Special Educational Needs (SEN)

The Statement of Special Educational Needs

Information about Special Educational Needs

A Statement of Special Educational Needs is a legal document describing the special educational needs your child is considered to have and the special help your child should receive.

A Statement is set out in six parts:

• Part 1 gives your child's and your name and address, date of birth, home language and religion.
• Part 2 describes your child's special educational needs as identified in the Statutory Assessment.
• Part 3 describes:
  • What the long-term aims are.
  • All the special help that the LA think your child should get to meet the needs listed in Part 2.
  • The arrangements for setting short-term goals, regularly reviewing your child's progress towards those goals, and how your child's progress is to be monitored.
• Part 4 names the school or type of setting your child will go to get the support set out in Part 3.
• Part 5 describes any non-educational needs your child has, as agreed between the LA and the health services, social services or other agencies.
• Part 6 describes how your child will get help to meet the non-educational needs described in Part 5.

You will also be sent copies of all the advice received from you and from other people and organisations during the Statutory Assessment.

Within two months of receiving the Final Statement, the school should set the Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets and arrange a termly review of progress against the objectives, including the short-term targets in the IEP. This may involve external specialists when appropriate.

The Statement and provision must be regularly assessed and changed if necessary. This happens by carrying out an Annual Review.