EssexCounty Council SENCO Manual 2011

Essex County Council

SENand Children with

Additional Needs

Introduction to the

Annual Review Process

Information for schools

The purpose of an Annual Review

  • to make sure that at least once a year the parents, the Local Authority, the school and all the professionals involved monitor and evaluate the continued effectiveness and relevance of the provision set out in the statement

The process

The Local Authority must initiate the annual review process by writing to the school each term with a list of all pupils on roll at their school requiring an annual review.

The actual process is in five stages:

  1. Collection and collation of information
  1. The annual review meeting to which the child’s parents, and, if the child is looked after by the Local Authority under a care order, the child’s social worker and the residential care worker or foster parents, as appropriate, must be invited
  1. The Head teacher’s report of the annual review meeting which must be sent to the Local Authority’s area office no later than 10 days after the meeting or the end of that term, whichever is the earlier date
  1. The Local Authority reviews the statement in the light of the Head teacher’s report of the review meeting, and decides whether to amend the statement or cease to maintain it. The Local Authority must write to the parents, with a copy to the school, informing them of decisions taken and the reasons, within 8 weeks of the annual review
  1. The Local Authority provides written notification to parents of the decision whether or not to amend the statement. This notification must be made within 7 days of the decision (Stage 4). If the LA decides not to amend the statement parents will be given right of appeal to the SEN and Disability Tribunal.

The timing of Annual Reviews for pupils in Years 2 and 5

A review of statements for Year 2 pupils in Key Stage 1 only schools should be held in the autumn term, in order for appropriate amendments to be made to statements prior to transition to a Key Stage 2 setting. This should take place within this timeframe, even if the anniversary of the statement implementation is not at that time and involves holding two reviews within the same 12 month period – one on the anniversary and one transition review.

A review of statements for Year 5 pupils should be held in the summer term, in order for appropriate amendments to be made to statements prior to transition to the secondary phase. This should take place within this timeframe, even if the anniversary of the statement implementation is not at that time and involves holding two reviews within the same 12 month period – one on the anniversary and one transition review.

The following pages offer a record of an annual review

and a timetable for all the reviews, whichare optional but very useful.

1

Ref: SM1/3.11

First issue: Jan 2004

EssexCounty Council SENCO Manual 2011

Dates / Name of child / Name of child / Name of child
Annual Review dates
Set at beginning of year
Confirm whether EP attending and liaise with dates
Inform Specialist Teacher and outside agencies
6 weeks* before
Send out Annual Review invites and request advice from outside agencies and parents / Parents
Headteacher
Learning Support Assistant
Educational Psychologist
Specialist Teacher
Other agencies
4 weeks* before
Send reminder, phone calls, letters.
4 weeks* before
Collect Pupil’s and Parents’ views
3 weeks* before
Complete draft paperwork
2 weeks before

Circulate paperwork

ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING – date:
Amend paperwork and follow up any school actions
Headteacher to sign
10 days after review or end of term, whichever is the sooner send copy of Annual Review Report to LA and others involved.
8 weeks after the review the LA notify school and parents of the outcome.

*the time is not statutory

Timetable for Annual Reviews

September 20--/-- / 6 weeks* prior to review / 4 weeks* prior to review / 2/3 weeks prior to review / 10 days after review
Name / Review date / Invites + request for report sent to: / Reply rec’d / Report rec’d / Remin-der sent / Reply rec’d / Report rec’d / Pupil view sheet completed / Draft paperwork
complete / Paperwork
circulated / Paper
work
amended / New IEP
complete and sent out / Any action by school / Report sent to Area Office

* this time is not statutory

1

Ref: SM1/3.11

First issue: Jan 2004