We have 2 staff members, Jonathan Rourke and Gemma Smith, who offer advice and information in relation to issues linked to Education.
If you need advice or support around your child's education, please first of all register with us at www.skylarks.charity/register .
Then make sure you are logged into your account and then click the orange "Submit your SEND Education Advice Support Request" button on this page
This form will ask you a series of questions so that you can register your own 'Advice case' with us and give us information about what support you are seeking and what outcome you would like. You will receive an advice case number after submitting this form and will be able to review progress on the case using a link in your profile.
Please consider booking any 'Talks' or 'Micro Talks' that might meet your needs first before booking 1:1 sessions. We aim to provide a lot of information to families via groups to enable us to have the capacity to offer as much support as possible to as many families as possible.
The SEND Education Advice Team will receive an email alerting us to the new case and will 'Triage' this case and reply with any suggested additional actions that you might want to take. When we are notified of your booking, we will review your request and may ask you to book in a different way if we feel something else we offer will better meet your needs.
Support can be offered in a range of ways. These are described on the above page Options includ
- Talks in Twick A series of larger talks on issues that are of interest to families around subject like: Transition, Considering Appeals and Tribunals. Some of these are delivered by the SEND advice Service and some by outside professionals
- Micro Talks: A series of online talks covering a range of different elements of SEND process, Micro Talks will have a maximum of 5 families attending giving you plenty of time to ask questions and learn/ support from each other. The Micro talks are described below in order of where you may want support.
- Face-to-face 1:1 appointments at the Crossway Centre on Tuesday afternoons, We offer 3 booked appointments at the Crossway centre on a Tuesday afternoon where you can meet with a member of the team for up to an hour. We also sometimes have staff available for drop in conversations with families at some skylarks sessions but we cannot guarantee that someone will be available at all session
- Online bookable 1:1 appointments with the staff team every week, held by Google Meets or by telephone if preferred. Please check this page regularly if you feel you need a one to one chat with someone as we add bookings at short notice if staff have availability
We also have lots of information sheets which may answer your questions. You can find all our RESOURCES around education here. We urge you to read our information sheets before contacting us please.
Skylarks have a small team of advisors. There are alternatice providers who maybe able to supprot. Below is a list of alternative providers who may also be able to assist you:
IPSEA have a phone line you can call as well as lots of information on their website.
All Local Authorities have to provides a SENDIASS which you can find
here for your area.
The SENDIASS service for Richmond and Kingston can be contacted
here.
The charity
RUILS also offer advice for Richmond and Kingston residents
South West London Law Centre provides free 30 minute consultations with an Education Solicitor. Details are
here.
We have access to support from Fiona Slomovic of Advocacy and Mediation Consultants that we can offer to families with complex situations. Your case will be considered by our in-house SEND Education Advisors who may refer onwards if deemed necessary.
