appeal to the SEN Tribunal against a decision not to make such an assessment.  The LEA should endeavour to ensure that the parents fully understand the school-based stages and their monitoring and review arrangements.  The LEA should offer any guidelines or suggest any action they consider would help the school to meet the child's needs. If it is clear that there is disagreement between the parents and the school about the child's progress and attainments at school, or about the need for statutory assessment, the LEA may wish to arrange a meeting between the parents and the school.


Decision to proceed with a statutory assessment

Where the LEA decide to proceed with a statutory assessment they must inform the parents of their decision and their reasons for it.

(Section 167(4))



3:97 At this point parents should be informed that as part of the process of putting together all the relevant advice, their child may be called for assessment.  Parental agreement to a medical examination and psychological assessment should have already been sought (see 3:14).  Parents should be informed of their right to be present with their child at any interview, test, medical or other assessment which is being conducted for the purpose of producing that advice and should be told of the time and place of appointments.  Parents should be told that, whilst it is their right to be present, in certain circumstances it may be counterproductive: for instance, where a classroom observation is carried out as part of the assessment, a child will behave differently if his or her parent is present, which would negate the purpose of the observation.


Requests for advice


For the purpose of making a statutory assessment, the LEA shall seek written:
1. Parental advice
2. Educational advice

3. Medical advice

4. Psychological advice

5. Social services advice

6. Any other advice, such as the views of the child, which the LEA or any other   body from whom advice is sought, consider desirable.  In particular advice from the Service Children's Education Authority (SCEA) (see Glossary) is to be sought where the child's parent is a serving member of the armed forces.

(Regulation 6)