How to Get Your Child Assessed for SEND in the UK: A Complete Guide

You know something is wrong. Your child is struggling in ways their teachers keep dismissing or attributing to immaturity, behaviour, or lack of effort. You've waited, watched, and asked for help — and the school keeps telling you they're managing it. At some point, a formal SEND assessment stops being optional. It becomes the only way to legally bind the system to actually help your child.

This guide explains how to request a statutory assessment in each of the four UK nations, what happens during the assessment, and the timelines you should hold the system to.

The Four Different Systems

Because education is devolved in the United Kingdom, there is no single SEND assessment process. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each operate under different legislation, use different terminology, and produce different types of statutory documents.

The threshold for assessment also varies. England's threshold is broadly permissive — the child "has or may have" SEN and it "may be necessary" to make special educational provision. Scotland's CSP threshold is the strictest: the child must require significant support from both education and at least one external agency for more than a year.

England: Requesting an EHC Needs Assessment

In England, a request for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment is made in writing to the local authority's Director of Children's Services. Parents, young people over 16, and schools can all make this request. You do not need the school's permission or agreement.

Your request letter should:

• State explicitly: "I am requesting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment under Section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014"
• Explain why the child "has or may have" SEN
• Explain why it "may be necessary" for provision to be made via an EHCP
• Attach any supporting evidence: school reports, GP letters, private assessment reports, communication records

The local authority has 6 weeks to decide whether to assess. If they agree to assess, the full 20-week clock runs from the date of the original request — the 6 weeks for the decision counts within the 20 weeks.

In 2024, local authorities nationally refused 25.2% of all EHCP assessment requests. Some authorities, such as Walsall, refused over 60% of requests. If your request is refused, you have the right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). Parents who take the system to tribunal win 98% of cases that reach a hearing — which reflects how poorly calibrated initial refusal decisions often are.

Wales: Triggering ALN Identification

In Wales, the process typically begins at school level. You can formally request that the school determines whether your child has Additional Learning Needs and requires an Individual Development Plan under the ALNET Act 2018. If the school agrees your child has ALN, they must prepare an IDP within 35 school days.

For complex cases or very young children not yet in school, the local authority has primary responsibility. If the school refuses to identify ALN or refuses to prepare an IDP, you can ask the LA to reconsider. If the LA refuses, an appeal goes to the Education Tribunal for Wales.

SNAP Cymru provides free advice and can accompany you through the process, including attending school meetings on your behalf.

Scotland: Requesting a Co-ordinated Support Plan

In Scotland, you have a statutory right to request that the Education Authority assesses whether your child has Additional Support Needs and whether a Co-ordinated Support Plan is required. This request is made in writing to the local authority's education department.

The threshold for a CSP is high — it requires complex or multiple factors affecting learning, significant support from education, and significant support from at least one external agency (NHS, social work) expected to last more than one year. As of 2025, only 1,165 pupils across Scotland hold a CSP, despite 299,445 pupils being identified as having ASN. Most children with ASN receive support through non-statutory planning.

If you request a CSP assessment, the Education Authority has 8 weeks to respond and 16 weeks total to complete the assessment and issue the plan. Appeals go to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland (ASNTS). Enquire Scotland provides free advice throughout this process.

Northern Ireland: Requesting a Statutory Assessment

In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) manages the statutory assessment process centrally. A request can be made by the school, parents, or medical professionals at any stage. You do not need to wait for the child to have progressed through Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the SEN Code of Practice.

Your request letter should cite Article 20 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and should explain why current school-based support (Personal Learning Plans) is insufficient for your child's needs. Include any available professional reports — from CAMHS, paediatricians, SALTs, or private assessors.

The EA has 6 weeks to inform you whether they will assess. The entire statutory process must be completed within 26 weeks, resulting in either a Statement of SEN or a formal decision not to issue one. Northern Ireland saw a 51% increase in children holding a Statement between 2017/18 and 2023/24, with 26,964 children statemented as of 2023/24.

Navigating the assessment request process is far more complex than any official document makes it sound. The UK Assessment & Evaluation Guide includes ready-to-send request letter templates for all four nations, a four-nations comparison of assessment thresholds, and a guide to interpreting the assessment reports that come back from Educational Psychologists, SALTs, and OTs.

What Happens During the Assessment

Statutory assessments require evidence from multiple professionals. The exact combination varies by nation, but typically includes:

Educational Psychology (EP) report: This is the cornerstone of the assessment. EPs use standardised psychometric testing — commonly the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) — to establish cognitive profile, working memory, processing speed, and any specific learning difficulties.

Medical officer report: A paediatrician or school health professional contributes a medical perspective, relevant for children with health conditions, neurodevelopmental diagnoses, or sensory needs.

SALT report (if relevant): Speech and Language Therapists assess expressive and receptive language, communication, and social pragmatics.

OT report (if relevant): Occupational Therapists assess fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, and functional independence in the school environment.

Parental evidence: Your written account of your child's needs, history, and the impact of those needs at home and in school. This is legally required to be gathered and considered. A detailed, evidence-anchored parental submission is one of the most powerful tools in the assessment process.

When the System Misses the Deadline

Statutory timelines are legally binding, not aspirational. In England, only 46.4% of new EHCPs were issued within the 20-week statutory limit in 2024. If your local authority is late, you have options: a formal letter before action citing the statutory duty, a formal complaint through the LA's internal process, and escalation to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) if the breach persists. The LGSCO can recommend financial remedies for provision lost during the delay.

The same principles apply across all four nations: each has its own statutory timeline and a corresponding public services ombudsman available when those timelines are breached.

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