A school can identify a pupil's need carefully and still mishandle what happens next. The MIS code changes, the parent receives a vague email, teachers see no usable guidance, and nobody sets the first review date.
That is not a clean start to SEN Support. The decision needs a proper handoff from assessment to provision.
Key points: When a school decides that a pupil has SEN and will receive SEN Support, it should record the decision, formally notify parents, agree the provision and expected impact with the pupil and family, brief relevant staff, and set a review date. Changing the MIS code is only one small part.
What must happen when a pupil starts SEN Support?
The SEND Code of Practice sets out a clear sequence for mainstream schools in England.
Paragraph 6.39 says the early discussion with the pupil and parents should cover strengths, difficulties, concerns, desired outcomes and next steps. A short note should be added to the school information system and given to the parents.
Once the school decides that the pupil has SEN, paragraph 6.43 says the decision should be recorded and the parents must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made. Paragraph 6.48 repeats the notification requirement and says the teacher and SENCO should agree the support, expected impact and review date with the pupil and parents.
For the decision threshold itself, use the separate adaptive teaching or SEN Support test. This article starts once that decision has been made.
What does "formally notify parents" mean in practice?
The Code does not prescribe one national letter, form or signature box. It does require the school to tell parents that it has decided their child has SEN and that special educational provision is being made.
A useful notification should state:
- the decision and the date it was made;
- the evidence considered and provision planned;
- the intended outcomes, expected impact and review date;
- who will coordinate and deliver the support;
- how the pupil and parents can add information or raise a concern;
- where the family can find the local Information, Advice and Support Service.
Avoid language that leaves the family guessing. "We will monitor progress" does not tell a parent whether SEN Support has begun. "Following our discussion, the school has decided that Sam has SEN and will receive SEN Support from 12 October" does.
The notice should confirm a conversation, not replace one. Parents should already have been involved in the assessment of need.
What should go into the first SEN Support record?
The first record needs enough detail for the family and staff to understand the decision and carry out the support. Seven fields are enough.
1. The decision
State why the evidence points to SEN and special educational provision. Keep the wording tied to need rather than a label.
2. The pupil's strengths and barriers
Describe what the pupil can do, what is getting in the way and where the pattern appears. "Weak literacy" is too broad.
3. The pupil's and parents' views
Preserve their meaning. Record disagreement fairly rather than smoothing it into consensus.
4. The provision
Name what staff will do, who will do it, how often and in which context. Another teacher should be able to follow it without translating vague phrases.
5. The expected impact
Write the change the team expects to see and the evidence that will be used. Include a baseline and a review question.
6. Responsibility
Name the case lead, daily delivery roles and the person gathering review evidence. Each action needs an owner.
7. The review date
Set the date when the plan is agreed. Paragraphs 6.43 and 6.48 make the review point part of planning.
MeritDocs helps staff turn accepted pupil evidence into a structured SEN Support plan draft, with provision, responsibility, expected impact and the review point visible for professional checking. The school still makes and approves the decision.
Who needs to know after the decision is made?
Paragraph 6.49 of the Code says teachers and support staff working with the pupil should know the pupil's needs, outcomes, support and required teaching approaches. The information should also be recorded on the school's information system.
Regulation 50 of the SEND Regulations 2014 lists maintaining up-to-date records and providing parents with regular information among the functions that a school may assign to its SENCO.
Staff do not all need the entire case file. Share the current working information with people who need it for their role, using the school's access rules.
The class or subject teacher remains responsible for daily work with the pupil, even where an intervention happens away from the classroom. The SENCO coordinates provision. A clear responsibility map stops the plan becoming everybody's job in theory and nobody's job by Friday.
MeritDocs keeps the approved plan, current version and review context in one governed workflow, so authorised staff can see what applies now rather than relying on an attachment from an old email.
What if the parents disagree with the decision or plan?
The Code expects consultation, clear information and regular discussion. It does not create a national consent form for starting SEN Support.
If a parent disagrees, record:
- the point of disagreement;
- the evidence the parent wants considered;
- the school's assessment and decision;
- any change made after the discussion;
- the next review or escalation route.
Do not write "parent refused" when the concern is about the proposed provision, wording or evidence. Record the point at issue.
Under section 66 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the responsible authority must use its best endeavours to secure the provision called for by a pupil's SEN. Keep the discussion open, but do not let a signature box replace a reasoned decision.
How should the first review be planned?
Design the first review when support begins. Decide what evidence each person will bring and what question the meeting needs to answer.
A compact review pack should show:
- the agreed starting point and whether provision was delivered;
- the agreed work sample, observation or other measure;
- pupil, parent and teacher views of progress and access;
- the decision to continue, adjust or stop each part of the provision.
Paragraph 6.65 says schools should meet parents at least three times each year while a pupil receives SEN Support. Meetings can align with the normal parent cycle where possible, but usually need more time. Paragraph 6.71 says the record should be shared with appropriate staff and given to parents.
A review should create the next current decision, not leave competing versions in the MIS, email and downloads folder.
What should leaders check across the school?
Sample five pupils who started SEN Support recently and ask:
- Can the family-facing notification be found?
- Does the record show why SEN Support started?
- Are pupil and parent views visible?
- Can staff see the current provision and teaching approaches?
- Is responsibility named?
- Is there a review date and an agreed evidence question?
- Can the team distinguish the current plan from earlier drafts?
This check tests the whole handoff. A complete MIS field does not prove that the parent was informed, the teacher knows what to do or the review has been designed.
Frequently asked questions
Does a parent have to sign before SEN Support can begin?
The Code requires formal notification and consultation, but it does not prescribe a national consent form. Schools should involve parents, record their views and explain the decision and provision clearly. Local procedures may use signatures as an acknowledgement, but the signature is not a substitute for the school's assessment and responsibilities.
Does a pupil need a diagnosis before starting SEN Support?
No fixed diagnosis gate appears in the Code. The decision turns on whether a learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision. Our guide to writing a SEN Support plan without waiting for a diagnosis explains how to work from observed need and recorded evidence.
Is adding a pupil to the SEN register enough?
No. Schools may use an SEN register or MIS code to manage the cohort, but the Code requires a recorded decision, parent notification, agreed provision, staff awareness and review. The list is an index to the work, not the work itself.
Can the school use an ordinary parents' evening for SEN Support reviews?
The Code says meetings should be aligned with the normal cycle of parent discussions where possible, but should allow enough time to explore views and plan support. A short appointment is only suitable if it can do that job properly.
Make the handoff visible
Starting SEN Support is a change in what the school has decided to provide. Treat it as a controlled handoff: decision, notification, current plan, staff briefing and review.
MeritDocs supports that workflow by keeping the structured plan, approved version, responsibilities and review context together. The family knows what has been decided, staff know what to do, and the next review starts from a record people can trust.