Stage 1

2:70.   Stage 1 involves the initial identification and registration of a child's special educational needs, the gathering of basic information about the child, taking early action to meet the child's needs within his or her normal classroom work and monitoring and reviewing his or her progress.

Trigger

2:71.   The trigger for stage 1 is the expression of a concern that a child is showing signs of having special educational needs, together with the evidence for that concern, by any teacher at the school, by a parent, or by another professional, such as a health or social services worker.  Such a concern would normally be expressed either to or by the child's class teacher in a primary school, or form or year tutor in a secondary school.

Roles and responsibilities

2:72.   The child's class teacher or form/year tutor has overall responsibility.  He or she should inform or seek advice from the SEN coordinator and consult the child's parents.  The teacher may also inform the head teacher.

2:73.   The child's teacher or tutor will:

·   gather information about the child and make an initial assessment of the child's
    special educational needs

·   provide special help within the normal curriculum framework, exploring ways in
    which increased differentiation of classroom work might better meet the needs of
   the individual child

·   monitor and review the child's progress.

2:74.   The SEN coordinator will:

·   ensure that the child is included in the school's SEN register
·   help the child's teacher or tutor gather information and assess the child's needs

·   advise and support as necessary those who will teach the child.

Information required

2:75.   The information that the child's teacher or tutor, with the help of the SEN coordinator, should collect and record at stage 1 includes:

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