The report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People. Commissioned by the Secretaries of State for England, Wales and Scotland in 1974 from a committee chaired by Mary Warnock, the report was published in 1978. It provided the basis for the Education Act 1981.

Roughly two per cent of children have sensory, physical, mental, medical, behavioural or emotional difficulties or a combination of these, requiring a Statement of special needs under the Education Act 1993. A further twenty per cent may have a learning difficulty not requiring a Statement, but needing additional help from teachers.

needs-inhibiting learning requiring particular support that can lead to a Statement of SEN that states the needs and how they will best be met