SEN Education: What’s Best?
SEN education: What’s best?
What’s the ideal scenario for children with special educational needs – state school, specialist schools or private tutoring?
The best learning situation for a child with special educational needs (SEN) will depend on the severity of the problem and the impact their needs have on that child’s ability to learn, to socialise, or to concentrate.
According to the UK Government, SEN that affect a child’s ability to learn can include their:
- behaviour or ability to socialise, e.g. not being able to make friends
- reading and writing, e.g. they have dyslexia
- ability to understand things
- concentration levels, e.g. they have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- physical needs or impairments
State schools
Unfortunately, not every state school has adequate provision for SEN. There can also be many different types of SEN that need to be catered for, which may be just too much for a single SEN Co-ordinator to handle.
The school, depending on how many children need supplementary help and the available budget, may bring in extra support from qualified SEN tutors, or parents often plug the learning gap with after-school private tuition. This is not an ideal situation, however, as the school day continues to be frustrating and difficult for the student, and the good work done at home with the tutor may be undone by poor behaviour and feelings of inadequacy at school.
Specialist SEN schools
Parents may decide that a dedicated SEN school is more appropriate for their child, where the staff are trained to recognise and actively target special needs.
The teacher-pupil ratio is lower in a specialist school than in a state school, but pupils may feel stigmatised by attending a SEN school, and the move away from former friends and classmates may exacerbate any differences they’re already feeling.
Private home schooling
Full-time home tuition by a specialist SEN tutor means the child has a one-on-one education and this is always the ideal scenario for any student.
A good private tutor can react in that moment to the situation, adapting teaching techniques to suit an individual child’s pattern of concentration, and ensure they fully understand the lesson before moving to the next.
Social and physical activities can be experienced at the convenience of and to support the needs of the child.
Under the supervision or coordination of a private SEN tutor, playtime and sports can be non-threatening and support the child’s growth, emotionally, physically and academically.
For more information about full-time SEN tutors for home schooling, contact Tutors International.