A Statutory Assessment is a process where information is collected from the school and all professionals involved with a child or young person which will enable the Local Authority (LA) to gain a clear picture of their education health and care needs.
Please find below an at a glance flow diagram presenting the 20-week procedure of an EHC Assessment:
Please find below a more in-depth breakdown of the Four stages of an EHC Assessment:
4-Stage Guide to EHC Pathway [156KB]
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Plymouth Information, Advice and Support for SEND (PIAS) is a support service for all parents and carers in the Plymouth area. They can provide you with impartial and confidential information and support.
The government has published a code of practice for organisations who work with and support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
SEN Code of Practice [1.9MB]
The 0 to 25 SEND Statutory Assessment Team coordinate the statutory support for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).
Most children and young people with special educational needs can have their needs effectively met within the resources that are available in mainstream schools/settings or colleges.
In a very small number of cases the Local Authority will agree to initiate an assessment of a child or young person's education needs. This is to determine whether or not they need the additional support of a legal document that sets out what their needs are and how these will be supported.
The transfer from a Statement or Learning Disability Assessment to having an EHCP will be a gradual process. This is to make sure that it can be managed within the Government’s designated timescale. All current Statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN) will be transferred to an EHC Plan by 1st April 2018. The DfE have also indicated that by 1st September 2016 an EHCP should be in place for young people if they need one for children moving from one phase of their education to another, for example moving from primary to secondary education. Young people in further education and training who receive provision as a result of a Learning Disability Assessment (LDA) (section 139a/Moving On Plan), if they are continuing in further education or training beyond that date, will have the LDA converted to an EHCP where appropriate.
You can find out more about the transfer of current statements of education need to an EHC plan in the Plymouth's Local Plan document.
If you're moving to Plymouth and your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan of special educational needs (or is currently undergoing assessment) email email@example.com or call 01752 307409 to discuss arrangements with us.
If your preference is a mainstream school you need to get in touch with school admissions to discuss your child's new school. You need to tell them that your child has special educational needs and give them details about the school your child was previously attending.
If your preference is a special school we can't guarantee your child will get an equivalent school in Plymouth and this type of admission would have to go through a panel. Email firstname.lastname@example.org or call 01752 307409 to discuss the panel procedure.
All parents want to feel confident that their child is happy and well-provided for at school. If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education Health and Care Plan, you will probably have already got to know the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child's school and he or she should be your first point of contact if you feel things are not right.
You should arrange to meet with the SENCO to talk things through and can request that a Local Authority officer from the SEN Team attends if you think this might be necessary.
If matters cannot easily be resolved, you may wish to make a formal complaint through the school's complaints procedure. This will then be dealt with by the Headteacher and a member of the school's governing body.
For many reasons, including the disruption to a child's education, it is better that children do not move school other than for normal primary/secondary transfers, if this can be avoided and so making an effort to resolve the problem is always the most preferable thing to do.
If, however, you feel that a move is the best way forward, you should think carefully about which school you wish to apply to and whether you will be able to get your child to that school easily if it is some distance from your home as you will be responsible for any transport costs and arrangements. You should then make an appointment to meet with the SENCO at the school of your choice and discuss with him/her how the school can meet your child's needs. It is helpful if you take a copy of your child's Statement or EHC Plan to this meeting.
Once you have decided, you will need to fill in an online School Admissions form and will be asked if your child has a Statement/EHC Plan. The application will then be passed to the SEN Team who have, by law, to consult with the school you have chosen to see if they are able to admit your child. The school has 15 working days to consider the request and let the Local Authority know what its decision is. The school should not refuse your request unless it feels it is:
unsuitable for the age, ability aptitude or SEN of your child or
the attendance of your child would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.
The SEN Team will then contact you to inform you of the school's response and to try to help sort out any issues that might arise. It is important that you bear in mind the time that the above procedures will take and you should not withdraw your child from his or her existing school before you have a place in another as this could make you liable to involvement by the Education Welfare Service who will follow up any non-attendance issues.