Special Educational Needs Assessment

 

At the heart of the work of every school is a continuous cycle of planning, teaching and assessing, which takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of pupils. The majority of pupils will learn and progress within these arrangements.

However, perhaps one child in every 50 across the country will need more help. The Local Education Authority (LEA) is best placed to provide this help, whichever type of school your child attends. Special needs assessment is the vital process of identifying those pupils whose difficulties are not catered for through the normal range of teaching strategies/resources within the school.

 

Eligibility

 

Children/pupils who have not responded to Early Action/Early Action Plus or School Action/School Action plus.

 

Procedure

 

• Application for Statutory Assessment can be made by a school or parent, and pupils can be referred for statutory assessment by health.
• Once a request/referral has been received, the LEA will write to you to let you know that a statutory assessment it is being considered for your child . Your views on your child's needs will be captured through a questionnaire. You have 29 days in which to return this.
• Within 6 weeks of receipt of the request/referral, you will be informed whether or not statutory assessment has been agreed. If statutory assessment is not agreed you will be given the reasons for this decision, and offered the opportunity to speak to an LEA officer either on the phone or through a meeting. Even if it is decided that your child does not need a formal assessment, (s)he can still get extra help in school. Only a few pupils need this full assessment.
• If statutory assessment is agreed, detailed reports will be requested from your child's early years setting or school, and from all professionals involved with your child (such as doctor and educational psychologist).
• You have the right to be present at any interview, medical or assessment that takes place, but it may be helpful to discuss with the school whether or not your presence is appropriate.
• The LEA has an additional 12 weeks to collect all the information before deciding either to complete a statement or a note in lieu.

Proposed statement

This is a draft issued within 18 weeks and before the final statement, so that you can discuss it with an LEA representative. If necessary, changes can be made before the final statement is written.

A proposed statement does not name an educational setting, because you have the right to state a preference for a school. If you wish to discuss the proposed statement, please ring the child's review officer and request a meeting.

Note in lieu

A note in lieu is written after statutory assessment and instead of a statement. Using all the evidence submitted for your child's statutory assessment, it will:-

 

• describe your child's special educational needs
• explain why a statement has not been written
• describe what help the school should give to your child

We will send you a copy of the note in lieu, which you need to agree in writing. Copies will then be sent to your child's school and any other professionals involved. Again you can ring your child's review officer to request a meeting to discuss the note in lieu.

Please note that a statutory assessment cannot be considered for any child if one has been requested during the previous 6 months by either school or parents, or referred during the previous 6 months by health.

 

Helplines

 

If it would help to talk, please contact:

• Parent Partnership Service
  The Old Infant Block
  Worsbrough Common Primary School
  Bruce Avenue
  Worsbrough Common
  Barnsley
  S70 4EB
  Tel: 01226 732156
  Fax: 01226 245465
  Email: parent.partners@barnsley.org

Please note that the Parent Partnership Service holds monthly meetings for parents whose children are undergoing statutory assessment, to which the LEA will invite them automatically. A representative from the LEA also attends. Dates are also available by ringing either of the above telephone numbers.

Alternatively you can contact a local authority officer on (01226) 773562.

 

 

 

Opening Times/Locations

 

8.30am - 5.00pm
Berneslai Close
Barnsley
S70 2HS

 

The role of parents

 

You have a vital role to play in your child's education. In working with schools you should:

• regularly talk to school staff and tell them of any concerns you have about your child's learning or provision
• fulfil your obligations under any home-school agreements that set out the expectations of both sides.

As soon as you feel that your child may have special educational needs and may need different arrangements made for them:

• you should discuss the matter with the school
• schools should listen and take your views and concerns into account when deciding what intervention, if any, should take place
• where your child is provided with additional or different intervention through School Action or School Action Plus:
  - you can contribute to the planning and reviewing of your child's individual needs
  - you should also contribute to the planning and reviewing of your child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) at School Action and School Action Plus, if an IEP is used.
  - you can ask to be written into an IEP.You can also help the school in implementing School Action and School Action Plus by helping your child with any programmes to be followed at home.

 

 

Leaflets

 

• Special Educational Needs (SEN): A Guide for Parents and Carers (DfES publication)
• The Assessment of Special Educational Needs in Barnsley: A Guide for those with Parental Responsibility

The following Parent Partnership information leaflets are available for parents and carers of children with special educational needs:

• A Statement of SEN
• Enabling Pupil Participation
• Transition Planning - Y9 to post-16
• Working in Partnership to put Children First
• Statutory Assessment
• The Role of Parents
• Independent Parental Supporters
• Parent Partnership Service

 

 

Legislation

 

Education Act 1996
SEN and Disability Act 2001
SEN Code of Practice Nov 2001

 

Websites

 

Education Policies and Plans

 

Additional Notes

 

Words you may see in reports:

SEN Code of Practice - this guide, issued by the Department for Education and Skills, tells LEAs and schools how to organise help for children and young people with SEN.

Individual Education Plan (IEP) - this specifies what your child's targets are for the next period (usually six months), and what will be done by the school, you and your child to meet those targets.

 

Last modified on 15/9/2008