Most young children and students with additional needs attend mainstream nurseries, schools, colleges and universities, but there are also special school options available for them, and that’s the same in China. In UK, classes in mainstream schools may be supported by teaching assistants for part or all of the day. Most support staff have been trained in specific language interventions. In China, there are no assistant teachers in the classrooms in mainstream schools, but all the teachers would care more for the children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

There is extra support available to help children with (SEND) access the same opportunities as other children and prepare for school. Children and young people with SEND can get a Compass Card which gives them discounts and special offers on a huge range of leisure activities and events. The Department for Education has committed an extra £500,000 over the next three years for children and young people with SEND in Brighton and Hove.

There are also some special school in Brighton and Hove such as Downs View School, Hill Park School, Homewood College and Pupil Referral Units. Class sizes vary but children are taught in small groups with a high level of support from teaching assistants. As well as classrooms, the school may have a food technology room, library, hydrotherapy pool, sound and light studio, soft room, as well as an adventure playground and extensive playing fields outside. The students take part in a diverse range of extra-curricular activities which includes visiting to the cinema, ten pin bowling and outdoor pursuits and cultural activities. As for support and special schools, they are quite similar with China.

Her son studies in a primary school in Eastbourne and he has some difficulties with his handwriting because he can’t hold his pen properly. Therefore, the parent needs to communicate with the school about the boy’s disabilities proactively so that the school can help him with the problem. The schools react rather than initiate in UK, and that’s different in China. In China, it is the duty of schools to communicate with the parents  to know more about the disabled children so as to react appropriately.