Timetable for assessments and statements

Once a decision to make a statutory assessment is made it must be completed within ten weeks unless it is impractical. The local authority then has to decide whether to draw up a statement. If it decides against, it must give you reasons and tell you about your right of appeal. If it decides to go ahead, the authority has two weeks to draft a statement. There are legal rules about the timetable and how to write the statement. The draft or proposed statement will be sent to you asking you to choose or “express a preference” for a school within 15 days. (See the section on choosing a school).

If you are unhappy or unclear about the content of the statement you may also ask for a meeting within 15 days. The meeting can be with the SEN Named Officer or with one or more of the professionals who wrote advice reports during the statutory assessment. If you ask for more than one meeting, the legal time limit for finalising the statement is affected so think carefully about whether you need more than one meeting. You may be able to meet more than one person at the same meeting, for example. If you have just one meeting, the local authority must issue the statement within eight weeks of issuing the proposed statement.

Handy tips from parents on Talk about Autism

• When you receive an Amended Proposed Statement or Final Statement, check that the Local Authority have attached all the reports written about your child during the statementing process

• Check that the Amended Proposed Statement or Final Statement says what you have agreed and the Local Authority haven't excluded anything you have agreed on, or included anything you haven't agreed on

• Always keep copies of any correspondence between yourself and the Local Authority and note down a log of any phonecalls that have taken place

• Follow up any phonecalls you have with the Local Authority with an email confirming the date and details of that conversation