Rights and duties of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their parents.

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The rights of children and young people with SEN and the duties of the local authority (LA)

All children and young people have a right to an appropriate education, a broad and balanced curriculum, equal opportunities in education and opportunities for further education.

Children and young people with SEN also have a right to receive special help or provision if necessary, in order for them to access this education. It is the duty of the LA (Wiltshire Council) to provide this.

More information

• Find out more about SEN and what it means.
• Find out more about how needs are assessed and provided for.
• Read the SEN Code of Practice, the govenrment's legal guidance to local authorities and school about what they must provide.
• The Wiltshire Indicators and Provision Document (WIPD) is published by Wiltshire Council and offers guidance on good practice to schools. It also makes it clear to parents and carers what provision they should expect for children with different levels of need.

The rights and duties of parents and carers

Parents and carers also have rights and duties in relation to their child’s education.

You have a right to:

• information about the provision being made for your child.
• express your views and be involved in decisions about your child.
• support and advice about your child’s education - this may be from the early years setting, school or specialist support services where appropriate.
• request a statutory assessment of your child.
• consult whoever you wish, including the school, its governing body, the local authority, SEN services provided by the local authority and the Parent Partnership Service.

You have a duty to:

• make sure your child attends school. You can find out more about this in the DfE leaflet Is Your Child Missing Out?
• follow the guidance if your child is excluded from school - you will receive written notification of the arrangements. To find out more go to exclusion information for parents and carers.

Last updated: 30 September 2010