School Action and School Action Plus

Before the 2014 reforms, schools in England worked in two steps. School Action meant the school itself was doing something extra. School Action Plus meant the school had brought in outside help, such as a specialist teacher or a speech and language therapist Speech and language therapist A speech and language therapist helps children who find it hard to understand others or to get their own message across. They also help with eating, drinking and swallowing. Read the full definition of Speech and language therapist .

Both were replaced by a single stage called SEN support SEN support The everyday help a school in England puts in place for a child with special educational needs. It is based on what your child needs, not on having a diagnosis. Read the full definition of SEN support . Under SEN SEND SEND is England's word for children who need extra help to learn. The rest of the UK uses other words, and other rules. Read the full definition of SEND support, teachers identify a child's needs, decide what outcomes are expected, plan the help and review how it is going, on a repeating cycle. In early years settings the same change happened to Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus.

The change came in with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, published in July 2014 and updated in January 2015, alongside the Children and Families Act 2014.

If a school still talks to you about School Action Plus, they are using an old word for the current system, and it is worth asking what is actually being put in place and when it will be reviewed.