Timetable for assessments and statements

Once a decision to make a statutory assessment is made it must be completed within 10 weeks, unless there are practical reasons why that’s not possible. The local authority then has to decide whether to draw up a statement. 

The local authority's decision

If the local authority decides not to draw up a statement, 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 the statement should be written. 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).

What if I'm unhappy with my statement?

If you’re 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, this will affect the legal time limit for finalising the statement. So think carefully about whether you need more than one meeting. For example perhaps you could meet more than one person at the same meeting.

If you have just one meeting, the local authority must issue the statement within eight weeks of issuing the proposed statement.

Useful advice 

Handy tips from parents on our Talk about Autism community:

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 phone calls that have taken place.

Follow up any phone calls you have with the local authority with an email confirming the date and details of that conversation.