The information on this page is presented in the format of frequently asked questions. Please click a question from the index below to see the appropriate answer.
What is a statement of special educational needs?
A statement of special educational needs (SEN) is a legal document issued by a Local Authority (LA). It is issued following a statutory assessment of SEN carried out by the LA for a child or young person who is experiencing significant difficulty with learning, due to a physical, sensory, communication, cognitive or behavioural difficulty.
The statement sets out details of all of the child’s difficulties, as well as what they can do, and how the difficulties impact on his or her ability to learn. It also specifies the provision that will be made by the educational setting and the LA to meet these needs. The provision that is made by the LA is designed to supplement that already made by the school, not to replace it.
The final statement also names the school that the child is to attend and this school must make arrangements to admit the child as soon as possible after the statement is issued in its final form, if he or she is not already attending that school. The statement can only be amended as a result of an annual review, a reassessment or because the child’s parent or carer has requested that a different school be named.
Further information can be obtained by contacting the Assessment and Review Team at the Town Hall, telephone 01753 787676. The Slough Parent Partnership can provide independent and confidential support and information Telephone 01753 787693. Leaflets are available.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families issues a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement, available in ten languages. The SEN Code of Practice 2001 sets out the procedures that schools and LAs should follow in order to identify and meet special educational needs. Both of these publications are available free of charge from the DCFS Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
How does the statementing process start?
The statementing process starts when the Local Authority (LA) initiates a statutory assessment of special educational needs. The assessment can be requested either by the child’s parents or carers or by the school or other educational setting that the child attends.
Sometimes, other agencies, such as the Health Authority, will advise the LA that it may be necessary to consider whether to carry out a statutory assessment for a particular child or young person. In all cases, the LA decides whether the assessment is necessary by considering the information submitted against its published guidelines.
An assessment of special educational needs should take no longer than 26 weeks from the time that the initial request is received by the local authority (LA) to the time when a final statement is issued. Each stage of the assessment is subject to strict timescales set out by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
Once the assessment process is complete, the LA will decide whether a statement should be drawn up. The LA will issue a proposed statement first of all and, once the child’s parents or carers are satisfied with its contents, will proceed to issue a final statement.
Sometimes, after considering the advice that has been provided for the assessment, the LA will decide that the child’s special educational needs can be met from within the resources already available to the school and will issue a Note in Lieu instead. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Assessment and Review Team on 01753 787676.
The Parent Partnership can provide independent information and support. Telephone 01753 787693. Leaflets are available. The Department for Education and Science issues a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement.
The SEN Code of Practice 2001 sets out the procedures that schools and LAs should follow in order to identify and meet special educational needs. Both of these publications are available free of charge from the DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
What happens once my child has a statement of special educational needs?
Once the statement is finalised, he or she will receive the support specified in Part 3 of the statement.
The head teacher is responsible for making the arrangements for the provision to be put in place. An individual education plan (IEP) may be drawn up for your child, giving details of short-term targets to help them reach the objectives on the statement.
The IEP may be reviewed each term and parents or carers are expected to be involved in this. A formal review of the statement will be held every year. For children under statutory school age, this will be every six months until they reach five years old and annually thereafter.
The head teacher is responsible for arranging the review and making recommendations to the Local Authority (LA) following the review, if it is felt that the statement should be amended or the provision specified in it should be changed.
Parents or carers can request an early review if they have significant concerns about their child’s progress and schools are expected to arrange an interim review should a pupil be considered to be at risk of disaffection or permanent exclusion. If a pupil makes good progress and has met all the objectives specified in the statement, the LA may decide to cease the statement because any remaining difficulties can be catered for from within the school’s own resources.
You should contact the SENCo at your child’s school to discuss how support is going to be provided for your child. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Assessment and Review Team on 01753 787676. The Parent Partnership Service offers independent, confidential information and support. Telephone 01753 787693. The Department for Children, Schools and Families issues a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement.
The SEN Code of Practice 2001 sets out the procedures that schools and LAs should follow in order to identify and meet special educational needs. Both of these publications are available free of charge from the DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
What is a Note in Lieu?
A note in lieu is issued after a Local Authority (LA) has carried out an assessment of the special educational needs of a child or young person. It is issued because the LA has decided that the pupil’s special educational needs can be met from within the resources already available to the school.
The note in lieu sets out details of the child’s special educational needs and recommends the provision that could be made to meet them. It is not a legal document and does not carry any additional resources. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Assessment and Review Team on 01753 787676.
The Parent Partnership provides independent, confidential information and support. Telephone 01753 787693.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families issue a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement. The SEN Code of Practice 2001 sets out the procedures that schools and LAs should follow in order to identify and meet special educational needs. Both of these publications are available free of charge from the DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
What is an annual review and who takes part in it?
All statements of special educational needs (SEN) must be reviewed annually (or every six months in the case of children under five) in order to consider the pupil’s progress towards meeting the objectives specified in the statement.
The review should consider whether the statement is still appropriate, whether it should be amended because the pupil’s SEN have changed considerably and whether the provision specified in the statement continues to meet the child’s SEN and make recommendations to the LA. The head teacher of the child’s school is responsible for arranging the review, although it may sometimes be chaired by the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo). The head teacher must invite the child’s parents or carers or carers and any external professionals who have been working with the child or providing advice to the school. These professionals are expected to submit a report for the review even if they cannot attend. A representative from the Local Authority (LA) must also be invited whom may be a representative from the Assessment and Review Team, or may be an Educational Psychologist or Advisory Teacher.
The school then submit the review report to the Local Authority no later than 10 school days after the annual review meeting or at the end of that school term, whichever is the earlier.
You should contact the SENCo at your child’s school if you have questions about the timing of the annual review or would like to know who will be involved. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Assessment and Review Team on 01753 787676.
The Parent Partnership Service provides independent, confidential information and support. Telephone 01753 787693. The Department for Education and Science issues a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement. The SEN Code of Practice 2001 sets out the procedures that schools and LAs should follow in order to identify and meet special educational needs. Both of these publications are available free of charge from the DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
What can I do if I am unhappy with a decision that the local education authority has made about my child’s special educational needs?
If you are unhappy with a decision that the Local Authority (LA) has made about your child’s special educational needs (SEN), you should first request a meeting with a named officer from the LA.
You may wish to seek advice and information from the Parent Partnership Service, or from a voluntary organisation. You may bring a representative from such an organisation to any meetings you arrange with the LA. The disagreement resolution services allows both parties to have their views listened to and resolved under the guidance of an independent mediator.
If, after discussion with the LA, you are still unhappy, you have the right to appeal to the SEN & Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) in certain circumstances. You can appeal against the LA’s refusal to carry out a statutory assessment or reassessment of SEN, refusal to issue a statement following an assessment, against the contents of Part 2, 3 or 4 of a final or amended statement. You cannot appeal if the Authority decides not to amend the statement following an annual review, against decisions related to transport or against the contents of Parts 5 and 6 of the statement.
The decision of the tribunal is binding on both parties, who can appeal, by means of Judicial Review in the High Court, only if either of them believes the decision is wrong on a point of law. You can continue to participate in any disagreement resolution process whilst awaiting the tribunal hearing.
For further information contact Assessment and Review Team on 01753 787676. The Parent Partnership can give independent, confidential information and support, telephone 01753 787693. The Department for Education and Science issues a booklet for parents or carers, Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Removing Barriers to Achievement, The SEN Code of Practice 2001. Available free from: DfES Publications Centre, PO Box 5050, Sherwood Park, Annersley, Nottingham, NG15 0DJ. Telephone: 0845 602 2260. E-mail: dfes@prolog.uk.com or visit Teachernet's SEN pages.
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