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What is Statementing ?

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What is a statement of educational needs and should my child have one?

A statement of educational needs is a legally binding contract that formally recognizes a child’s condition and states what their specific needs are.  It will detail what support they require be it medical, social/emotional or academic.

You may request a statement for your child when the mainstream school they are attending is unable to meet their needs.  The statement will be used so that they get extra classroom support and/or support outside of school.  You may feel that your child would benefit from moving to attend a special educational needs school, if this is the case then a statement is compulsory.

To form a statement the local authority will carry out a statutory assessment to assess exactly what the child’s special educational needs (SEN) are.  They will look at the child’s progress at school and use the SEN Code of Practice as a guide.  You can follow this link to read more about the SEN Code of Practice: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/send/a00218772/sen-code-of-practice.

They will also gather information/reports from the child’s parents, class teachers, GPs and any agencies involved with the child.  Then they will decide what needs to be put in place in order to best support the child.

The statement should be returned within 12 weeks and will be set out in the following six parts
  1. Gives the child’s details and the advice the local authority received as part of the assessment.
  2. Details of all of the special educational needs identified in the statutory assessment.
  3. Describes all the special help that the local authority think a child should get to meet the needs listed in part 2, what the long-term and short-term goals are, the process of reviewing progress.
  4. Descries the school the child will go to get the special help set out in part 3, or how any arrangements will be made out of school hours.
  5. Describes any non-educational needs your child has.
  6. Describes how your child will get help to meet the non-educational needs described in part 5.

For more details on the structure of a statement click on the link below: http://www.education.gov.uk/popularquestions/a005396/sen-statement

The process of getting statement can be long and complex, as a lot of information needs to be gathered before a decision is made.  The decision that the local authority comes to may not always feel satisfactory to a parent or school.  If this is the case they can appeal to the special educational needs and disability tribunal.

Statements can be very positive for a child with special needs.  They can be used to gain important resources including money, staff time and special equipment that are essential to give support in order to make the most out of their lives.  However, some parents choose not to get a statement for their children because they feel that it can ‘label’ them, which can limit life opportunities and stop them from doing things in life that they want to.

If you are unsure whether getting your child a statement is the right decision you can call and talk to one of the team at Integrated Treatment Services.  We can talk you through the process and how it could help you and your child.  You can call us on: 0845 838 2921 or simply email info@integratedtreatments.co.uk.
Laura Oldakowska

Speech and Language Therapist

May 2013

 

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