The Special Educational Needs Section comprises of a team of 14 full time staff who:

• Provide advice and guidance to parents/carers and other agencies about the statutory assessment process.
  
• Provide advice and guidance to schools in relation to the inclusion of pupils with a disability.
  
• Assist in the initial determination of statutory assessment requests with the support of the Educational Psychology Service and other agencies as required.
  
• Liaise with a range of agencies including Education Psychology, Health Service, Schools etc. to gather up to date and relevant information about children and young people to aid the SEN statutory assessment process.
  
• Aim to complete the formulation of statutory assessments within the national guidelines of 18 weeks for proposed statements and 26 weeks for the finalisation of statements.
  
• Ensure that looked after pupils with a statement of special educational needs are in appropriate education placements.
  
• Oversee the implementation of the LEA Accessibility Strategy.
  
• Ensure that the transport policy is adhered to with regards to the placement of pupils in specialised provision and those with particular physical difficulties
  
• Ensure that the Annual Review policy is adhered to; including representing the Authority at specified annual review meetings, providing advice and support to schools regarding annual review meetings, and providing the Authority decision in light of the recommendations made at the review meetings.
  

Within the team there is:

• Head of SEN
  
• PA to Head of SEN
  
• 4 Assessment and Review Officers (including 1 Senior Officer) & 1 Assessment and Review Officer (LAC)
  
• 3 Special Educational Needs Support Officers
  
• 2 Transport Commissioning Officers (including 1 Senior Officer)
  
• 2 Finance & Statistics Officers (including 1 Senior Officer)
  

Special Education work closely with the following:

• Education Psychology Service
  
• Stockport NHS/Stockport PCT
  
• Parent Partnership
  
• The Learning Support Service
  
• Education Services for Sensory Impairment
  
• Education Support Team
  
• Education Welfare Service
  
• Portage
  
• The Secondary Inclusion Service
  
• The Secondary Inclusion Team
  
• The Primary Inclusion Team
  
• Secondary Support Service
  
• Primary Behaviour Support Service
  
• Connexions