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Special education provision we expect from places of learning

Identifying needs and how to support them

The PEaSS Guidance helps to identify a child's needs. It also helps to identify a menu of different approaches or provisions which you can use in the classroom to meet those needs. The whole school and SENDCo can also use approaches identified in the guidance.

There is no one-size fits all. Not all the suggestions may be appropriate for every child and every setting.

The guidance also makes it clear what the responsibilities are of governors, headteachers and principals, SENDCos, teachers and teaching assistants.

There are five categories of need. A child or young person may have needs in one or in several of these categories:

  • Communication and interaction: speech, language and communication needs
  • Communication and interaction: social communication and interaction
  • Cognition and learning
  • Social, emotional, mental health
  • Physical and/or sensory needs

The full PEaSS guidance document provides full lists of indicators of need. It also offers suggested support approaches for each of the five categories.

You can access the guidance document from the Schools and Learning Providers website.