Special Educational Needs (SEN) Update.

The BDA and other SEN agencies have been reporting their concerns to the DfES about widespread failures by some LEAs to implement current legislation as they are required to by law. The two key themes being:

Using blanket policies to deny many SEN children any assessment of their needs.

Wording statements of educational needs and not including the detail required to make them enforceable by parents.

The SEN and Disability Division of the DfES have now stepped in to advise all Chief Education Officers and Directors of Children's Services of the following:

They must not operate blanket policies of refusing to assess particular groups of children who have special educational needs, but must consider children's needs individually and on their merits.

Within a statement they must specify the special educational provision necessary to meet the needs of the child concerned, detail appropriate provision to meet each need identified and normally quantify the provision.

A pdf copy of the letter from the DfES is available to download here and should prove a useful tool for parents and others in their negotiations with LEAs.

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© The British Dyslexia Association 2008
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