Statutory Assessment

What is a Statutory Assessment and Statementing Procedures

Under the Code of Practice (1996 Education Act), the formal assessment should be carried out within 26 weeks.

The first six weeks

You will be told that the LA are thinking of making an assessment. You will receive a letter and have 29 days to give your consent and views. The health authority, educational psychology service, social services, school and the parent partnership officer are also told. Also during this time the local authority will check the evidence for needing to carry out a formal assessment and may decide not to assess.

Before the end of the first six weeks if the local education authority decide to assess, you will be sent forms to fill in called ‘parental advice’ unless you disagree with the assessment taking place.

The next ten weeks

The school that your child attends or has attended in the last 18 months will be asked to write a report, (also called advice), and send it to the local education authority within six weeks. Medical officers, educational psychologists, social workers and any other ‘specialists’ involved with your child will be asked to do the same.

Before the end of the ten weeks, all the ‘advice’ is gathered together and given to a multi disciplinary panel of people - sen panel - who will read the ‘advice’ and decide whether a statement is needed.

The next two weeks

During the following two weeks, you will receive either a proposed statement and copies of all the ‘advice’, or a letter called note in lieu, explaining why a statement is not going to be written.

Who to contact

Maureen Fowler - Parent Partnership Officer
Telephone: 0161 778 0349
Email: Maureen.Fowler@salford.gov.uk

Liz Williams - Parent Partnership Officer
Telephone: 0161 778 0343
Email: Liz.Williams@salford.gov.uk

Parent Partnership Service
Children's Services
Unity House
Chorley Road
Swinton
M27 5AW

This page was last updated on 18 October 2011