What is a statement of SEN?

A statement of SEN is a legal document which

sets out a child's Special Educational Needs as assessed by the LEA

sets out the provision (support) which the LEA feels is needed

names the school, type of school or other provision which will give this support.

The aim of the statement is to make sure a child with SEN gets the right kind of support to enable him to make progress in school. The terms of the statement will be discussed with you by the school and other health and educational professionals.

You will be sent a provisional statement to comment on before the final statement is drawn up. The statement will be reviewed each year and you will be invited to be part of this review process.

You have the right to say which school you prefer. This should be agreed, providing the school can meet your child's needs and his attendance won't affect the efficient education of other children. If you disagree with the final statement you can appeal for it to be changed.

What is the Code of Practice?

The Code of Practice is an official document which gives guidance to pre-schools, state schools, LEAs and anyone else who helps to identify, assess and provide help for children with SEN.

It sets out the procedures which organisations should follow to meet the needs of children. They must not ignore the guidance in the Code of Practice and must take it into account when they write their SEN policy.

You can get a free copy of the Code of Practice from the DfES' publications centre: www.parentscentre.gov.uk has further details.

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