Helping Primary schools and families understand why children struggle to learn since 1994
SEND Explained
The clinical vs. academic distinctions
1. The EHC Needs Assessment Process
Sometimes a school feels there is not yet enough educational evidence to support an EHC Needs Assessment request, even though parents are entitled to apply directly to the Local Authority. An independent educational assessment, such as STUCKHUB's Primary Needs Assessment, can provide additional evidence about a child's learning profile, barriers to learning and educational needs. This can help parents, schools and the Local Authority better understand whether the legal threshold for an EHC Needs Assessment may be met.
Whether the request comes from a parent or a school, the Local Authority must consider it against the legal criteria set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.
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By Week 6 – The Local Authority decides whether to carry out an EHC Needs Assessment.
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By Week 16 – If the assessment proceeds, a draft EHCP may be issued.
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By Week 20 – The final EHCP should normally be issued (unless a lawful exception applies).
2. Choosing Your Expert
Not all assessments carry the same weight in a legal setting.
The Professional
STUCKHUB
Independent Primary Needs Assessment Specialist
BA (Hons) B.Ed
OCR Level 5 Dip (SpLD)
Educational Psychologist
HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist
Level 7 Specialist Teacher Assessor
Current APC Holder (PATOSS/BDA or equivalent)
Age Range
6+ (end of Year 1 onwards)
Children and young people where psychological assessment is appropriate.
Typically school-age children where literacy, SpLD or attainment assessment is appropriate.
Primary Role
Identifies why learning has become difficult and translates assessment findings into a practical educational roadmap for school and home.
Assesses cognitive, psychological and developmental factors and, where appropriate, diagnoses specific learning difficulties while providing educational psychology advice.
Assesses and, where appropriate, diagnoses specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia) and recommends specialist teaching strategies and reasonable adjustments.
Best For
Children whose learning needs remain unclear, whose progress has stalled, or where schools and families need clear educational direction before deciding on the next stage of support.
Complex learning needs, statutory EHC Needs Assessments and situations requiring educational psychology advice.
Dyslexia assessment, literacy difficulties, exam access arrangements and specialist literacy intervention.
Typical Use
Guides teaching, SEND planning, targeted intervention and annual reviews and, where appropriate, provides independent educational evidence that may support EHC Needs Assessment requests and reviews.
Statutory advice within EHC Needs Assessments and professional psychological evidence for Local Authorities, schools and tribunals.
Provides specialist educational evidence to support school intervention, literacy planning, exam access arrangements and, where appropriate, contributes evidence alongside other professional reports.
Choosing the right assessment depends on your child's needs and your reason for seeking an assessment.
A Level 7 Specialist Teacher Assessor, an Educational Psychologist and a STUCKHUB Primary Needs Assessment each answer different educational questions. If you are unsure which assessment is most appropriate, seeking advice before commissioning an assessment may help avoid unnecessary duplication and expense.
3. Choose the right assessment for the right purpose.
A Level 7 Specialist Teacher Assessment and an Educational Psychology Assessment are designed for different purposes. Neither automatically replaces the other.
A Level 7 assessment can provide valuable educational evidence about literacy, dyslexia, attainment and classroom support. However, where a Local Authority requires Educational Psychology advice as part of an EHC Needs Assessment or statutory process, a Level 7 assessment cannot replace that statutory professional advice.
STUCKHUB Advice
Before commissioning any assessment, be clear about what you need the evidence to achieve.
A STUCKHUB Primary Needs Assessment is designed to support multiple stages of a younger child's educational journey. It identifies underlying barriers to learning, produces an individual teaching roadmap, informs SEND planning, supports intervention, annual reviews and, where appropriate, contributes independent educational evidence towards an EHC Needs Assessment.
Even where further specialist advice (such as Educational Psychology) is later required, the educational recommendations, teaching priorities and personalised action plan produced by the assessment continue to support the child in school and at home—making the assessment useful beyond a single application.
4. Key Terms
The world of SEND is full of unfamiliar words and abbreviations. This glossary explains the most important terms in plain English, helping you feel more confident when talking to schools and professionals.
SEN (Special Educational Needs)
A child has Special Educational Needs (SEN) if they need extra educational support because they find learning significantly harder than most children of the same age or have a disability that affects their learning.
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
An umbrella term used to describe children and young people who have Special Educational Needs (SEN), a disability, or both.
SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)
The professional who leads and coordinates SEND provision within a school. A SENCO may work full-time, part-time or across several schools. They coordinate support, advise staff, work with families and outside professionals and oversee the graduated response for pupils with SEND. They do not usually carry out specialist assessments or diagnose specific learning difficulties or medical conditions themselves, but they coordinate the assessment process and ensure the right professionals are involved where needed.
SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulty)
A learning difference that affects particular areas, such as reading, writing, spelling or maths. It is not linked to intelligence. Many children with an SpLD are bright and capable but need teaching that matches the way they learn.
SEND Support
The help a school provides for a child with SEN using its own resources. This might include extra teaching, targeted interventions or specialist strategies. Most children with SEN receive SEND Support and do not need an EHCP.
STUCKHUB Primary Needs Assessment (PNA)
A whole-child educational assessment that identifies why learning has become difficult and translates findings into a practical educational roadmap for school and home. Many assessments are commissioned by SENCOs and carried out in school during the normal school day. Reports support teaching, SEND planning and, where appropriate, provide independent educational evidence for EHC Needs Assessment requests and EHCP reviews.
EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan)
A legal document that describes a child's educational needs, the educational support they must receive and, where appropriate, the school they should attend. It is issued by the Local Authority when a child needs more support than a school can normally provide.
EHC Needs Assessment (EHCNA)
The legal assessment process the Local Authority uses to decide whether a child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Parents have the legal right to request an EHC Needs Assessment themselves.
Section B, E and F
These are the most important educational sections of an EHCP.
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Section B – describes the child's Special Educational Needs.
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Section E – sets out the long-term educational outcomes.
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Section F – specifies the educational provision the Local Authority must arrange.
The educational provision written in Section F is legally enforceable.
Barriers to Learning
The reasons a child is becoming "stuck." These might include memory, attention, language, confidence, anxiety, processing speed or gaps in learning. Identifying these barriers helps schools understand what support is most likely to help. A STUCKHUB Primary Needs Assessment is designed to identify these barriers and translate them into practical educational support.
Screening
A quick check that suggests a child may have a learning difficulty. It does not offer or confirm a diagnosis.
The Graduated Response (Assess–Plan–Do–Review)
The step-by-step approach schools should use to support children with SEND. Schools assess a child's needs, plan support, put it into practice and review whether it is making a difference before deciding whether different support, further specialist advice or an EHC Needs Assessment may be needed.
Provision
The actual support a child receives, such as small-group teaching, one-to-one help, specialist teaching or therapy. If a child has an EHCP, the educational support listed in Section F must be provided by law.
Common SEND Misunderstandings
🚫 Myth 1: "We have to wait for a diagnosis before support can begin."
Reality:
No. Schools should begin supporting a child as soon as a Special Educational Need is identified. A diagnosis may help explain why a child is struggling, but it is not required before support begins.
How STUCKHUB helps:
A Primary Needs Assessment identifies barriers to learning and provides practical recommendations that schools can use immediately to inform the Graduated Response.
🚫 Myth 2: "Your child is at age-related expectations, so they don’t have SEN."
Reality:
A child does not have to be working below age-related expectations to have SEN. Some children achieve average results while working significantly harder than their peers or masking underlying difficulties.
How STUCKHUB helps:
We conduct a deep-dive investigation into Cognitive vs. Attainment gaps. We show the school the "hidden cost" your child is paying—such as fatigue or anxiety—to stay "average," and help schools and families understand the support that may be appropriate.
🚫 Myth 3: "The school has to spend £6,000 of their own money before we can apply for an EHCP."
Reality:
There is no "spending threshold" in the Children and Families Act 2014. The only criteria for an EHCNA is that the child may need more support than a mainstream school can typically provide.
How STUCKHUB helps:
We help the school’s current provision. If the school is "stuck," our Report can be used to support an application using professional language that proves the child's needs exceed the standard budget, helping schools demonstrate that the child's needs may require provision beyond what is ordinarily available..
🚫 Myth 4: "We can't apply for an EHCP because the Educational Psychologist hasn't visited yet."
Reality:
Parents and schools can request an EHC Needs Assessment without first obtaining a private Educational Psychologist report. If the Local Authority agrees to carry out an EHC Needs Assessment, it will normally seek Educational Psychology advice as part of the statutory process.
How STUCKHUB helps:
Our assessment helps schools and families gather educational evidence that may support an EHC Needs Assessment request.
🚫 Myth 5: "An online screening test is all the evidence I need to show the school."
Reality:
Schools and Local Authorities generally require evidence that is relevant, detailed and based on recognised educational assessment methods.
How STUCKHUB helps:
We replace generic "automated" screeners with a bespoke Preliminary Needs Analysis (PNA). Our assessments are built specifically for the UK education system, ensuring the data you present is recognised and respected by SENCOs and LAs.
⚠️ Professional Warning: Be cautious of generic online screening tools, particularly those not designed for the UK education system. Screening tools can indicate possible areas of difficulty but should not be relied upon as diagnostic evidence or as the sole basis for SEND decision-making.
Every child is more than a label.
Most children are not defined by a single difficulty. They present with a unique combination of strengths, barriers, experiences and learning needs. BLUE = Where STUCKHUB can help.
Questions raised by online screeners
Learning below expected levels
Diagnosed learning difficulties
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Home circumstances affecting learning
NOTE: Your child won't have all of these characteristics. Most children present with a unique combination of strengths, experiences and barriers. The purpose of a Primary Needs Assessment is to identify which of these are affecting your child's learning—and, more importantly, what to do next.
" A school doesn't need a formal diagnosis to put support in place for your child and shouldn't delay in providing appropriate support and/or interventions"
British Dyslexia Association
Need More Help?
STUCKHUB helps families understand educational needs and provides practical recommendations to support learning at school and at home.
For independent advice about SEND law and your child's legal rights, these trusted organisations provide excellent guidance:
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IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) – Independent advice on SEND law, EHC Needs Assessments, EHCPs and SEND appeals.
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Contact – National charity supporting families of children with disabilities and additional needs.
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GOV.UK – SEND Code of Practice (2015) – The statutory guidance followed by schools, Local Authorities and other professionals.
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Council for Disabled Children (CDC) – Information about SEND policy, legislation and good practice.
Where possible, arrange to visit schools, meet the SENCO and ask how the school supports children with needs similar to your child's. The quality of SEND provision is often best understood through conversations rather than data alone.