Special educational needs assessments

Tower Hamlets has a special educational needs (SEN) section which is responsible for carrying out statutory assessments and issuing and maintaining statements of special educational needs. Statements are issued for a small number of children whose special educational needs are severe enough to warrant support from the local authority in addition to that provided by their school.

Statutory assessment

A request for statutory assessment would usually be made by the school or early years setting, but can be made by the child’s parent.

Parents who are concerned about their child’s progress are advised to discuss their child’s needs with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) at the school. The SENCo will be able to provide information about how the school is supporting the child’s difficulties.

If, after appropriate intervention and support from the school, the child continues to need additional and more specialised support, the SENCo may consider making a request for a statutory assessment. Evidence to support this request is submitted to the local authority’s pre-assessment panel, which will decide if the evidence submitted indicates that a statutory assessment is required.

If agreed, a statutory assessment gathers information about the child from a range of professionals, as well as the views of parents and carers. Once all the information is gathered, the SEN panel will decide whether a statement is required.

Statement of special educational needs

Once the statutory assessment has been completed, the SEN panel considers whether the information gathered for the assessment indicates that a statement of special educational needs to be issued. The panel will also consider the level of support or type of placement most appropriate for the child’s needs. If the panel issues a statement, it will specify the type and amount of support to be provided, and the final statement will also name the child’s school.

If a statement is not issued, the panel will instead issue a Note in Lieu of a statement, which summarises the child’s special educational needs and specifies the provision to be made by the school from its own resources.

The local authority seeks to meet pupils’ special educational needs within mainstream schools as far as possible, and all parents have the right to have their child educated in a mainstream school.

Parents of children with statements also have the choice to have their child educated in a Tower Hamlets special school or at a maintained mainstream or special school outside the local authority.

Online enquiry

Please use the online enquiry form for any of the following:

for further information from the Tower Hamlets Special Educational Needs Section
to be sent the DCSF Guide for Parents and Carers on Special Educational Needs
to make a request for a statutory assessment
to make a request for home to school transport

You will then be contacted in five working days.

Further information

Teachernet - a guide for parents and carers on special educational needs
DfES special educational needs
List of schools in Tower Hamlets

How to contact us:

Tower Hamlets special educational needs section
3rd Floor, Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London
E14 2BG

Tel: 020 7364 4880
Fax: 020 7364 4303

Email: sen@towerhamlets.gov.uk