Transition deadline 15 Feb

[call me jaded]

All of you with children transferring to new schools and college placements in September should have your paperwork through by 15 Feb. If you are going to appeal, the new SENDIST rules mean you have just two months to do this.

[Karen A]

Hi.Please explain.I do not understand.

My LEA are not notifying parents re secondary school to be named on the Statement until early March.Karen.

[call me jaded]

SEN Code of practice. Section 8:132. Your LA should be naming the secondary or college placement this week.

 

 

[Karen A]

SEN Code of practice. Section 8:132. Your LA should be naming the secondary or college placement this week.

 

Thanks.The LEA are obviously not going public on that date in my area.

Perhaps there will be news soon then.Karen.

 

[call me jaded]

I don't think my LA was aware of the deadline until fairly recently Their working practices weren't geared towards it at all.

 

Keep it until you need it, but if anyone is looking for a special school placement it's time to wave it under their noses if you don't want the place to go elsewhere.

[NikkiSmith]

Does that apply for for transitions from infant to junior school?

 

I was told by the lovely LA bloke today that this deadline (which he told me about weeks ago and I have been waiting for!) doesn't strictly apply to my son as he is currently in a special school that takes children from 3yrs-16+......

 

Off to read the link!

 

 

Thank you.

[Kazzen161]

Nikki

 

I believe transition generally applies to where a change of school is essential (eg: if the school is a junior school, then they have to leave in Year 6).

 

As you are just asking for a change of placement, it probably isn't covered by the rule.

 

The CofP only makes requirements re: Yr 9-11 transition reviews/planning.

 

Surrey have had a cut off date round February/March for some years.

[mike charles]

I thought it would be a good idea to mention, in view of the number of enquiries I have received in recent months, ( I am an SEN lawyer by the way) that support for young people with learning difficulties is indeed available post 16 ( whether they hold a statement or not ) pursuant to the provisions of the learning and skills act.

For those who hold a statement of special needs, connexions , or the local authority if they have inherited the obligation in your area,( careers wales for welsh cases) should conduct an assessment of a young persons needs if they are likely to undertake training post 16 at a college of further education. It is very important that the assessment accurately records the provision that is needed so that there may be a continuity of support beyond school for those that need it.

 

If you do not hold a statement of special needs, then a request can still be made for an assessment of needs if the young person nevertheless intends to continue into further education.

 

These assessments can be a very useful and important way forward.

 

P.S In view of some of the discussions that I have read on this forum, you should also be aware that a statement of SEN ceases should a child move to college. All the more reason why a learning and skills assessment is vital in such circumstances.

 

I hope this helps.

 

[Kazzen161]

P.S In view of some of the discussions that I have read on this forum, you should also be aware that a statement of SEN ceases should a child move to college. All the more reason why a learning and skills assessment is vital in such circumstances.

 

Just to clarify - I believe the Statement does continue after Year 11 if the child goes to certain types of 16+ provision. Otherwise Connexions writes a S140 instead which should detail the child's needs. I must admit I found the LSC easier to deal with than the LA.

 

My youngest (AS) son is going to have a S140 even though he is not on the SEN Register. How well the college follows it, remains to be seen.

 

 

[mike charles]

Just to clarify - I believe the Statement does continue after Year 11 if the child goes to certain types of 16+ provision. Otherwise Connexions writes a S140 instead which should detail the child's needs. I must admit I found the LSC easier to deal with than the LA.

 

My youngest (AS) son is going to have a S140 even though he is not on the SEN Register. How well the college follows it, remains to be seen.

 

 

Hi,

 

The recent decision of the High Court in the leading (and only) case so far is S -v- Bromley County Council. This clarifies the law in this area, concerning learning and skills assessments. I represented the successful party. A section 140 assessment, now section 139(a), is a document which is submitted to the LSC, who are under an obligation to provide support to those that need it. That support might include residential specialist provision depending on the assessment of need. The LSC then makes the arrangements and the college is funded to deliver the provision. The case established however that the assessment is critical to this process and must identify support that is available in the real world rather than hypotherical provision. Ie The support recommended must actually be available in the real world and thus deliverable.

A failure to deliver the support would amount to a breach of statutory duty.

[Kazzen161]

A failure to deliver the support would amount to a breach of statutory duty.

 

That's good to know, thanks.

[clair]

I have had my paperwork through with change of school on it. It is not the school that we want as we want him to go to special school. We are still waiting for confirmation of proper diagnosis of asd and when we have it he should be able to get in at the school we want.

 

The problem I have is that the LEA have used old statement paperwork from year 3 , (now in year 6) which states old information and none of the up to date agreed stuff has been put on it. Do I still need to appeal it or will they change it later? I thought that maybe they were just allocating him a place at any school for the time being until the rest is sorted.

 

I am going to put in a complaint to the health authority as they have been letting my son down since he was 3, he is now 11 and they still can't get it sorted.

 

Thanks for any help in advance

[Kazzen161]

When was his review? It should have been in October, as it is a transition year. Ideally the Statement would have been thoroughly reviewed at the Year 5 Review. How has the Statement become so out-of-date? Have amendments previously been accepted by the LA (in a letter) after a review? If so, these then form part of the Statement, even if the Statement is not physically rewritten. How long is it since the amendments to the Statement were agreed, and why has it not been rewritten yet?

 

Unless the school you want is an asd specific school, then having a diagnosis will not change the chances of him getting in. Either the school named by the LA can meet his needs (those needs will be the same whether they are called "asd" or not), or it cannot. It is not about where will "best" meet his needs - so it seems likely the LA will stick with the school they have named. Will the school you want have places available anyway? - I would imagine all places have been allocated.

 

Do not presume anything - call your LA and ask them what is going on. Do not miss the deadline for appeal - you can always withdraw it if it is no longer necessary.