Statutory Assessment - Advice needed please

[Sarah666]

Hello everyone

 

Its been a while since I posted, so a quick update first.

 

In March 2009, I applied for statutory assessment for Jake, and was turned down by Local Authority, so I appealed and a tribunal date was set for November 2009.

 

Since then Jake has started secondary school, and during his first week, was internally excluded for two days due to incident with other boy.(here we go again, I thought )

 

We then had a weeks holiday, and during the week that we were away, a letter arrived from LEA stating " In view of information we have received recently, we have decided that a full statutory assessment is necessary to establish Jake's particular needs"

 

I have been sitting down trying to fill in my Parental Advice form that the LEA sent me, and I really dont know where to start. Firstly there is nowhere near enough room on the form to write what I want to. Also my head is so full of things , I just dont know where to start

 

I visit this forum everyday, and I truly admire some of you here. I feel a total failure to not just Jake, but to all of my family. The past five years have been truly hardwork, and now having to fill out all these forms, Im just not sure I can do it. I phoned Parent Partnership several times, but each time I get a answer phone, and dont bother leaving a message

 

I'm sure I am just having a bad day , and it will pass, but I really dont know how much longer I can go on doing all this, day in and day out, I jump every time the phone rings, wondering is it school, has there been an incident etc etc??

 

I went to see Gp, and he prescribed me tablets,(i forget the name) , well they doped me rite up, all nite and half of the next day, I cant live like that. I went to see practise nurse , she suggested anti-depressants, the same one that made me go totally mad ten years ago, and ended up in a psychiatric hospital for a week, Nurse said to me, Dont worry, most of my friends take it (obviously the new wonder drug )

 

So each day, I try to cope the best I can, often come home after school run just sit and have a good cry, and mostly it helps. My family and friends are really not very supportive, they just see Jake as behaving badly, they seem to miss the fact that he actually has some great skills and strengths......

 

This started out as a help request, and turned into a vent... sorry :unsure

 

What kind of things am I supposed to put on this form?? Will this form be part of the statement, if they grant it?? If so, I need to get cracking on it, I have two weeks till deadline.....I downloaded a copy of SEN code of practise, but if Im honest, its all a bit intellectual jargonish for me.....

 

Am I able at this stage to say that I would like a particular school for jake to attend?? If so, how do I find out the best ones in my area???

 

Thanks in advance for your help

 

 

And big thanks for listening <'>

 

Saz

[Karen A]

Hin Sarah. <'> <'> <'> <'> Please don't panick.

There is no need to worry about naming a school yet.That stage comes after the Statutary Assessment has been done and just before the Statement is issued.

The LA will look at the information you provide and it will help them to decide what to include in the Statement.However other professionals will provide information too.This is your oppurtunity to include what you think is important.However if you forgett something you can always add it during the Statutary Assessment process.

You do not have to use the Parental Advice Form if there is not enough room.We just used the headings as a guide and sent in typed information.

I have had many days when I thought I could not do this any more but it does get better inbetween times.

http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/advice-about-educ...-assessment.htm

This link might be useful it includes a jargon free explanation regarding useful information to include in your parental report.[step 9]

 

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1068&a=3359

If you want to start to think about possible schools then this link might be useful.

Karen.

Edited October 9, 2009 by Karen A

[Athena]

As Karen said, don't worry about filling out their forms, type out what you want to say and send it in, making sure that you put LEA reference and Jake's name on each page. Send it "recorded delivery" just in case it gets "lost".

 

I found this site very helpful:

 

Statement checklist

 

Good luck and stay strong!