challenging draft statement - strategies please?

[pinkorkid]

Deadline for giving fedback on ds' draft statement approaches and am wondering how much time to spend on supplying legal arguments/quotes from sencop, case law etc to back up the changes we think need to be made.

Has anyone had experience of their LEA agreeing without argument to suggested changes/filling in omissions based just on parents' pointing them out?

I guess I'm asking should I be holding the legal points in reserve, presuming that we are likely to go to tribunal or should I show all my cards up front?

At the moment just planning to say: this need is described in part 2 but no adequate provision in part 3, this advice from evidence has been ignored, x provision cannot be accessed until y provision is first put in place, salt should be in part 3 etc.

I feel a bit like I'm faced with a poker game and I've only got tactics for snap in place...

Grateful for any advice from those of you who've been down this route already.

To be honest, I think it depends on the LA. Mine wrote a 'Special School' statement, and when I asked about it, they were prepared to withdraw it and write a MS statement, but I was happy with SS.

I would initially approach it informally, saying that you thought SALT was a Part 3 provision, and could they explain how x, y, z in Part 2 is provided for in Part 3, etc.

Then you can get a bit more formal, quoting the SEN CoP, etc.

Then you always have First Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Need and Disability) as an option anyway.

Thanks, Lougle.

That makes sense to put it back in their camp initially, asking them to explain the apparent omissions etc and see what they say.