Support children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs — City & Guilds Limited Occupational Qualification Learning Support Revision

    This unit equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively support children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs (S

    Topic Synopsis

    This unit equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively support children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND) in educational settings. It covers key legal frameworks such as the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice, emphasising the rights to inclusive education and reasonable adjustments. The focus is on practical application: understanding individual needs, promoting inclusion, and enabling full participation in all school activities through tailored support strategies.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Support children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs

    CITY & GUILDS LIMITED
    vocational

    This unit equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively support children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND) in educational settings. It covers key legal frameworks such as the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice, emphasising the rights to inclusive education and reasonable adjustments. The focus is on practical application: understanding individual needs, promoting inclusion, and enabling full participation in all school activities through tailored support strategies.

    1
    Learning Outcomes
    5
    Assessment Guidance
    5
    Key Skills
    1
    Key Terms
    4
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools

    Topic Overview

    The City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools is a vocational qualification designed for individuals working or volunteering as teaching assistants, learning support assistants, or similar roles. It provides the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support pupils' learning, development, and well-being in a school environment. The qualification covers key areas such as understanding child development, promoting positive behaviour, supporting literacy and numeracy, and working collaboratively with teachers and other professionals. It is a nationally recognised qualification that equips learners with practical strategies to enhance classroom effectiveness and contribute to an inclusive learning environment.

    This qualification is essential for anyone seeking to progress in a support role within primary, secondary, or special educational needs (SEN) settings. It aligns with the UK's professional standards for teaching assistants and is often a prerequisite for further study, such as the Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning. By completing this certificate, learners gain a deeper understanding of how to adapt support to meet individual pupil needs, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The course also emphasises safeguarding, equality, and diversity, ensuring that support staff can create a safe and inclusive atmosphere that promotes every child's right to learn and thrive.

    The qualification is structured around mandatory and optional units, allowing learners to tailor their studies to their specific role or interests. Mandatory units cover topics like child and young person development, communication and professional relationships, and understanding how to support learning activities. Optional units might include supporting pupils with autism, dyslexia, or behavioural challenges. Assessment is typically through a portfolio of evidence, including observations, reflective accounts, and work products, which demonstrates competence in real-world school settings. This practical approach ensures that learners can immediately apply their knowledge to support teachers and enhance pupil outcomes.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Child development: Understanding the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development stages from birth to 19 years, and how these influence learning and behaviour.
    • →Safeguarding: Knowing how to recognise signs of abuse or neglect, follow school policies, and report concerns appropriately to protect children and young people.
    • →Differentiation: Adapting support strategies, resources, and activities to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those with SEND or English as an additional language (EAL).
    • →Positive behaviour management: Using strategies like praise, clear expectations, and consistent consequences to promote a positive learning environment and manage challenging behaviour.
    • →Professional boundaries: Understanding the limits of the support role, maintaining confidentiality, and working collaboratively with teachers, parents, and external agencies.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Know the rights of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs, Understand the disabilities and/or special educational needs of children and young people in own care, Be able to contribute to the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs, Be able to support disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs to participate in the full range of activities and experiences

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for clearly referencing the Equality Act 2010, UNCRC, and SEND Code of Practice, and explaining how these protect rights to mainstream education, reasonable adjustments, and non-discrimination.
    • Credit for providing detailed, person-centred descriptions of the specific disabilities or SEN of children in the learner's care, including the impact on learning, communication, and social development, and evidence of using this understanding to inform support.
    • Marks awarded for demonstrating proactive contribution to inclusive planning and practice, such as adapting resources, modifying environments, or using specialist equipment, with justification of how these actions remove barriers to participation.
    • Credit for evidence of enabling disabled/SEN children to engage in all routine activities (lessons, play, meals, school trips) through practical strategies like peer support, differentiated tasks, and assistive technology, and for monitoring and recording progress.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Always use anonymised, specific examples from your placement to illustrate how you have applied inclusive practices, referencing individual children's needs.
    • 💡Explicitly link your actions to relevant legislation, policies, and frameworks (e.g., Equality Act, SEND Code of Practice) to demonstrate underpinning knowledge.
    • 💡Showcase how you have personalised support—describe exactly what you adapted and why—to gain marks for differentiation and inclusion.
    • 💡Keep a reflective log of inclusive strategies you have tried, evaluating what worked and what you would adjust, as this demonstrates continuous improvement.
    • 💡Evidence your collaboration with teachers, SENCOs, and other professionals by mentioning joint planning or feedback you have contributed to.
    • 💡Use specific examples from your school placement to illustrate your understanding. For instance, describe how you adapted a literacy activity for a pupil with dyslexia, linking it to theories of differentiation.
    • 💡Always link your answers to official frameworks, such as the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) or the National Curriculum, to show you understand how policy translates into practice.
    • 💡In your portfolio, ensure you reflect on your actions and outcomes. Explain not just what you did, but why you did it and how it impacted pupil learning or well-being.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Assuming all disabilities are visible and overlooking hidden conditions such as sensory impairments, learning difficulties, or mental health needs.
    • Applying a one-size-fits-all support approach without considering the individual child's strengths, preferences, and specific challenges.
    • Failing to differentiate between a disability and a special educational need, leading to inappropriate support strategies.
    • Ignoring the child's own voice and not involving them in decisions about their support, as required by the SEND Code of Practice.
    • Forgetting to collaborate with parents, carers, and multi-disciplinary professionals, resulting in inconsistent or contradictory approaches.
    • Misconception: Teaching assistants only work with low-ability pupils. Correction: TAs support all pupils, including high achievers, and may lead small group interventions or provide one-to-one support for specific needs.
    • Misconception: Safeguarding is only about reporting abuse. Correction: Safeguarding also includes promoting health and safety, online safety, and teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe.
    • Misconception: Behaviour management is solely the teacher's responsibility. Correction: TAs play a key role in reinforcing expectations, modelling positive behaviour, and implementing behaviour plans under the teacher's guidance.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •A basic understanding of the UK education system, including key stages and the roles of different school staff.
    • •Experience working or volunteering in a school setting, even if informal, to provide context for the course content.
    • •Completion of a Level 1 qualification in a related subject (e.g., Supporting Teaching and Learning) is helpful but not mandatory.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Know the rights of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs, Understand the disabilities and/or special educational needs of children and young people in own care, Be able to contribute to the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs, Be able to support disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs to participate in the full range of activities and experiences

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