The SEND badge

Some tutors on Tutorperch carry a SEND badge. It marks tutors who hold a recognised special educational needs and disability qualification. This page sets out which qualifications earn it, how it's checked, and what it doesn't cover.

How the badge is earned

Both badges are awarded after credential verification. Tutors who have already uploaded and had a QT qualification verified can opt-in to the badge if their qualification included formal SEND training and are then automatically awarded SEND Trained, since QT qualifications often include formal SEND training — this removes duplicate verification work for both the tutor and Tutorperch.

Level guide

Example qualifications that can earn the SEND Trained or SEND Specialist badges

A tutor with a general teaching qualification and SEND experience but none of the above doesn't carry the badge. Experience on its own isn't something we can check against a certificate, so it's for the tutor to describe on their profile rather than something we can verify. This is not an exhaustive list.

• NPQ for SENCOs (NPQSENCO), the current mandatory qualification for new-to-role SENCOs in England from October 2024.
• National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO), the qualification it replaced. Still accepted, since it was the required route for anyone who became a SENCO before the change.
• SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate (APC), for tutors qualified to carry out formal specific learning difficulty assessment (for example through Patoss or the BDA-accredited route).
• Postgraduate SEND qualifications: MA SEND, PGCert or PGDip in SEND or inclusive education, and equivalent postgraduate study with a SEND specialism.
• QTS, QTLS or PGCE routes with a formal SEND or EYITT SEND specialism, where the specialism is named on the certificate itself, not inferred from a personal statement or CV.
• Recognised overseas equivalents, checked the same way as overseas teaching licences under the Qualified Teacher badge: against the document itself, for the stamping and watermarks the issuing body uses.

In the tables below, ST is SEND Trained and SS is SEND Specialist. Entries marked * depend on certificate level verification.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD): Dyslexia / Literacy

SpLD: Dyscalculia / Maths difficulties

Autism Spectrum Support

ADHD / Executive Function Support

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Dyspraxia / Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Sensory Needs

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

Visual Impairment (VI)

Hearing Impairment (HI)

Exam Access Arrangements

Assistive Technology / Accessibility

What it isn't

The SEND badge is not the same thing as the need areas a tutor lists on their profile (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and so on). Those are self-declared by the tutor, not tied to a qualification, and get confirmed over time through what parents say in reviews, not checked by us before they go live. What each need area covers goes through them one by one.

What the badge means, and what it doesn't

The badge means our team matched a recognised SEND qualification to the certificate a tutor provided, and to their identity, at the time of review. It doesn't mean we've confirmed how a tutor applies that training with a particular child, and it isn't a live registration status with any professional body. The full terms are in our terms of service.

Useful references: SEND code of practice (GOV.UK), NPQ for SENCOs (GOV.UK), and Nasen on NASENCo.

How the SEND badge policy was developed

Our SEND badge policy was developed by reviewing how established tutoring providers define SEND expertise, alongside recognised UK qualification frameworks and guidance on SEND specialisms.

The research showed a clear distinction between general SEND knowledge and specialist expertise. Level 1–3 qualifications can demonstrate a foundation in supporting pupils with SEND, while higher-level or specialist qualifications provide evidence of expertise in particular areas such as dyslexia, autism, ADHD, access arrangements, communication needs or SEND leadership. The policy therefore does not treat all SEND training as equivalent.

We also reviewed the qualifications and experience accepted by established SEND tutoring providers. These included SEND-specific qualifications from Levels 4–7, specialist dyslexia and SpLD qualifications, autism and ADHD training, NASENCO, access-arrangement assessment qualifications and relevant communication qualifications. QTS, PGCE and general teaching qualifications were commonly held alongside these but were not, on their own, treated as evidence of specialist SEND expertise.

Government guidance was also considered. This confirms that SEND is a broad field with distinct specialist areas, including sensory impairment, and that teaching qualifications provide general preparation for working with pupils with SEND rather than automatically conferring specialist expertise.

Based on this evidence, our badge system is designed to distinguish between general SEND capability and recognised specialist expertise. Tutors must provide evidence appropriate to the badge they are claiming, with specialist badges linked to relevant qualifications or training rather than relying solely on general teaching experience or a broad claim of being “SEND trained”.

This approach aims to make the badges meaningful and comparable for parents, while avoiding the implication that a single generic SEND course qualifies a tutor to support every type of special educational need.