Special Educational Needs and Disability Discrimination in Schools: A Legal Handbook

The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced the biggest changes to the SEN legislative framework in over 30 years. Statements of SEN have been replaced by EHC plans to recoqnise that a child's education, health and social needs should be viewed holistically and the framework now includes children and young people up to the age of 25.

This practical guide covers the law and policy of SEN and disability discrimination in schools with detailed step by step guidance on the process for obtaining EHC plans and SEN appeals. Aimed primarily at the parents of children and young people with SEN, it is an accessible guide to the complex web of education legislation, policy and procedure. It will also be an invaluable resource for legal advisers, local authority SEN officers, teachers and professionals working in the field of education.

The authors have extensive expertise in education law and cases involving special educational needs and disability. They appear regularly for parents, schools and local authorities in the First-tier Tribunal, the Upper Tribunal and the Administrative Court.

The main text is supported by appendices including the key provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014 and other relevant legislation and extracts from the SEND Code.

[This} legal handbook provides an in-depth level of legal research and comment. It is not intended to be a simple guide to this area of practice. However, it is written in a style which I consider will be accessible to many different audiences ... the ultimate advice to those seeking to ensure this legislation is effective has to be 'know the law and apply the law'. This publication will help to do this. Tribunal Judge Jane McConnell, First-tier Tribunal (HESC) and Lead Judge SEND