Rulebook · Decision or problem

A disagreement with the school or college about SEN support

SEN support is the help a school or college gives for special educational needs without an EHC plan. It cannot be appealed to the SEND Tribunal. The routes are the school's or college's complaints process and the disagreement resolution service the council arranges. A parent, the young person or the school or college can also ask the council for an EHC needs assessment.

The body responsible for a mainstream school, maintained nursery school, 16 to 19 academy, alternative provision academy, college in the further education sector or pupil referral unit must use its best endeavours to secure the special educational provision that a pupil's or student's special educational needs call for. That body is the governing body, or the proprietor for an academy, or the management committee for a pupil referral unit. The council must arrange for independent people to help avoid or resolve disagreements between a parent or young person and a school or college about the special educational provision made for the child or young person. SEN support cannot be appealed to the SEND Tribunal. A parent, the young person or a person acting for the school or college can ask the council for an EHC needs assessment. A decision not to assess can be appealed. Where the child or young person is disabled, a claim that a school has discriminated against them, for example by not making reasonable adjustments, can be made to the SEND Tribunal. That is covered under discrimination by a school.

Appeal right: this is not one of the matters that can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal (Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)). See the routes.

Ways to take this further

Listed in the order the rules give them. The order is not a ranking.

• Complaint to the school or college
• Disagreement resolution service
• A new request for an assessment or re-assessment

Type of rule

Law (Act or Regulations)This is the law, set by an Act of Parliament or by Regulations.

Rule id

issue.sen_support_disagreement

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

Sources

• Children and Families Act 2014, s 57(4)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 57(5)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 66(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 36(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 66(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 66(3)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 57(6)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)(a)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Equality Act 2010, s 85Law (Act or Regulations)
• Equality Act 2010, s 20Law (Act or Regulations)
• Equality Act 2010, Sch 17 para 3Law (Act or Regulations)

See the ways to challenge

The whole rulebook