Requesting school info - does anyone know

[fightingthela]

if I can request info from Infant school which ds left 3 years ago? How long is information kept? I have seen file at his current school and it appears that lots of information,letters etc are missing. I expect this was done deliberately as had lots of problems/complaints with them. Must they provide details or could they just claim to have sent everything to the new school?

All of their records should go with them to their next school. Those that don't, for whatever reason should be held by the school for 5 years I think, longer if they believe there may be complaints.

We also had a lot of info missing from ds file, fortunately I kept copies. I'm starting to think that they have an educational and curricular file and another containing other info.

I know I've been told to put in a retrospective complaint from out LEA to a school Ds attended 10 years ago. So I shouldn't think 3 years is too much of a gap.

kep points:

make the request in writing to the Head.

state your relationship to the child and state you are therefore entitled to have a copy of their school file

ask for copies of all documents contained in the cirricular file and of any documnets that may be stored in other files (such as SEN info about your child stored in SENCO's own files).

Give them a deadline - say 14 days.

Confirm that you will pay any costs associated with the request up to the maximum prescribed in the relevant legislation ( I thinks they could charge you 5p per sheet for photocopying up to a maximum of £40 but they can't charge you for the person's time for p/c ing them.

They'll probably suggest you just come into school to look at them. Decline that offer and hold out for full hard copy of file).

If they don't meet your deadline complain to the Chair of Governors.

I have done all of the above and obtained full school file.

Thanks Wet & Minx. Minx may I ask what your complaint is about? My ds has to have trauma counselling after what he went through at Infant school and we are considering raising a complaint. Only problem is that it will no doubt be his/our word against them and I expect they will wriggle out of it.

Our DS' Junior School didn't send any SEN info to his Secondary School. Luckily I had kept copies of everything so was able to provide them with info which later was essential for Statementing.
You probably won't get the missing info now, but keep copies of everything from now on. We have about 6 lever arch files relating to DS now (he is 15) but at least we don't have to ask anyone else for it.
We complained to LA about Junior School's failure to pass on information and they said it was a matter for the Governors of the school. No chance there then.

FTL - a number of educational issues dating back to when we first moved to this area when DS was in yr1.

Be a bit more confident than it being your word against theirs, you must have, or be able to get hold of, some evidence from the person who saw your son for trauma councelling. I don't want to know the details but trauma councelling suggests something a bit more serious than occasional bullying etc.

I'd suggest that you write and ask your current school if the E & C records you were given access to were a complete as far as they are concerned, or if there is another file somewhere as you believe xyz should be present from the previous school. Give them a week to respond.

Put in a E&C request along with a letter to the head of the governing body of the previous school and ask for any information they may still hold in regard to your son especially in relation to xzy.

Give them time to respond.

Use the evidence that you do have to put in a complaint against previous school. Then progress it to the LEA.

The worst outcome you have a paper trail, that may come in handy later. The best outcome is you get a satisfactory response. If you don't try ..........

Good Luck [hug]