Every child develops and learns at a different rate, some children find learning easy, some find it hard and some may need more support.
If you or the school are concerned that your child is not making progress, it is possible that they may have Additional Learning Needs – A.L.N. (sometimes referred to as Special Educational Needs – S.E.N.)
The school’s additional learning needs co-ordinators (ALNCos) can work with your child’s teacher to assess your child’s strengths and weaknesses and advise other members of staff who are involved in working with your child. If we think your child has special educational needs, we will invite you in to school to discuss what help is needed.
We will write an individual education plan (IEP) which will include information about what your child needs to learn, how this will be taught, who will help and when the plan will be reviewed.
We will keep you informed about how we are helping your child and what progress is being made.
A statutory assessment may be carried out if your child does not seem to be making progress or needs extra help that the school is unable to provide.
A statutory assessment will find out what your child’s additional learning needs are and what help your child requires.
The process normally takes 26 weeks to complete.
You will be told within six weeks if an assessment is to be carried out.
You and your child will be asked for your views as will other people who know your child such as the school, your doctor and anyone else who could help to give a clear picture of your child’s needs.
The council has ten weeks to gather all the information and decide on whether to issue a Statement of Special Educational Needs or a Note in Lieu.
When all the evidence has been received, the SEN Panel will consider the evidence carefully before making a recommendation.
If it is decided that a Statement should be written, you will receive a copy of the proposed statement within two weeks of the decision being made.
You will also receive a copy of the evidence gathered during the assessment.
If it is decided that a Statement should not be written a Note In Lieu will be sent to you which will explain why a Statement wasn’t made and how your child’s needs should be met in the school or with other services accessed through the school.
A statement of special educational needs (SEN) is a legal document that states the type of special help and support that your child will need.
A proposed statement will be issued within two weeks of a decision to issue a statement.
You will receive a copy of the proposed statement and have 15 working days to give the council your comments.
The final statement is normally issued within eight weeks of the proposed statement.
Your child’s school and those involved in the statutory assessment will also receive a copy of the final statement as well as a copy of all the advice.
From the date of the final statement the council must provide your child’s school with any extra resources specified in the statement.
If you have not been able to agree on the content of the final statement you have the right to appeal to the SEN Tribunal of Wales.
A note in lieu is a document written in place of a statement of special educational needs and is not a legal document.
If the council decides that your child’s needs can be met with the support being provided by the school a note in lieu will be issued and will describe your child’s educational needs, give reasons why a statement has not been written and suggest how the school could meet your child’s needs.
Copies of all the advice and reports received as part of the statutory assessment will be sent to you with the note in lieu.
