriculum.
Difficulties are likely to be long term/lifelong
High levels of support including assistive technology.
Adult support is required to ensure access to mainstream lessons and adapted independent learning tasks.
May appear increasingly socially immature and vulnerable due to limited social awareness, difficulties with reasoning, understanding and expressing thoughts.
Evidence over time suggests a high level of support, is required to make moderate progress towards highly individualised targets within mainstream provision; the gap may still widen between them and peers, but at a slower rate.
Explicit teaching and increased opportunities for repetition and overlearning needed to help apply and generalise the mediation that has been offered to them, even in similar contexts.

Assessment and Planning

SENCo takes ongoing advice from LA SEN and Health specialists.
Targets are highly individualised.
Use of SCART
SEN Support Plan is reviewed and adjusted with input from parent/carers and CYP.
Termly reviews with parent/carer and CYP involvement.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Mainstream class predominately working on modified curriculum tasks.
Daily opportunities for individualised support focussed on targets within SEN Support Plan.
Any intervention work is delivered by skilled practitioner best placed to deliver positive outcomes.
Opportunities for multi- sensory teaching and learning will be in place.

Curriculum/Intervention

QFT
Tasks and presentation are increasingly individualised and modified to reduce impact of processing difficulties.
Alternate methods to record and access text including use of ICT as appropriate.
Tasks and presentation are personalised to young person’s needs and monitored regularly i.e., weekly.
Access arrangements and adjustments are part of everyday learning and practice (normal way of working).

Resources and Staffing

Main provision by class/subject teacher with support from SENCo/ SEN team in school and ongoing advice and support from education and non-education professionals.
Consistent and structured environment carefully planned and monitored by class/subject teacher.
Clear monitoring of effectiveness of interventions by SENCo and LA SEN specialists.
In class adult support as and when appropriate to support independent learning.
Smaller groupings or higher young person/staff ratio.
Additional SEN training relating to general and specific learning needs is accessed from specialist teams.
Access to assistive technology must be made.
Concrete objects and visual resources to support learning.
School may require some additional resource to implement package of support.

Range 5: Cognition and learning

Cognitive impairment that is a lifelong disability and significantly impacts on social development and independence and requires specialist teaching.
Moderate or Severe Learning Difficulties
Complex needs identified
Very small steps of progress are made.
Significant and persistent difficulties in the acquisition/use of language/literacy/numeracy skills, with the curriculum and out of school activities.
Finds it difficult to focus on tasks for more than a minute at a time despite high level of adult support.
Evidence over time suggests that a high level of targeted, ongoing and possibly specialist level of support is required to make very small steps of progress towards finely tuned personalised goals. With this support in place, this learning is demonstrated in different environments. For example, once supported to effectively engage learning materials in their classroom, these same learning behaviours are undertaken in other areas of the school (with the same support in place)

Assessment and Planning

Targets are individualised, short term and specific e.g., using the Engagement Model
Progress is closely monitored and tracked
Utilise special education settings and outside professionals for assessment and advice
Further, more detailed assessment by school and from outside professionals across multi agencies may be required.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Modified curriculum tasks
Frequent small group work with specialist teacher and specialist support staff
Teaching focus on specific provision targets
Carefully planned curriculum and targets ensures young person experiences success
Simple language level with instructions chunked

Curriculum/Intervention

Modified curriculum
Tasks and presentation increasingly individualised and personalised to the young person’s needs
Highly adapted teaching methods incorporating the use of learning aids and multi-sensory teaching as standard.

Resources and Staffing

Level of adjustment and specialist teaching across the curriculum is significantly greater than is normally provided in mainstream settings
Consistent structured environment
Smaller groupings/higher staff to young person ratio
Sometimes young person is withdrawn from class to access activities; these are carefully monitored and planned by class/subject teacher to meet a specific target
Additional adult trained to deliver interventions and support
EPS and/or specialist teachers (in school or from LA) are consulted on a regular basis and may monitor and review progress and set medium- or long-term targets.
Concrete objects and visuals aid teaching and learning
Use of assistive technology
Apply for additional funding from LA if required

Range 6: Cognition and learning

Severe and persistent difficulties in acquisition and use of language/literacy and numeracy skills within the curriculum and out of school activities
Severe or Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties have been identified which are lifelong
Complex needs are identified.
Finds it difficult to focus on tasks for more than a minute despite high level of adult support.
Evidence over time suggests that highly individualised, and ongoing specialist level of support is required to achieve incremental, graded progress in line with finely tuned, personalised goals. With this support in place, this learning is then shown in at least one other environment. For example, once supported to effectively explore learning materials in their classroom with all of their senses, the CYP engages in these same learning behaviours in another area of the school (with the same support in place).

Assessment and Planning

As Range 5 plus:

Long term involvement of specialist provision and appropriate non- education professionals from Education, Health and Social Care agencies.
Targets and outcomes may be identified through an Education Health and Care Plan.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

As Range 5 plus:

Extremely modified and individualised work
Small group and daily one to one work developing basic skills

Curriculum/Intervention

As Range 5 plus:

Access to aids personalised to young person’s needs
Extreme modification of curriculum

Resources and Staffing

Staff need to be trained and have experience working with young people with high level of cognition and learning needs
Access to extra staffing to support young people in times of crisis and accompany young person on outings and trips
Appropriately trained staff to deal with medical and physical issues
Group activities carefully monitored to ensure young person is not isolated or excluded
Emphasis on using real objects and experiences for all activities
Specialist ICT resources
AAC systems to support communication environment
Specialist equipment to promote self-help, physical access and mobility
Appropriate indoor and outdoor provision in a safe and secure setting
Specialist hygiene facilities if required
Access to specialist educational and non-educational services in accordance with EHC plan if appropriate

Cognition and learning: Preparation for adulthood (PfA) outcomes and provision

Reception to Y2 (5-7 years)

Employability/Education

Young person will have the listening skills and concentration to increase the amount of time they are able to maintain focus upon learning tasks
Young person will be developing early concepts of literacy and numeracy skills to enable them to lay the foundations of later learning.
Young person will have an awareness of ‘growing up’ and beginning to have some ideas of what they would ‘like to be’, when they are older.

Independence

Young person will understand the concept of time and will develop the skills necessary to access digital and analogue clocks.
Young person will understand the concept of cooking and the contribution of ingredients to produce different foods.

Community Participation

Young person will have an understanding of the concept of friendships and will be applying this in their approach to shared play with peers.

Health

Young person will understand the concept of being healthy, including the benefits of exercise and making healthy food choices and will begin to apply this in the context of mealtimes and attendance at clubs and sports activities.
Young person will understand the need for regular dental, vision and hearing checks to maintain good health.

Y3 to Y6 (8- 11 years)

Employability/Education

Young person will understand and be able to talk about different careers and education options so that they are able to make choices about what they will do next.
Young person will begin to develop a profile of interests and aspirations in order to demonstrate individual strengths and skills.

Independence

Young person will understand the concept of money, demonstrating awareness that different objects are of different monetary values and beginning to use money to pay for items such as snacks in school.
Young person will begin to understand concepts relation to travel and transport including paying for a ticket/pass, timetables, and road signs and will be aware of the role of these in facilitating independent travel.
Young person will understand the concept of recipes relating to preparation of food and will be able to follow these with adult support to make simple foods (cupcakes, sandwiches etc.)

Community Participation

Young person will understand the importance of being safe within the local community, including online, and will begin to understand potential areas of risk, e.g., strangers, online hazards, bullying and ways to take steps to avoid these.
Young person will be familiar with the local area, including particular places, routes of travel to enable them to begin to understand where they are going and methods to get there.

Health

Young person will understand the purpose of vaccinations and will cooperate with these to ensure good medical health.
Young person will understand changes to their body associated with puberty and will be aware of self-care routines required to maintain good physical health.
Young person will understand minor health needs that they may have, asthma, eczema, difficulties with vision and/or hearing; they will understand the strategies and resources to manage these.

Y7 to Y11 (11-16 years)

Employability/Education

Young person will be able to understand information relating to course options (GCSE, NVQ, Entry level qualifications, vocational options etc.) including the requirements for access to a range of HE options to enable realistic and informed choices.
Young person will be able to think about subject option choices alongside longer-term career goals and will be able to choose subjects and course options to enable next steps in their chosen direction.
Young person will begin to think about and plan work experience/part-time opportunities to enable them to understand workplace demands and requirements and to gain early experience in areas of interest for future employment.
Young person will continue to develop a profile of interests and achievements in order to demonstrate individual strengths and skills. This will be used in accordance with careers sessions and guidance.
Young person will understand supported employment options e.g., Access to Work.

Independence

Young person will understand monetary value, how much money they have and how much money items cost and will be able to make decisions in relation to what they spend their money on as a first step towards financial budgeting.
Young person will demonstrate skills in accessing local transport services, buying a ticket/pass, understanding bus times, using these systems of travel to access school, for example.
Young person will understand information relating to different food groups and meal planning and will be able to understand instructions within a recipe card/book to enable them to cook simple meals with support.

Community Participation

Young person will understand risks associated with social media, online gaming and online communities and will be increasingly competent in understanding how to keep themselves safe.
Young person will understand social norms and conventions in relation to a variety of friendships and relationships and will be able to use this knowledge to enable them to engage appropriately within a range social contexts.
Young person will understand options in relation to a range of leisure and social activities available and will be able to use this to make informed and positive choices about how they want to spend their free time.
Young person will show increased understanding of the wider picture and will build resistance to support emotional wellbeing.

Health

Young person will understand information relating to sex education and sexual health in preparation for adulthood.
Young person will understand the role of the GP and the support available to them.
Young person will understand the risks associated with drugs and alcohol and will apply information learned to keep themselves safe.
Young person will have a more active role in understanding and managing more complex health needs to facilitate greater independence.

Appendix 1

Newcastle’s SEND outreach service working definition of SpLD (Dyslexia) is the Delphi definition which has been adopted by the British Dyslexia Association (2025):

Dyslexia is a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are weak in relation to age, standard teaching and instruction, and level of other attainments.
Across languages and age groups, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are a key marker of dyslexia.
Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
The most commonly observed cognitive impairment in dyslexia is a difficulty in phonological processing (i.e. in phonological awareness, phonological processing speed or phonological memory). However, phonological difficulties do not fully explain the variability that is observed.
Working memory, processing speed and orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia.
Dyslexia frequently co-occurs with one or more other developmental difficulties, including developmental language disorder, dyscalculia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder.

More information can be found here

Cognition and Learning