We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide early educational assessments for children born prematurely whilst at primary school.”
Details of Petition:
“With over 45,000 children being born prematurely in the UK every year and many of them having learning difficulties, it should be easier for parents to obtain statutory assessments for their child’s special educational needs. Extra provisions are provided for children with SEN via the nfer for taking school tests (extra time etc), however unless accurate assessments are made well in advance, and provisions put in place, any chronological (by age) standardised testing has to be flawed. Chidren born prematurely often require extra time to catch up, schools need to be aware of this at the very outset of their education.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage
Read the Government’s response
Thank you for your e-petition.
The Government supports the earliest possible identification, assessment and intervention to support children with special educational needs (SEN), including children whose SEN arises from being born prematurely. Local authorities have duties, where necessary, to identify children from birth onwards who have SEN which require the extra support provided through an SEN ‘statement’ – a document setting out the child’s needs and the support required to meet those needs. For children between birth and their second birthday local authorities, where necessary, must carry out appropriate assessments and draw up an appropriate form of a statement when children are brought to their attention. For children aged two onwards local authorities must, where necessary, carry out assessments and draw up statements in the way set out in the SEN Code of Practice. Once a statement has been drawn up local authorities must arrange the extra educational support it sets out.
Parents have the right to request statutory assessments with a view to their children being given statements and, as long as an assessment has not been carried out within the previous six months, can do so at any time by contacting their local authority. The Government provides guidance for parents and carers on SEN processes (www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool /sen/ parentcarers/) and has produced an ‘easy read’ version of this guidance for parents who themselves have learning difficulties. The Government, through the SEN and Disability Act 2001, has also ensured that there is a parent partnership service in each local authority area to help the parents of children with SEN by giving factual and unbiased information and advice, including on arrangements for statutory assessments and statements.
Despite this support some parents find dealing with the ‘SEN system’ a challenge and lack confidence that it will deliver the provision their children need as soon as they need it. Following a Parliamentary Committee report SEN: Assessment and Funding (2007), the Government asked Brian Lamb, the Chair of the Special Educational Consortium, to conduct an inquiry into ways in which the system could work that would promote parental confidence and the Government has also commissioned research into parents’ experience of the system, which will be published later this year. It has also asked Ofsted to review SEN and report next year.
The SEN Code, which early education providers, schools and local authorities must take account of when making provision for children with SEN, itself encourages early identification and makes it one of the critical success factors for meeting children’s SEN. Once identified, schools and local authorities should assess and make suitable provision for children as soon as possible. The Government’s SEN strategy Removing Barriers to Achievement (2004) encouraged greater delegation of SEN funding directly to schools so that schools have the resources to assess and make early provision for children even with more severe and complex needs. In the Children’s Plan (2007) the Government announced £18 million to improve SEN provision and in the Children’s Plan One Year On document £31million for ‘Achievement for All’ pilots to support schools in helping children with SEN, including those who were born prematurely, to make better progress by, amongst other things, improving schools’ assessment of their needs and the intervention they require to make progress.
Education law allows for flexibility in the curriculum in order to make it more personal to a child’s individual needs. Children with SEN statements can have all or part of the National Curriculum ‘disapplied’ so that schools can concentrate on meeting the child’s particular needs and helping them to catch up. If it is the best interests of the child, children can also be held back a year so that their schooling more closely matches their stage of development.
There is also flexibility in the National Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Arrangements, published by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority, for children with particular difficulties. Teachers can find guidance about adaptations to the tasks and tests at Key Stage 1 and externally marked tests at Key Stage 2 in the teachers’ handbooks and guides. The tests are designed so that many children with special educational needs and disabilities can undertake them in their standard format. However teachers can choose from a range of access arrangements for particular children. For example, readers can be used and modified versions of the test materials are available, such as large print and Braille. Teachers can offer specific children additional time to take the tests where, for example, pupils are unable to sit and work for a sustained period because of a disability or because of behavioural, emotional or social difficulties. Schools are able to contact their local authority or the national curriculum test helpline for advice on particular circumstances.
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