Prior to hearing
- Ensure you have Google Chrome on your laptop or computer so you can access the video hearing. If you are using Apple products then Safari will need to be used.
- Have a statement ready to say why you would like one School over another – list all the pros and cons and all the reasons
- Have your closing statement ready but leave gaps so you can add to it during the hearing if you need to
- Send a Position Statement / Chronology timeline prior to hearing (see our Information Sheet). This will mean you have all the dates when things happened and when things took place
- Have the numbers of the LA staff that will be at the hearing (and their managers if possible). If someone is missing, the Judge may ask if you have these
- Get School PAN figures, previous year figures and actual numbers on roll for the year your child will be attending. These are on the Surrey website or you could ask the school or schools for this information
- Be clear on the distances from home to the Schools and the time it will take (on a school day). Include the time it will take to get to school on time. You could have a few examples / various routes and their times/distance
- You may wish to obtain the following details to draw up a cost comparison to strengthen your appeal:
| Provision | School 1 (e.g. your preference) | School 2 (e.g. your second preference) | School 3 (e.g. maybe the School the LA want to name) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment costs | |||
| TA cost | |||
| Therapist costs if not included above e.g. OT, SALT | |||
| Transport (for the year – solo and shared) | |||
| Social Care costs: Respite e.g. Short breaks | |||
| TOTAL for a year |
- READ the bundle and mark each page with a post it so you know where each document is.
- FOR INFO: Video Hearings are carried out via Kinly CVP – Cloud Video Rooms. The smartphone app is Pexip Infinity Connect.
- Email address is send@justice.gov.uk if you need it prior to the hearing
At hearing
- Remember to open Google Chrome and then copy the link of the hearing into the search bar. (If you are using Apple products then remember to open Safari first).
- Remember everyone is nervous – you can ask for a break at any time. This may be to pull your ideas and thoughts together or just time for a break
- If your hearing is taking place on the phone remember to say your name before speaking
- Be ready to challenge the LA following their closing statement. You could add this to your closing statement.
- Parents go last!
You could take a framed photo of your child/young person to ensure that everyone remembers who they are talking about and that the child is at the centre! It can sit on your table/desk.
