[senco-forum] amended statements

<lks1985 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> <lks1985 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> If after an annual review there are some proposed ammendments, what
> is the time limit? 

The Regulations printed in the back of the SEN Code of Practice cover 
annual review procedures in great detail. They are as much law as the 
Education Acts.

There is no legal time limit for the LEA to respond to the head 
teacher's report on the annual review, altho the Code says they should 
do so without delay (para. 9:33), but once they have considered it and 
have made a decision, they must send a copy of any decision to amend or 
cease to maintain a statement within a week of making the decision to 
the head teacher and child’s parents (Reg. 20(14).

My son had his annual review on the 27th Nov. I
> received a letter on the 7th Jan. to say that the LA 'having
> considered the recommendations intended to ammend the statement as
> appropriate' and after checking with the office a conversation with
> the case worker to say that they have until 3rd March to let me have
> any proposals. 

The letter you have received appears to be a proposal to amend the 
statement. If so, this letter should conform to the law (here both 
Education Act 1996 and the Regs). The LEA must send the parents a copy 
of the existing statement and an amendment notice setting out the 
proposed changes (Education Act 1996, Sched. 27, paras 2B(2) and 2A(4); 
Regs, Part B of Schedule 1 to Regulation 15: this is a model letter). It 
must then issue a final statement, labelled Amended Final Statement, 
within eight weeks of sending the proposed changes or the amendment 
notice lapses (Regulation 17(6)).

This seems quite a long time.

Yes.

Good luck

Chris