Lea response to the tribunal - how does it work

[bjkmummy]

My lea due to respond by 31st oct - had really hoped that once they got our papers they wold have conceded - we want a change of school as current school cannot meet his needs - the evidence is overwhelming. However even though the lea have now been to visit my school and got all the extra evidence they needed they are still silent so now have to accept that there is going to be no meeting to sort it all out without going further into the tribunal process.

What does the lea tribunal response look like? Is it painful reading- how near to the deadline did they leave it to u til you received it or did they go over the deadline? I don't have an advocate so it just me against them - I expect by now they must have briefed their solicitor :-(

It will probably simply say 'we oppose the appeal because we can meet his needs by doing x and y', followed by some personal slur to piss you off. They won't be giving away their arguments at this stage.

It's too early for them to give in. There are still months of delay they can utilise. They probably won't even look at your appeal until the 30th.

I suspect you are right as they sent outreach in who said he was absolutely fine and she could not give the school a single intervention strategies to help him. It was totally at odds with every single report and advice but I guess that will be the tact they will use so my son gets screwed of a full time education until February - my school placement is not even expensive and has j
Had a place waiting for him since sept. I am worried now hey won't hold it until feb as they can easily fill it with children with other children who don't have to go through tribunal as its a free school so can fill it with in county kids - we are out of county

They will probably not send it till the 31st. If it's done by the LA, it'll be along the lines Starlight has said. If they have gone to A Certain Solicitor, you will get several pages' worth of references to statute and case law. Don't be intimidated by that, he only does it to impress LAs, most of it is irrelevant and anyway it's unlikely that the tribunal is too keen on being told what they know already. Or they might just concede, of course, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Our LA only just responded on the day of the deadline. We have a letter of 3-4 pages with points. Some of which read along the line of "Parents request that xyz is added to part 2" we agree this amendment and other parts that are very vague and just quote parts of reports to try and support their excuses not to give the help we have requested. Now off to tribunal to prove our point.

have a feeling halloween going to be a stressful day for me then as that is the date for the lea to respond plus its elder sons parents evening plus i have a course in the evening - best get the wine in now!