- Focus on attention and listening activities
- Ensure all adult language is supported by visual prompts (photographs, pictures, objects of reference, Makaton)
- More staff supporting a child and smaller group sizes
- Activities altered to match developmental and language levels
- Interventions that could be done with a other professional
- Any other reasonable adjustments
Most children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) attend a mainstream school. With the right support in place, all children can make good progress in our inclusive schools.
Each school or setting has:
- a member of staff called a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who oversees SEND support
- SEN support plans
- an accessibility plan setting out how children and young people with disabilities can be supported
- teachers trained to support a wide range of students
- the option to ask for more support from our Newcastle City Council SEND service teams
You'll find SEND policies and information about SEN support on your school's website.
Quality first teaching
All support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) starts with good teaching. Good teaching means:
- Getting to know what each child needs
- Planning lessons carefully
- Believing that every child can learn and do well
- Showing and explaining tasks in a clear way
- Changing how we teach so everyone can join in
- Making lessons interesting and easy to understand
We call this Quality First Teaching. School and and early years settings can access local guidance on supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This is called Universally Available Provision.
SEN support
Quality First Teaching supports most children to make good progress. In some cases, children and young people with SEND will need support that is specially designed for them. This type of support is written down in a SEN Support Plan which include strengths and what support is needed to make good progress. They will include clear goals to track what is working and what is not.
Schools and settings in Newcastle should use the Descriptors of Need guidance to help identify what the needs are and how best to meet. The examples below are just some of the things suggest in the Descriptors of Need and other local guidance.
Examples in early years
Communication and interaction
Speech and language
- Phonological awareness activities linked to speech production (such as rhymes and alliteration)
- Attention and listening activities
- Talk buttons or talking postcards
- Use of Makaton signing by staff
- Any other reasonable adjustments
Cognition and learning
- Repetition and reinforcement skills
- Reduce the challenge of tasks so they can access learning
- Provide opportunities to develop memory skills
- Very small group time in a quiet environment focused on stage appropriate play
- Additional adult support
- Any other reasonable adjustments
Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
- Actively and empathetically listen to child
- Very small group time focused on personal, social and emotional development
- Involvement with parents to make sure strategies are used at home as well as in school
- Mindfulness and/or yoga
- Support from an educational psychologist, early years specialist or mental health lead
- Any other reasonable adjustments
Sensory
- 1 to 1 support
- Occupational therapy intervention
- changes to the environment for accessibility
- Access to ICT to support independent learning, recording skills and communication
- A time out area for rest periods and sensory regulation
- Any other reasonable adjustments
Examples in schools
Teaching strategies
- Scaffolding: Breaking tasks into smaller steps with support at each stage.
- Use of visual aids: Diagrams, mind maps, and visual schedules.
- Chunking information: Presenting content in manageable parts.
- Use of multi-sensory approaches: Combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods.
- Explicit instruction: Clear, direct teaching of concepts and skills.
Classroom environment
- Low-arousal spaces: Calm, clutter-free areas to reduce sensory overload.
- Quiet zones or breakout areas: For emotional regulation or focused work.
- Visual timetables and prompts: To support understanding and routine.
- Flexible seating arrangements: To suit sensory or physical needs.
- Minimised distractions: Strategic placement of pupils and use of screens or headphones.
- Accessible displays: Clear, uncluttered, and relevant to current learning.
Equipment and resources
- Writing supports: Pencil grips, sloped desks, or alternative writing tools.
- Assistive technology: Speech-to-text software, tablets, or reading pens.
- Modified texts: Simplified language or large print versions.
- Sensory tools: Fidget toys, weighted cushions, or ear defenders.
- Reading overlays: To support visual processing difficulties.
- Task management tools: Timers, checklists, or planners.
Interventions
- Literacy/numeracy catch-up programmes: Targeted support for gaps in learning.
- Emotional literacy support: ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) sessions.
- Occupational therapy input: For fine/gross motor skills or sensory needs.
- 1:1 or small group tutoring: Focused academic or behavioural support.
Timetables
- Flexible timetabling: Adjusted start/end times or lesson durations.
- Reduced or adapted curriculum: Prioritising core subjects or life skills.
- Movement breaks: Scheduled sensory or physical activity.
- Alternative provision slots: Time spent in nurture groups or resource bases.
- Transition support: Extra time or support between lessons or settings.
Reviewing support
It is important that SEN support is regularly reviewed. In a school or setting this should happen three times a year. This is so we can check:
- whether the needs of the child or young person have changed
- that the support is helping
To do this, we use a 4-step cycle called the graduated response:
- Assess - Working out your child's needs and specifically what they need help and support with.
- Plan - Planning the support provided by school staff and other professionals.
- Do - Planned support is given in school. Your child will need enough time to adapt and see if it works.
- Review - Regularly discussing whether the support is making a difference and if the plan needs to change.
What if you need more support?
Schools and setting can contact the Local Authority to apply for specialist support. They can ask for things like:
- advice and training from specialists
- funding to support individual children
You can talk to your Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) if you think more support is needed.
For students whose needs cannot be met with the staff and resources normally available in schools, an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be appropriate.