SA letter sent

[xenzani]

Got the letter sent today to start the ball rolling for a SA, typically before another exclusion so couldn't add that one.

The six week time frame for a reply, does that include school holidays?

Just working out when I need to contact them if I hear nothing.

Well done and keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome for you. We sent ours off in February so did not encounter the Summer holiday issue but the others were ignored in terms of timescale.

Would write a second letter along these lines :

Further to my letter dated... I wish to inform you that xenjunior has just received another fixed term exclusion for x days due to (insert behaviour) which is a direct result of his SEN (or diagnosis etc). This further affirms my belief that Zenjunior needs a full statutory assessment and I wish you to consider this latest development when you consider his case for assessment.
sincerely etc etc

should anything else happen, keep updating the case officer. The more evidence they have, the more likelihood they will assess.

everything in writing, always copy someone else in, so things can't be ignored / go 'missing'.

good luck

I don't think the holidays should affect it. The only relevant exception to the 6 week time limit is where:

"the authority have requested advice from the head teacher of a school during the period beginning 1 week before any date on which that school was closed for a continuous period of not less than 4 weeks from that date and ending 1 week before the date on which it reopens."

So provided they get the request out to the head before the last week of term the exception doesn't kick in. Better check they're doing that.

Thank you for the replies.

At the moment, the request is being done purely for behaviour, we have no diagnosis although hopefully that will change August when we are back at the pead.

Not including the holidays, six weeks from today is 31st july, almost two weeks after they break up. Hoping they are quick about it what with all the changes in september.

Will get another letter sent updating about today, also need to ask for a letter about today's exclusion and last week's one too.

Thanks again

As far as LA staff are concerned, the summer holidays shouldn't be an issue, but when they need to communicate with school staff, then it does become an obstacle, as even school staff who do work over the holidays (and that does happen) don't work the entire break.

I would contact after 6 weeks and log their response.

Lets hope the LEA decide to contact the school before they break up. That gives them four weeks.

Fully expect a refusal to assess though but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

I spoke to our LEA the other day about exactly this issue. My parental request goes to panel next Thursday so if they agree we will then have 10 weeks including the summer holiday. I was told the LEA do have a right to extend the period when it has been affected by a summer holiday to allow observations to take place.