SEN Register: What It Means and How It Helps

“Your child is on the SEN Register.” For some parents, this sentence brings relief—finally, acknowledgment and support. For others, it triggers worry—does this mean my child is labeled? Limited? Permanently identified as “different”?

Understanding what the SEN Register actually is, what it means for your child, and how it’s used helps you see it for what it truly is: an administrative tool that, when used well, ensures children get appropriate support rather than a limiting label.

This guide will demystify the SEN Register, explain the categories and codes you might see, and help you understand your rights and how to ensure your child’s inclusion on the register leads to meaningful support.

What is the SEN Register?

Every school in England maintains a SEN Register (sometimes called the SEND Register or Inclusion Register)—a record of all pupils identified as having special educational needs. This register is a working document used to:

Purpose of the SEN Register:

• Track SEN provision: Identify which children need additional or different support
• Ensure oversight: Enable the SENCO to monitor SEN Support effectiveness across the school
• Resource allocation: Help schools plan staffing, interventions, and budgets
• Reporting: Provide data for the annual SEN Information Report and census returns to the DfE
• Accountability: Demonstrate to Ofsted that the school identifies and supports children with SEN
• Communication: Ensure all staff know which children have identified needs

The register is not public, though anonymized statistics (e.g., “15% of our pupils have SEN”) appear in schools’ published information.

SEN Support vs EHCP: Register Categories

Children on the SEN Register fall into two main categories, sometimes referred to as “K” and “E” codes:

The Two SEN Register Categories:

SEN Support (Code: K)

Children receiving SEN Support from the school, funded and managed by the school itself. This includes those receiving interventions, reasonable adjustments, and in-class strategies. Previously called “School Action” and “School Action Plus” before the 2014 SEND reforms.

Example: Child receiving small group phonics intervention and use of visual timetables.

EHCP (Code: E)

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Their provision is legally binding and often involves LA funding and coordination across education, health, and care services.

Example: Child with autism receiving 15 hours/week TA support and weekly SALT as specified in their EHCP.

Some schools also maintain an internal “monitoring” category for children who don’t yet have SEN Support but are being watched for emerging needs. This isn’t an official DfE category but helps schools track early intervention.

Primary Area of Need: The SEN Categories

When a child is added to the SEN Register, the school assigns a primary area of need. This helps identify the type of support required and is reported in the national census.

The Four Broad Areas of SEN (SEND Code of Practice):

1. Communication and Interaction

Includes speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and autism spectrum condition (ASC). Children may have difficulty with social communication, processing language, or understanding social cues.

2. Cognition and Learning

Includes moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), and specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia.

3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

Includes ADHD, attachment difficulties, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and other emotional/behavioral difficulties that impact learning. Previously called BESD (Behavioral, Emotional and Social Difficulties).

4. Sensory and/or Physical

Includes visual impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI), multi-sensory impairment (MSI), and physical disability (PD). Also encompasses sensory processing difficulties.

While children often have needs across multiple areas, schools must select one primary area for census purposes. This can feel reductive—your child is more than a code—but it’s an administrative necessity.

How Children Are Added to (or Removed from) the Register

Being Added to the Register

A child should be added to the SEN Register when they require provision that is “additional to or different from” that made generally for others of the same age. Ideally, this decision involves:

• Assessment: Data showing the child is not making expected progress or has identified needs
• Teacher/SENCO discussion: Professional judgment that SEN Support is needed
• Parental consultation: Schools should inform and discuss with parents before adding a child
• Graduated approach initiated: Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle begins

Parent rights: While schools make the final decision about the register, they must consult you. If you disagree with the decision (either way), discuss your concerns with the SENCO.

Being Removed from the Register

Children may be removed from the SEN Register if:

• They’ve made sufficient progress and no longer need SEN Support
• Their needs can now be met through quality first teaching alone
• Interventions have been successful and are no longer required
• The initial identification was incorrect (rare, but can happen)

This should be a positive transition, not a sudden withdrawal of support. Good practice includes a “graduation” plan where support is gradually reduced while monitoring that progress is maintained.

Caution:

Occasionally, schools remove children from the SEN Register prematurely—often due to funding pressures or to improve their SEN statistics. If you believe your child still needs support, challenge the decision and request evidence that they can maintain progress without continued intervention.

What Being on the Register Should Mean

Inclusion on the SEN Register isn’t just a label—it should translate into tangible support:

What Your Child Should Receive:

• A SEN Support Plan: Outlining needs, targets, and interventions
• Regular reviews: At least termly assessment of progress
• Targeted interventions: Additional support beyond universal provision
• Reasonable adjustments: Modifications to teaching, environment, or expectations
• Staff awareness: All teachers should know about your child’s needs and strategies
• Parental involvement: Regular communication and inclusion in planning
• Monitoring: SENCO oversight ensuring support is delivered and effective

If your child is on the register but not receiving any of the above, raise this with the SENCO. Being on the list without support is meaningless.

Common Concerns About the SEN Register

Concern 1: “Will being on the register label my child?”

Reality: The register itself doesn’t label your child publicly. It’s an internal school document. What matters is how teachers respond to the information. In good schools, being on the register means teachers understand your child’s needs and adapt accordingly. In poor practice, it can lead to low expectations. Your role is ensuring it’s the former.

Concern 2: “Will it follow them forever?”

Reality: SEN records transfer between schools but can be removed if needs are resolved. The register is reviewed regularly—it’s not a permanent mark.

Concern 3: “Will it affect their education opportunities?”

Reality: Being on the SEN Register does not limit which schools your child can attend (though some schools illegally try to discourage SEN admissions—this is discrimination). For exams, children on the register may qualify for access arrangements (extra time, reader, etc.), which can be beneficial.

Concern 4: “What if I don’t want my child on the register?”

Reality: While parents can’t veto a school’s decision to add a child to the SEN Register, the school should explain their reasoning and involve you in decision-making. Consider: if your child needs support, being on the register ensures accountability for delivering it.

Using the Register Information for Advocacy

As a parent, you can use information about the SEN Register to advocate effectively:

Advocacy Strategies:

• Request your child’s entry: Ask to see how your child is recorded—category, needs description, provision listed
• Check provision matches reality: Is what’s written in the register actually being delivered?
• Challenge incorrect categorization: If the primary area of need doesn’t reflect your child’s main barrier to learning, discuss changing it
• Use it as evidence: If requesting an EHCP, reference that your child has been on the SEN Register for X time and cite the support received (or not received)
• Monitor changes: If your child is moved categories or removed from the register, understand why and whether you agree

Final Thoughts: A Tool, Not a Label

The SEN Register is an administrative tool. Like any tool, its value depends on how it’s used. When used well—to track needs, ensure provision, facilitate communication, and monitor progress—it’s incredibly valuable. When it’s just a list gathering dust, it’s meaningless.

Your role as a parent is to ensure that your child’s presence on the register translates into actual support. Monitor what they receive, ask questions when provision doesn’t match promises, and use the register as one piece of evidence when advocating for your child’s needs.

Being on the SEN Register isn’t about limitation—it’s about recognition. Recognition that your child has needs, deserves support, and has the right to an education that enables them to thrive.

Related Resources

• SEN Support Plans: Understanding the Graduated Approach
• EHCP Application Guide: Complete UK Process
• Working with Local Authority: Effective Advocacy Strategies
• SEN Parent Burnout: Prevention Strategies & Self-Care Guide