A statement of special educational needs (SEN) sets out your child's needs and the help they should have. It is reviewed annually to ensure that any extra support given continues to meet your child's needs.
Statements - what they contain
A statement of SEN is set out in six parts:

Part one gives general information about your child and a list of the advice the authority received as part of the assessment
Part two gives the description of your child's needs following the assessment
Part three describes all the special help to be given for your child's needs
Part four gives the type and name of the school your child should go to and how any arrangements will be made out of school hours or off school premises
Part five describes any non-educational needs your child has
Part six describes how your child will get help to meet any non-educational needs
You are sent a draft statement before your local authority writes a final statement. It will be complete except for part four, which describes the type and name of school or education provided out of school. Part four will be left blank so that you can say what educational provision you want for your child.



If you believe:

that your child has a learning difficulty or a disability which is holding them back at school; and
that the school is not able to provide the help your child needs
You should also ask your LEA for a “statutory assessment” if your child is under school age, and you believe that they will need extra help when they start school.

Should I speak to the school first?
Yes, definitely. Speak to your child’s class teacher and the head teacher about your worries before writing to the LEA

What if the school offers to write on my behalf?
The Headteacher is able to write and ask for a 'statutory assessment', but if you do it yourself you can be sure that the request has definitely been made, and you will know when it has been made. However, if the Headteacher is willing, you could ask him or her to write a letter which supports your parental application.

Who should I write to?
Write to the top person at the LEA, usually called the Chief Education Officer or the Director of Education. You can find out what the top person is called in your LEA by asking at the school or the local library.

When should I hear back?
The LEA must reply within six weeks.

Remember: Always ask in writing. Keep a copy of your letter. Make a note of the six week deadline for the LEA’s reply.

An example letter would be as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

(child’s name) (date of birth)

Request for formal assessment

I am writing as the parent of the above child to request an assessment of his special educational needs under the 1996 Education Act.

(child’s name) attends ..................... school.

I believe that (child’s name)'s special educational needs are as follows:
(List any special needs your child may have)

My reasons for believing that the school cannot on their own make the provision required to meet my child’s needs are:
I understand that you are required by law to reply to this request within six weeks and that if you refuse I will be able to appeal to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal.

Yours sincerely,


Please find attached a very useful SEN code of practice which will help you understand the school's legal obligations when undertaking a SEN statement for your childrens special need's.
I would advise all parents to take a read of this document to offer them an insight into the SEN statement procedure.

Further useful advice and details on your right of appeal can be found on:
IPSEA-Click here for more information

Source:
http://www.ipsea.org.uk/

Attached File(s)

  SENCodeOfPractice.pdf (Size: 3.24 MB / Downloads: 29)

---

Our Irish members can also use our new website for Ireland which is