School legislation

Arthritis qualifies as a special educational need (SEN), so pupils with arthritis can be sure that any specific needs can be met to assist their learning. All mainstream schools are obliged by law to appoint a designated educational needs co-ordinator, or SENCO. Their job is to represent the needs of any pupil with SEN.

The Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010, replacing the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). All schools in England, Scotland and Wales are required to abide by it, while Northern Ireland follows the DDA. Scotland introduced the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 and Northern Ireland now also has secondary legislation and Codes of Practice.

Statementing

Statuatory assessment by the Local Educational Authority of a child’s condition can lead to a Statement of Special Educational Needs, known as statementing. This is a legal document which outlines in detail what extra provision needs to be made to the child’s school. This can include:

• specialist equipment and support
• provision for a learning support assistant (LSA), who can support the pupil in class and around the school
• a laptop computer
• suitable transport to and from school

Statementing can be a long and complicated process. It can take months of paperwork and consultation to complete. The SENCO will make the application to the Local Education Authority (LEA), who will establish what provisions will be made.

Individual Education Plan

Any pupil having a statement must also have an individual education plan (IEP) drawn up by school staff to cater for their specific needs. This plan outlines long and short-term objectives, which are reviewed at an annual meeting. The IEP document will include details of:

• the specific nature of the pupil’s barriers to learning
• what help is available from parents
• the pupil’s medical requirements
• monitoring and assessment arrangements

The school’s SENCO is responsible for ensuring that appropriate IEPs are in place for those who need them.