If your child has special educational needs (SEN) s/he may need extra help and support to get the most out of the education system. The following stages of assessment are set out in the relevant Special Educational Needs Code of Practice which details the key principles for identifying and assessing SEN.
Educational assessments for children under two
If your child has a disability or health problem which has caused concern from an early age, they may be referred to the LEA for an assessment. This assessment does not need to follow the statutory procedures that are applicable for children over two.
Educational assessments for children under compulsory school age and over two
Early Years Action – this term describes when specific action, agreed by the SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator) and your child’s teacher in consultation with you, is taken because it is felt your child needs additional support to that provided as part of the usual curriculum.
Early Years Action Plus – this describes when outside support services or more specialist advice is sought to aid your child’s development.
Requests for a statutory assessment – for some children the stages above are not sufficient to meet their additional needs. It is at this stage that a request for a statutory assessment may be made. You, as a parent, or one of the professionals who has contact with your child can ask the local education authority (LEA) for a statutory assessment.
Educational assessments for children attending school
Some children will have their special educational needs identified before attending school, for others this is not the case. The stages are similar to a child attending an early years setting.
School Action – this is when a teacher or SENCO identifies that your child has SEN and needs additional or different support to that offered in the general curriculum.
School Action Plus – this is when a request for help from external services or a specialist such as an educational psychologist is made.
Request for a statutory assessment – where it is felt your child still has significant needs which cannot be met by the actions of previous stages, the school may request a statutory assessment of your child. Again, you also have the right to ask the LEA for a statutory assessment of your child.
Statements in England and Wales
The LEA must consider a request for a statutory assessment unless it thinks it is unnecessary or if your child has had an assessment in the last 6 months. LEAs must notify you of the decision whether or not to assess. The assessment is a multi-professional examination to identify your child’s SEN. It includes seeking educational, medical and psychological advice, and advice from social services and other agencies. Your input is also important and parents are asked to respond with information and their views as part of the assessment.
After the assessment the LEA will decide whether or not to issue a statement. The statement will detail your child’s special educational needs and the provision which should be made to meet those needs. The whole process - from considering whether an assessment is necessary to producing a final statement (or a ‘note in lieu of a statement’) - should take no longer than 26 weeks.
All statements must be reviewed at least annually to discuss the progress your child has made and whether any changes need to be made to the statement. Your views and your child’s views are an important part of the review and you should be invited to the review meeting.
If you need more information
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