Local Offer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

We've put together a list of frequently asked questions for you to reference. If there's anything you want to ask that isn't covered and you can't find the information you're looking for on our website, please contact us and we will respond to your query within 10 working days.

What is the Local Offer?

All Local Authorities must publish information about their 'Local Offer' for children who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This means all the services which are available for children with SEND provided by Education, Health and Social Care, as well as the voluntary sector. The information is usually published on a SEND Local Offer website such as this one but can also be made available in other ways, for example: our Local Offer helpline (01635 503100) and through SEN Information events organised by the West Berkshire Parent Carer Forum.

What are Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

A child is considered to have Special Educational Needs (SEN) if they find it harder to learn than the majority of other children of the same age, in spite of receiving good quality teaching.

What should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

If you're concerned that your child may have SEN, the first person to speak to is your child's class teacher or nursery keyworker. If you are still concerned, you should arrange to speak to the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). The SENCO is a teacher in the school who oversees all children with SEN and makes sure they get the help they need. In small schools, the Headteacher may also act as the SENCO. If you need help approaching the school or setting, or you'd like someone to come to meetings with you, you can get support from the West Berkshire SEN and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS Service).

If your child's school thinks your child may have Special Educational Needs they must speak to you before a decision is made to put your child on the school's SEN Register. They should also talk to you about the sort of help they plan to provide to assist your child in making progress.

What support do schools provide for children with SEN?

All schools have a duty to make arrangements to support children with SEN and they receive funding to help them with this. If a child is identified as having SEN, the school should assess their needs and plan what support they are going to put in place. At this early stage, the school may be able to assess what the child's difficulties and needs are, although they can also call on other specialist services (with your agreement) to carry out assessments. The plan for helping your child should be written down and you should be involved in developing this and have a copy.

In West Berkshire, we recommend that schools complete what we call a 'Support and Achievement Plan' or SAP. Schools do not have to use this format as long as they record what your child's needs are and what they are going to do to support them.

Once a plan is in place, progress should be reviewed three times a year and you should be involved in that review. If progress is still a concern, the school may need to change the support they are providing or bring in other professionals to give advice (with your permission).

What is a Support and Achievement Plan (SAP)?

A Support and Achievement Plan is used by West Berkshire schools to record how they are going to support a child with SEN, including the targets they are setting for the child to achieve.

All schools are required to keep a record of their plan for a child with SEN. There isn't a national format for this so in West Berkshire we've created a "Support and Achievement Plan" or SAP. Schools are allowed to create their own format as long as:

• they record in writing what your child's needs are and what they are going to do to support them
• the document is developed with your involvement
• you get a copy

There should be a review of progress three times a year and you should be involved in these reviews.

What is the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)?

A special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is a teacher who is responsible for special educational needs in a school. All schools have a SENCO. They work with other teachers and with parents to make sure that pupils with special educational needs get the right support at school.

The SENCO will co-ordinate additional support for pupils with SEN and talk with their parents, teachers and other professionals.

What does the term 'SEN Support' mean?

Local Authorities and schools have to follow the 'SEN Code of Practice'. The Code of Practice explains that most children who have SEN will have their needs met by their school using the SEN budget. These children will have a plan setting out how their needs will be met (in West Berkshire this is called a 'Support and Achievement Plan' or SAP).

Children who are receiving help from the school for their SEN are described by the SEN Code of Practice as being on 'SEN Support'. This is sometimes abbreviated to SENS.

Their progress will be reviewed three times a year. If they have made good progress they may no longer need help and a decision may be made, with parents, that the child can be taken off the school's SEN Register. If a child is not making progress the school will need to adjust the support they are giving and possibly bring in other professionals to give advice. If a child doesn't make good progress even with the right help being put in place, they might need to be assessed for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

How can I get help if I am concerned that my child is not getting the right support in school?

You should always discuss your concerns with the school first. Hopefully you will be able to agree what needs to be done to support your child.

If you are still concerned after speaking to the school and you want independent advice, you can contact the West Berkshire SEN and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) - call 0300 303 2644 or email westberksiass@roseroad.org.uk. The SENDIASS Service can give you advice on what schools should provide and will be able to attend meetings at school with you.

What is an Education, Health and Care Plan?

The majority of children with SEN will have their needs met through SEN support provided and funded by their school (see 'What does the term SEN Support mean?'). However, in some cases children may have such significant and long-term needs that they require a higher level of support than a mainstream school can provide.

Schools are expected to fund support for children with SEN from their own budgets up to an annual cost of £6,000. If a child is not able to make progress with this level of support, they may need an Education Health and Care Plan, or EHCP. Either the school or the child's parent can ask the Local Authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment. The Local Authority needs to check that the school has provided the correct support before agreeing to an EHC assessment.

If an EHC assessment is agreed, the process takes 20 weeks and involves getting information from the family, the school, a doctor, an educational psychologist, and any other professionals involved with the child. The EHCP is developed with the child and the parents at an EHC planning meeting. It sets out the child's needs and what must be provided by Education, Health, and Social Care to meet those needs.
 

Who can request an Education, Health and Care Plan?

Schools and other educational settings (like colleges) can ask the local authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care assessment on a child or young person. They need to get parents' permission before making the request. Schools have to provide evidence of what the child's needs are, what they have done to support the child from their own budget, what advice they have had from other professionals, and how they have monitored progress. There is a form which schools can use to make a request for an EHC assessment.

Parents can ask the local authority to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs an EHC plan.

A young person can request an assessment themselves if they're aged 16 to 25.

A request can also be made by anyone else who thinks an assessment may be necessary, including doctors, health visitors, and family friends, but they must make parents aware that they are making this request.

If our SEN team decide to carry out an assessment you may be asked for:

• any reports from your child's school, nursery or childminder
• doctors' assessments of your child
• a letter from you about your child's needs

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an EHC plan is going to be made for your child.

You can contact our SEN assessments team by email at SenAssessmentsTeam@westberks.gov.uk.
 

Will transport to school be provided if my child has an EHCP?

Not necessarily. The West Berkshire Home to School Transport Policy follows government guidelines. The guidelines say that children should get help with transport to school if they are over statutory school age (aged 5) and if the nearest suitable school is more than 2 miles away for children under 8 or more than 3 miles away for children over 8. Transport might be provided for children who live under these distances if they have SEN and they wouldn't be able to walk to school even when accompanied by an adult. Where a child is entitled to help with transport, we can offer a Personal Transport Budget. This is a sum of money given to the family to make their own arrangements to get their child to school.

You can find out more about free and fare paying school transport here.

You can find out about post-16 SEN home to school transport here.