Poole Parent Partnership Service (PoPPs)
What Poole Parent Partnership Service is
PoPPs (Poole Parent Partnership Service) gives impartial information, help and support to parents and carers in Poole. We have three main areas where we can help parents and carers. You can contact us if you:
- have a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
- or have concerns about your child or young person being excluded from school
- or would like help when applying for a secondary school place
We are very happy to hear from you for an informal chat and to give you more details of how we may help.
Special Educational Needs - an explanation
Children with special educational needs all have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. These children may need extra or different help from that given to other children of the same age.
Children with special educational needs may need extra help due to a range of needs, such as:
- thinking and understanding, physical or sensory difficulties
- emotional and behavioural difficulties
- difficulties with speech and language
- how they relate to and behave with other people.
The law says that children do not have learning difficulties just because their first language is not English. Of course some of these children may have learning difficulties as well.
Many children will have special educational needs of some kind at some time during their education. Schools and other organisations can help most children overcome the barriers their difficulties present quickly and easily. But a few children will need extra help for some or all of their time in school.
We can give parents and carers information, help and support in working with schools and the Local Authority to meet their child`s special educational needs (SEN).
Exclusion from School
An exclusion means that a child is not allowed to attend school (or go on to school premises) for either a fixed term (from half to 45 days) or permanently, Head teachers exclude pupils in response to serious breaches of the school`s code of conduct, as published in the school`s behaviour policy.
Parents and carers need to know their rights and responsibilites concerning school exclusions. We can provide further information, discuss concerns around exclusions with parents and carers and, in some cases, support them through appeals processes.
Applying for a secondary school place for the following September
Families need to complete an application form for a school place when planning for their child to transfer to secondary school. Most children in Poole start secondary school in the September of Year 8.
When a child is just starting in Year 7 (or Year 6 if at Bearwood Primary School or Year 8 if attending Broadstone Middle School) the school will give the family a letter and application form from school admissions. This form needs to be completed and returned to School Admissions by the closing date in mid-October.
In order to complete the form, families need to say which secondary schools they would prefer their child to attend. This is called "expressing a preference". On the form there is space to enter up to 3 preferences, putting the one you would like the most in first place.
Secondary schools hold open evenings for families to visit (in September and early October) and families can get a prospectus with more details from each school. Ofsted reports are also available. The admissions policies and further information is available via school admissions.
PoPPs can help families with this application process. We give information and explain how things work, and we can discuss, in confidence, any particular needs or concerns you may have. We can also help you to complete the application form.
It is very important to get your application in on time. If your application is received after the closing date, it will be put aside until all other applications are processed and you are, therefore, much less likely to be offered a place in one of your preferred schools.
How PoPPs can help you
- We understand that you know your child better than anyone
- We will always listen to what you have to say, and keep everything in total confidence
- We can help you to understand how education processes work with regard to: special educational needs (SEN); exclusions from school; applying for secondary school places
- We provide impartial, accurate information on your rights, roles and responsibilities
- We can help you to feel confident in dealing with schools, pre-schools, the Local Authority and other professionals who may be involved
- If we cannot answer your query or help you ourselves, we can put you in touch with other local agencies or voluntary groups who may be able to help
- PoPPs staff and our trained volunteer Parent Supporters work together to ensure that you receive impartial help, information and support
The services that PoPPs offers
You can choose to use as much or as little of the service as you want, when you need it:
- You can telephone us, use email or arrange to meet for a confidential discussion (or just to ask a few questions)
- We will take the time to listen to your concerns and talk things through with you
- We can provide you with accurate information and impartial advice, according to your needs
- We can help you to prepare for meetings with the school, pre-school or LA and, if you wish, we can go along with you to give you support
- We can help you to understand reports and letters from the school, pre-school or the Local Authority.
- We can help you to write your own reports and letters (or to complete forms), as your views and knowledge of your child are very important.
- We can help you to contact other agencies and voluntary groups, who may be able to help.
PoPPs can help if you disagree with the school or Local Authority about the way your child is supported for their special educational needs
We will do our best to help. Sometimes parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) are worried or unhappy with their child's progress or the way in which their child's needs are being met.
There are a number of things you can do to help:
- Share all the information you have about your child with the professionals involved in his or her education
- Always speak with your child's teacher as soon as you have any worries or concerns. Let your child's teacher know your views so that together you can try to solve any problems as soon as possible. You can also talk to the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCo), Head of Year or Tutor. If you are still unhappy then speak to the Headteacher and the Governor with responsibility for special educational needs.
- Try to attend meetings about your child - you can take someone with you if it helps. This can be a relative, friend or someone from PoPPs
- Be well prepared for meetings. For example, make a list of the questions you want to ask and take along as much information as you can about your child's special educational need
- Keep your own records of meetings, telephone calls, letters and reports in a folder
- Ask to see the school's policy on special educational needs (SEN)
- If your child has a Statement of SEN, or the Local Authority is carrying out a Statutory Assessment of your child`s needs, keep in contact with the Formal Assessment Team.
- We can help and support you with any of the above, and can also put you in contact with local parents' groups or voluntary organisations
Disagreement Resolution (for special educational needs SEN)
Sometimes it is difficult to reach agreement. The process of disagreement resolution may help parents, schools and local authorities when there is a dispute about the kind or level of help a child is receiving for their special educational needs (SEN). It may also help when there is a disagreement about a disability discrimination matter.
An independent mediator will meet with parents and schools or local authority staff. The mediator does not take sides, but will listen and find out what has been happening. Mediators are skilled in helping to sort out disagreements and have knowledge of SEN and disability issues.
We can give you with more information, and tell you how to contact the Disagreement Resolution Service for special educational needs or the mediation service for disability discrimination. We can also support you in dealing with this process if you wish.
The following may help when considering disagreement resolution:
- It is free
- It is independent of both schools and the Local Authority
- Asking for the help of a mediator is voluntary - nobody will force you to take part
- It is confidential - nothing you say will be passed on
- Everyone involved must want to find a way to reach an agreement
Disagreement resolution can provide an opportunity for parents and school or LA staff to meet with a third person who is not involved in the disagreement. The aim of disagreement resolution is to find a workable solution that everyone can agree with and that will last.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST)
The tribunal 
is a national, independent organisation that considers:
- parents' appeals when they disagree with the Local Authority about certain special educational needs (SEN) matters
- claims about disability discrimination in education, including cases related to fixed term exclusions from school and school admissions, where these are alleged to be related to a child or young person`s disability.
- If you disagree with a decision, you should let the Formal Assessment Team know. Your concerns will be listened to and every attempt will be made to reach an agreement. If you are still unhappy, you may be able to appeal to SENDIST .
You can appeal to the tribunal on SEN matters if the Local Authority:
- Refuses to carry out a statutory assessment of your child's special educational needs, unless an assessment has been made within the previous 6 months
- Refuses to issue a statement after making a statutory assessment
You must appeal within 8 weeks of the date that you receive the decision from the Local Authority.
If the Local Authority has made a statement of your child's special educational needs, or has changed a previous statement, you can appeal against:
- The description in part 2 of the statement of your child's special educational needs;
- The description in part 3 of the statement of the special educational help that the Local Authority thinks your child should get;
- The school named in part 4 of the statement; or
- The Local Authority not naming a school in part 4 of the statement
You can also appeal if the Local Authority:
- Refuses to change the school named in Part 4, if the statement is at least a year old, and you are applying for a maintained school of the same type as the child`s current school;
- Refuses to reassess your child if the LA have not made a new assessment for at least 6 months;
- Decides not to maintain your child's statement;
- Decides not to change the statement after reassessing your child.
You cannot appeal to SENDIST for:
- The way the Local Authority have carried out the assessment, or the length of time it took
- The way the Authority are making arrangements for the help set out in your child's Statement
- The way the school is meeting your child's needs
- The description in the Statement of your child's non-educational needs or how they will be met
Further information about how to appeal to SENDIST is available. PoPPs can help and support you through all of this process.
The Disability Discrimination Act
If your child has a disability and you consider that they have been discriminated against in education, you may be able to challenge this under the Disability Discrimination Act .
You can make a claim about disability discrimination if:
- your child is treated less favourably than someone without a disability,
- and the treatment is for a reason related to the disability,
- and it is not justified.
Your claim will be against the 'responsible body'. This may be the governing body of your child's school, the LA or the owner (if your child attends an independent school). The SEN and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) hears most claims for disability discrimination, though some claims are heard by other appeals panels.
If the tribunal finds that discrimination has taken place they can order the responsible body to do anything reasonable to put right the discrimination. The tribunal cannot order the payment of financial compensation.
PoPPs can support you with this process and further information can also be obtained from the Disability Rights Commission .
Further information about how to make a claim of disability discrimination is available from SENDIST, PoPPs or the Local Authority.
Contact us
- Contact us to arrange a visit.
- Telephone: 01202 261933.
- Address: Quay Advice Centre, 18 Hill Street, Poole, BH15 1NR.
- Location Map
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