Management Information Sheet

This information relates to pupils due to transfer to a new school in September 2014. Special arrangements about school transfer apply to children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs. This MI sheet is to give you information about the process and to give you advance notice of the consultation period regarding pupils who we propose will transfer to your school in September 2014.

You will be aware that the Local Authority (LA) is required to make arrangements enabling parents to express a preference for a maintained school to be named in their child's Statement. This is a particular issue at phase transfer.

The LA writes to the parents of all children with Statements who are due to transfer to a new school in September 2014, on 9th September 2013. Parents are asked to identify a preference for a transfer school for September 2014 and are asked to let us know their preferences by September 30tth 2013.

The next step will be for the Authority to prepare a Proposed Amended Statement for each child and to consult schools on 29th November 2013. Schools will have 15 working days to respond. School responses must be made by 20th December 2013.

The LA has a statutory duty to name the parents' preferred choice of school in the Statement unless:

a) the school cannot provide for the needs of the child
b) the child's attendance at the school would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children in the school
c) the placement is an inefficient use of the LA's resources

The LA has a responsibility to ensure that all statements of children transferring between phases of education are amended to name a transfer school by 15th February 2014. This will enable adequate time for parents, where they are unhappy with their child's Statement, to have the time to take an appeal to the First Tier Tribunal and to allow any school placement issues to be settled well before the start of the next school year. It is intended to issue the Final Statements on 7th February 2014 in order to ensure that they are with parents by the due date.

Schools are expected to be able to meet the needs of all children. Therefore the only ground upon which a school may object to a child's proposed placement is if the child's attendance would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children in the school.

Parents will also receive a copy of the Proposed Statement on 29th November 2013 and will have 15 days to let us know if they want to talk to us or tell us about any amendments they would like made.

Parents may also receive a letter from our Admissions Team about choosing a school for their child. Parents of children with Statements who receive a form from Admissions should only complete the first page of application form.

Schools should contact their named Additional Needs Coordinator regarding any concerns.