Stages of assessment

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Assessment and help within the school/early years setting

If your child has difficulties at school or in the pre-school setting, the teacher/ early years practitioner must first identify what your child’s special educational needs are. Your child’s teacher/ practitioner will want to talk to you to find out your views.

The school or pre-school will then work out what is additional or different that needs to be put in place to help your child. They may use the Wiltshire Indicators and Provision Document, which offers guidance on how Code of Practice procedures are carried out in Wiltshire.

If help is arranged in the school or pre-school setting then the school or pre-school will follow Code of Practice procedures. For more information about this document, go to What if I think my child has SEN?.

When this happens your child may be described as ‘at Early Years Action’ or ‘School Action.’

Your child’s progress will be regularly reviewed. With the involvement of parents/ carers and children/young people, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be drawn up, or your child’s provision may be outlined in a school provision map. In either case the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and teacher/ practitioner will outline the resources, strategies and approaches which will be used to support your child’s needs, and will set targets for their continued achievement.

If your child makes sufficient progress they may no longer need to be at Early Years Action or School Action, or to have an IEP/ provision map. Again, additional information about this process can be found in the Wiltshire Indicators and Provision Document.

Assessment and help from outside the school/early years setting

If, after trying different types of help over a period of time, your child does not make appropriate progress, the school or pre-school may ask for help from other people. They will always ask for your permission first.

The people they could contact may include specialist teachers, educational psychologists, or health professionals such as speech and language therapists. Sustained support from these professionals may be put in place.

When this happens your child may be described as ‘at Early Years Action Plus’ or ‘School Action Plus’

New plans or special arrangements will be made for your child by their pre-school or school. These will be recorded in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and progress will continue to be regularly reviewed.

If your child makes sufficient progress they may no longer need to be at School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus. Their needs may be met at School Action or Early Years Action, or by the usual arrangements available in their school or pre-school. Again, additional information about this process can be found in the Wiltshire Indicators and Provision Document.

To find out more about arrangments at Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus, please see Early Years SEN.

To find out more about arrangements at School Action and School Action Plus, please see the leaflet School Action/ School Action Plus.

You can also contact the parent partnership service (at ask) on 08457 585072 for advice or information about SEN, or visit their website at www.askwiltshire.org.

Further assessment

Very occasionally, if progress has not been made, despite specific intervention over a period of time, an assessment of your child may be necessary in order to identify their needs and the help they require. This is called a statutory assessment. To find out more about the statutory assessment process go to Statutory assessment.

Some pre-school children who are likely to need very high levels of support will have a statutory assessment without progressing through Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus. This may be arranged before starting school.

I have further questions - who can I ask?

Email your question about SEN direct to the parent partnership service or see contact details below

Related information

• Assessment & Provision
• Jargon Buster
• Position Statement
• SEN - Home
• SEN - What does it mean?
• Support Services
• What if I think my child has SEN?

Related documents

• Wiltshire IPD
• SEN - Entitlement 698kb
• Annual Review documents 2008
• SEN Strategy
• WESFORD 1 2nd edition (Dyslexia resource) WESFORD 1 2nd edition (Dyslexia resource) 4mb

Related links

• Children & Young Peoples' Services Partnership
• Connexions
• Findit Directory
• Resolving Disagreement through Wessex Mediation
• Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
• Parent Partnership Service
• SEN Guide for Parent and Carers

These are external/partnership sites which you may find useful. Wiltshire Council is not responsible for their content.

Last updated: 29 September 2010