The number of pupils with special educational needs has increased over the last three years, driving up demand for intervention specialists in schools.
But what role do they have to play in primary and secondary schools, and why are educational settings so keen to have them on board?
Demand for SEN support is rising
According to the latest figures from the Department for Education, there were 1.37 million pupils with some form of special educational need in 2020, accounting for 15.5% of the school population.
Despite falling steadily from a peak in 2010, the number of pupils requiring SEN support has grown since 2018, resulting in a growing demand for related assistance services.
This has a knock-on impact on student needs across the education system, as primary and secondary schools will need to make adjustments to cater for pupils with SEN.
What are intervention specialists?
Intervention specialists are responsible for helping children with SEN and a range of other social adjustment needs in whatever educational settings they find themselves in.
They’ll be expected to create means of support for pupils and to deliver them within school settings in order to help provide better learning outcomes.
These programmes of support are often tailored based on a number of different factors, such as considering the pupil’s age and cultural background, to meeting more specific needs.
What role do they play in schools?
A key part of an intervention specialist’s role relates to identifying pupil needs and developing strategies to enable those pupils to be successful.
Crucial to this is communication with parents and other school staff to ensure that all parties are aware of how best to provide support to meet pupil needs.
Most interventions are done in primary schools to support pupils with English and mathematics, including with key skills such as reading and writing, although it is not uncommon for further support be provided in secondary schools as well.
Different methods of learning may be required in order to enhance understanding and a wide range of techniques and support might be used, depending on what help a specific pupil requires.
Ultimately, intervention specialists will look to make a difference to pupil education and learning outcomes, making them a key asset for schools across the country.
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