Reading time: 3 minutes
A question being asked by many is ‘are Statements going?’ The answer is ‘yes’.
The next question is ‘when will this happen?’ and ‘what will take its place?’ These answers will follow shortly but first, if you are reading this thinking ‘what is a Statement?’ then let’s just recap.
Most children with SEN have their needs met within a mainstream school, however some children with more complex needs may receive a Statement of SEN.
Approximately 11.9% of children in Wales currently have a Statement of SEN (2017 School Census – Welsh Government).
A ‘Statement’ is a document, which sets out a child’s SEN and any additional help that the child should receive. The aim of the Statement is to make sure that the child gets the right support to enable them to make achieve their potential in school.
So, back go the next question – ‘what is going to take the place of Statements’. The Welsh Government wants all learners aged 0-25 with additional learning needs (the new term for SEN) to have a different plan instead, called an Individual Development Plan (IDP).
And the big question is ‘when will this happen?’ The changes to the system will not be immediate. They will start from September 2020:
- Learners with existing statements will transfer to IDPs within two years
- All other learners with non-statutory plans will transfer to IDPs within three years
Some local authorities in Wales are already using IDPs. This will help those families when the system changes in 2020. However until 2020 families in Wales still have the right to request a Statement of SEN for their child under section 323 of the 1996 Education Act.
Want more information?
Read more about what’s included in the new IDPs on Chapter 2 at:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/anaw/2018/2/pdfs/anaw_20180002_en.pdf