Special educational needs section

We want to make Stockton-on-Tees the best possible place in which to be educated.

The hopes and aspirations for children with special educational needs should be no different to those we have for all children. We should expect that they maximise their personal potential and ensure that they receive the necessary support to enable them to do so.

Our aim is for all children and young people to achieve the following key outcomes:

Being healthy
Staying safe
Enjoying and achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic wellbeing

The special educational needs section liaises with schools, parents and carers in the processing of documentation in respect of annual reviews and 14+ transition plans for pupils aged 14 or over. We also hold 14+ meetings are also held to help a pupil move from full-time education to becoming an adult.

The section also co-ordinate Statutory Assessments, which are carried out on children who have special educational needs and also co-ordinate the provision of individual pupil support and provision of specialist equipment.

Here we detail the stages we go through when there are concerns about your child's progress.

School action programme

When a child, despite getting relevant educational experiences:

makes little or no progress
continues working at levels well below expected levels
presents persistent emotional and behavioural difficulties
has sensory and physical problems and makes little progress even with specialist equipment
has communication or interaction problems

the school has a responsibility to place the child on the SEN register under the category of 'School Action'.

Through both 'School Action' and 'School Action Plus', detailed records are kept and your child is likely to have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) showing the monitoring, evaluation and review of the educational objectives.

School action plus programme

This is the stage after 'School Action' and is implemented if the school still has concerns regarding your child's progress. The school will request involvement from a variety of agencies to give specific advice, assessment and sometimes actual support. This involvement will depend on:

The progress made
Your views
Whether it is felt there is a need for more information or advice

If it is still felt that your child requires further help than that is normally available in schools, your child's school will collect evidence and submit the information to the Moderating Panel.

The Moderating Panel is a group of special educational needs (SEN) professionals who evaluate evidence to determine whether a youngster's special educational needs are complex and severe enough to need access to more resources than are usually available to schools.

Statutory assessment

A 'Statutory Assessment' is carried out to establish your child's Special Educational Needs. It involves collecting information from a range of professionals who have been working with your child. A Statutory Assessment is only needed for a very few children and only if the 'School Action' and 'School Action Plus' stages have not been effective.

The school will only request a 'Statutory Assessment' after consultation with parents and other agencies. However, parents and maintained schools can request the Local Authority initiate 'Statutory Assessment'. This is a lengthy process; however we have a duty to complete the process within six months (26 weeks).

All the information collected on your child is considered by a number of professionals with expertise in special educational needs, they will recommend whether your child needs a 'Statement of Special Educational Needs'. If the panel recommends that your child's needs can be met without the need for a statement we will provide your child with a 'Note in Lieu' and give the school guidance on how they should meet your child's needs.

Not all pupils with special educational needs require statements in order to have their needs met. Schools make special educational needs provision available for pupils without statements. They can use different teaching methods appropriate to the level of the child's needs and get expert advice if necessary. These arrangements are known as 'School Action' and 'School Action Plus'.

If the outcome of the 'Statutory Assessment' recommends a particular type of educational provision you will be contacted by a member of the special educational needs section and given information and the opportunity to visit and look round appropriate educational placements. You may decide that your child's current school is the best place for them to continue in education and elect to make no change.

Further help and advice

If you are not happy with any decisions made you can contact the special educational needs section who will be happy to assist and advise.

Parents can also contact the parent partnership officer, Gill Burnett on (01642) 527158. The parent partnership officer will offer an independent support service.