Educational options

The majority of children and young people with SEND in Cumberland will be able to have their needs met in our mainstream schools.

Schools are expected to: 

• Have a designated person responsible for coordinating SEND (SENCo)
• Make reasonable adjustments to support all children and young people to engage in effective learning activities
• Identify barriers to learning or special educational needs 
• Carry out cycles of support for children and young people with SEND - this is called the called the Graduated Approach. You can find out more about SEN support and the graduated approach here. 
• Work with parents to carry out and share progress against cycles of support
• Have a SEN Information Report which is published on their website and updated every year

Reasonable adjustments you can expect from the school:

Schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments - this means that a school is required to take positive steps to ensure that disabled pupils and those with learning difficulties can fully participate in the education provided by the school, and that they can enjoy the other benefits, facilities and services that the school provides for pupils. This is sometimes called 'Ordinarily Available Provision'. You can find out more about what should be ordinarily available in Cumberland in our Ordinarily available provision expected at SEN support document.

As a parent or carer you can also expect:

• To be involved in planning the educational support for your child
• The school to give you a copy of the plan they have in place to help your child with SEN support
• The school to meet with you to tell you how your child is progressing and what will happen next
• The school to make referrals to any other professionals they might need to ask advice from to help meet your child's needs

If a child or young person has been receiving SEND support at school for a while and is still not making progress, the school or setting (or a parent/carer or learner themselves) may consider requesting that the local authority carries out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.  

If your child has an EHCP

If your child has an Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) the school application and placement process will be supported by the Special Educational Needs Team for your area.

Most children with an EHCP can, with appropriate support, have their needs met in any local school. Occasionally, a child's needs are such that they can only be met at a particular school. This may, for example, be a school which has been adapted to cater for children with mobility problems. In these circumstances it is the local authority's responsibility to offer your child a place in a school that is best able to meet their needs. This school will be named in your child's EHCP and your child would be given priority when allocating places.

If you need further information about the school named in your child's EHCP or you are new and moving to the area you can contact the SEND Team at:

SENDSubmission@cumberland.gov.uk or 
call: 01946 506 211 (Allerdale and Copeland); 01228 226 842 (Carlisle)

Choosing an education provider for a child or young person with SEND

Most children with special educational needs (SEN), including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan, have their needs met in a mainstream school.   

For some children with complex needs, a mainstream school may not be the best fit. Different placements can sometimes better support and cater to particular needs. It's important to consider individual requirements. Education should be in an environment that supports inclusive learning. 

Find out more about the options that may be available. Please note: Not all the options will be available to everyone. It depends on individual needs and circumstances. 

For more information about any of the options, speak to your school special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Coordinator or the SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIAS) Service. They will be able to provide you with further guidance.