Tribunal

[Wednesdayy123]

We have Tribunal coming up very soon. I have been ok with it all so far with the thought of the right decision will be made, and the school I want will be named. DC is out of school, has been for nearly 2 years, attending AP. I have anxiety which is medicated and like I said have coped with the stress so far. I am now crumbling, not sleeping feeling like I absolutely cannot cope and there is over a month to go. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through Tribunal for B,F and I, how the hearing went, anything really?

Easier said than done, but try not to worry. Remember, the majority of appeals are upheld. You can do this.

Hearings can be stressful, but try not to panic. If you need a break at any point, ask. If you need something repeating or clarifying, ask. Ignore any games the LA play. Don’t get bogged down in the history. Don’t interrupt even if the LA does.

Try not to second guess the outcome. Some parents feel despondent after the hearing and perceive it didn’t go well/in their favour. This often isn’t actually the case. A large part of that is the relief of it being over rather than the hearing actually being dreadful. And that many parents aren’t used to Tribunals.

Before the hearing, make sure you know your way around the bundle in whatever way works for you. Paying particular attention to knowing where the evidence for the outstanding disputed content is.

Thank you for that.

I've had two tribunals in the past and I won both of them. Just the other day on radio 4, I heard that 98% of SEND tribunals find in favour of the parents.

Best of luck to you! 💐

@Lyannaa thanks

Is it possible to have a tribunal over zoom/teams?

The vast majority of oral hearings are virtual hearings now.