Northumberland Parent Partnership
The Northumberland Parent Partnership Service is a free and
confidential service which provides impartial information, advice
and support to parents and carers of children with special
educational needs.
The service helps parents and carers to work
in partnership with others involved in their child’s education
by:
- offering practical advice and support in
understanding the special educational needs system
- listening to parents and helping them to
express their views
- helping parents to prepare for meetings and
attending meetings with them if required
- helping parents with the paperwork;
- helping parents to explore the options open
to them for their child’s education
- putting parents in touch with other
organisations and groups that can support them
The service has a team of trained volunteers
called Independent Parental Supporters who work
directly with parents. Voluntary organisations and parent support
groups can also offer advice and support.
The service can be contacted on 01670
623555.
The Service produces a range of leaflets
including: They can be downloaded below
Parent
Partnership
Starting a
New School
Visiting a
School
Parents’
Rights and Responsibilities
Listening to
Children
Special Educational Needs
Special Educational Needs
Children with special educational
needs (SEN) have learning difficulties or
disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most
children of the same age.
Many children (about 1 in 5) will have special
educational needs at some time during their education. They may
need extra help or different help from that given to other children
of the same age.
The Special Educational Needs Code of
Practice is a government guide for identifying and meeting
children’s special educational needs.
It states that:
All children with special educational needs
should have their needs met.
The special educational needs of children are
usually met in mainstream schools or settings.
The views of children should be sought and
taken into account.
Parents* have a vital role to
play in their child’s education.
Children with special educational needs should
be offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant
curriculum.
The Code of Practice identifies a
graduated approach which recognises that children
learn in different ways and can have different kinds or levels of
special educational need.
A small number of children who have complex
special educational needs (nationally about 2% of school-aged
children) will require a Statement of Special Educational
Needs, a document which describes a child’s special
educational needs and the provision they should receive.
The Local Authority is required to delegate
funding to schools in Northumberland to support pupils with a broad
range of special educational needs. Most children with
special educational needs will not need a Statement because their
needs can be met from within the school’s resources.
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PROCESS
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WHAT HAPPENS
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WHAT PARENTS CAN DO
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Identification of possible
Special Educational Needs
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Concerns are raised about a
child’s progress.
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Provide information on your
child and work in partnership with the professionals
involved.
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Assessment
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Assessments are made to look
at your child’s attainments and progress.
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Keep records of all
information received or sent.
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Differentiation of the
curriculum
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The teacher makes changes to
how the curriculum is presented; taking into account a child’s
learning needs.
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Share information on what you
think might help your child.
Find out how the curriculum
will be differentiated.
Check progress
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School Action and Individual
Education Plan (IEP) or Provision Map
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The teacher provides help
that is extra or different to the normal curriculum.
Parents should be informed
about what help will be given, who will provide it, short term
targets, review arrangements and how they can help.
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Monitor progress with the
teacher or Special Educational Needs Coordinator
(SENCO).
Keep records of all
information received or sent.
Check how the targets will be
monitored.
Support your child at
home.
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School Action Plus and new
IEP or Provision Map
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The school consults parents
about asking for advice from external support services.
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Continue to give input and
support.
Discuss any
concerns
Work in partnership with
involved professionals.
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Request for Statutory
Assessment - a detailed investigation of
a child’s special educational needs.
Can be requested by schools
or by parents.
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The Local Authority decides
whether to go ahead with a statutory assessment based on evidence
provided by the school on a child’s SEN and what has been done to
help the child make progress.
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Discuss how to help your
child with the professionals involved.
Give your views. Keep records
of everything. You have appeal rights to the SEN and Disability
Tribunal (SEND) if the Local Authority decides not to carry out a
statutory assessment.
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Statutory
Assessment
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The Local Authority requests
advice from parents and involved professionals and decides whether
a statement is required.
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Contribute advice for the
statutory assessment.
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Statement of
SEN
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The Local Authority produces
a statement – a legal document which describes a child’s SEN and
the provision they should receive.
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Give your views. You have
appeal rights to SEND if you do not agree with the contents of the
final Statement.
The Statement will be
reviewed on an annual basis, although you can ask for an earlier
review if you are concerned about your child’s progress.
Contribute to the
review.
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Note in
Lieu
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When a statement is deemed
unnecessary the Local Authority will explain their
reasons.
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Give your views. You have
appeal rights to SEND if you do not agree with the Local Authority
decision.
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A Guide to Local and National Services.
Parents and carers of children and young people with additional
needs require a single source of information about services
available to them. This guide provides details of many of the
local and national services and groups that give help and
advice. Local organisations can provide a lifeline to
families. In a county the size of Northumberland, parents and
carers often feel remote from central provision and can feel
isolated and alone, so knowing what is local is vital.
Click here to go to A guide to
Local and National Services
