Statutory Assessment

Information, Support and Training for Parents and Carers

of Children with Special Educational Needs in Cornwall

Cornwall Parent Partnership Service

Independent Impartial Confidential Free

The needs of most children with special educational needs are met through Early Years/School Action or Early Years/School Action Plus. However, for a few children with severe, complex and long term needs, extra support may be required. The level of special support needed will be determined by carrying out a Statutory Assessment. This is a detailed investigation to find out exactly what your child’s special educational needs are and what special help y our child needs.

Who can ask for an assessment?

Parents - you can do this by simply writing to the local education authority.
The school or early years setting.

Who contributes to the assessment?

Parents/carers - this is your opportunity to write about your child.
The child.
The child’s teacher.
An educational psychologist.
A paediatrician/doctor.
Any others who are already helping your child e.g. A social worker, an advisory teacher, a speech therapist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist or health visitor.

Statutory Assessment

Can I get help with my letter?

The Children and Young People and Families Service will also send you guidelines on how to write your reply. But if you still need help with this, you can speak with a member of your family, a friend, or a Parent Partnership Officer. There is also information on this website.

What about my child’s views?

The Children and Young People and Families Service will send a form for your child. Older children may complete it themselves; younger children may need the help of a parent, relative or teacher. A copy of the form will be sent to everyone contributing to the assessment.

What happens to my letter and my child’s form?

Your letter, the form and the reports from other people are passed to an officer at the LEA. All the contributions are studied and a decision is made whether or not a statement of special educational needs should be issued. The officer will inform you and your child’s school about the decision.

What is a Named Officer?

Once the Children and Young People and Families Service issue a notice of proposal to make a statutory assessment of a child they must appoint a named person who will liaise with you over all the arrangements relating to the assessment and the making of the statement.

What happens if the statement is not made?

A Note in Lieu may be written instead. This gives:

A description of your child’s educational needs
A reason for not writing a statement and suggestions about meeting a child’s special educational needs
A description of other needs and how they are to be supported.

Copies of all the reports will be sent to you with the Note in Lieu.

All of these people write reports and look at your child’s needs from different angles. When the reports are put together, including the parents written evidence, they give a full picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The Children and Young People and Families Service uses reports to make an assessment of your child’s special educational needs. Click below for some suggestions on what you should include in your parental evidence towards the assessment.

Statutory Assessment

You should talk to your Named Officer at the Children and Young People and Families Service

What if I disagree with the Children and Young People and Families Service’s decision that my child does not need a Statement?

and the school. You an also talk to one of the parent Partnership Officers to see if the

disagreement can be settled informally with their help, whether you would benefit from using

a Mediation Service or whether you can appeal against the Children and Young People and

Families Services decision to the Special Educational Needs tribunal.