If a child does not make expected progress even after relevant and sustained support and advice from professionals and from the resources normally available to a school, it may be appropriate to consider a ‘statutory’ assessment.
This is likely to be only in cases where a child has severe, complex and enduring special educational needs.
Requests for assessment
There is a set procedure to carry out an assessment of a child’s special educational needs.
A request can be made by a parent or by the child’s school.
The request will be considered by Lewisham’s SEN Panel and a decision made as to whether or not assessment is considered necessary.
If the panel decides an assessment is not necessary, parents and the child’s school are informed.
Parents will have a right to appeal against the decision. In the meantime the child will continue to be supported at his or her school.
All mainstream schools in Lewisham have funding to use to support pupils who have special educational needs. The majority of pupils with special educational needs are able to make progress with this support.
Advice on the procedure is available from the SEN team. Please note that a leaflet "Supporting children with special educational needs" that was circulated in 2006 by Lewisham has been withdrawn.
Further details about the procedure can be found at the Department for Education and Skills web site (follow the link on the right of this page).
The assessment procedure
If statutory assessment is agreed, professionals involved with the child will be asked to provide up to date reports.
The child will be seen by an educational psychologist and a paediatrician (doctor) who will provide reports. Parents are also asked if they wish to provide a report.
A booklet is sent to the parents explaining the procedure and the timescale during which the assessment should be completed.
The whole process, from the time the request is made to the issue of a final statement, usually takes 6 months.
The purpose of an assessment is to determine what additional special educational provision, if any, needs to be made to enable the child to make adequate progress.
Draft statements of special educational needs
Once all the reports requested for the assessment have been received a statement of special educational needs is drafted.
A decision is then made by the SEN Panel as to whether or not a statement is required. If a statement is not thought necessary (because the child’s needs can be met from resources normally available to schools) then a Note in Lieu of a Statement is issued.
Final statements of special educational needs
If it is agreed that a statement is required then a proposed statement is sent to parents for their comments and for their views.
Parents have a right to express a preference for a maintained school that they wish their child to attend.
A final statement is issued once parents have had an opportunity to comment on the proposed statement and a decision has been made about the school to be named in the statement.