ABSTRACT
Pupils with more significant special educational needs and/or disabilities may have an education, health and care plan. Both groups of pupils are ultimately the responsibility of the class teacher, whether in mainstream or special education. A pupil has special educational needs if he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age. Successful schools are proactive in identifying and addressing pupils' special needs, focusing on adapting the educational context and environment rather than on 'fixing' an individual learner. New legislation and national guidance in 2014 changed the landscape of educational provision for pupils with any sort of 'additional' or 'special' needs. In many cases, pupils' individual learning needs will be met through differentiation of tasks and materials in their lessons; sometimes this will be supplemented by targeted interventions such as literacy 'catch-up' programmes delivered outside the classroom.
