3:19.   Where a child attends an independent school (see Glossary), a parental request for an assessment may be the first that an LEA hear about that child.  The procedure they follow and the factors they consider in deciding whether to make an assessment should be the same, regardless of the type of school the child attends: the LEA will wish to investigate evidence provided by the child's school and parents as to his or her learning difficulties and evidence about action taken by the school to meet those difficulties.  LEAs may find it helpful to inform independent schools in their area of their duty to identify children for whom they are responsible and who require statements of special educational needs; to tell those schools of the procedures they will adopt and of the information they would expect to be given; and to encourage those schools to give the LEA early notification of any child who may require a statutory assessment.

3:20.   When a child is referred by a parental request for a statutory assessment, the LEA should not issue a notice that they propose to make an assessment under section 167(1). But the LEA should immediately contact the parents in order to:

·   investigate further the nature of their concern

·   ascertain the degree of their involvement and agreement with the special educational provision which has been made for their child at school

·   give them full details of the assessment process and the information set out at paragraphs 3:10 and 3:11 above.


Where under section 172(2) or 173(1) a parent has asked the LEA to arrange an assessment, the LEA shall give notice in writing to the social services department, the district health authority and the head teacher of the child's school of the fact that the request has been made, and tell them what help the LEA are likely to request if they decide to make an assessment.

(Regulation 5(3))


3:21.   The LEA must inform the child's head teacher that the parents have made a request for a statutory assessment and should also ask the school for written evidence about the child, in particular, for the school's assessment of the child's learning difficulty and the school's account of the special educational provision that has been made.  At the same time, the LEA should notify the educational psychology service and any other bodies which might later be asked for advice, and must notify the designated medical officers of the district health authority and the social services department.


A formal request from a grant-maintained school

3:22.   The governing body of a grant-maintained (GM) school which has been directed to admit a child under section 13 of the Act, may ask the LEA responsible for the child to conduct a

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