child should attend a nursery class or school (either within a mainstream or special school setting), playgroup or opportunity playgroup.

5:24. All services working within a local authority with young children, including home-based learning programmes, should have clearly articulated arrangements for access to their services.  Those arrangements should be readily understandable by parents of children with special needs; indicate the kind of support which can be provided; and state any priority admission arrangements for such children.

5:25. The LEA should have information on nursery school or class places for children with special educational needs; and about places in play or opportunity groups, family centres, day nurseries or other provision for young children in that authority.

5:26. LEAs should consider the level of support which they can give to provision made through the voluntary sector and social services, such as playgroups and family centres.  The underfives forum or review groups which exist in many LEAs and which bring all statutory and relevant voluntary agencies together on a periodic basis offer useful opportunities to plan such collaborative approaches and to develop common criteria for the early identification and assessment of any special needs.

5:27. If a child is on a local authority child protection register, or where there is concern about a child's welfare, the LEA and social services department should consider jointly agreeing an arrangement for identifying a child's needs and specifying and monitoring the provision to meet such needs.  If the child is looked after by the local authority - living with a foster parent or in a residential setting - the LEA's assessment could form part of the child's Child Care Plan and be regularly reviewed.

Moving to primary school

5:28. In some instances a child under five may have received considerable support without the necessity of making a statement.  If it is decided that the child's needs are such that he or she will require a statement prior to entering primary school at five, careful attention should be paid to the parents' views and to information available from the full range of assessment arrangements within all the relevant agencies making provision for young children with special needs.  Particular attention should be given to the child's general health and development and home environment to ensure that a learning difficulty is not directly)related to wider family problems, and in order to provide appropriate support for the parents in making a full contribution to their child's progress at school.

5:29. All schools will wish to assess pupils' current levels of attainment on entry in order to ensure that they build upon the pattern of learning and experience already established during the child's pre-school years in nursery schools or classes, playgroups and other settings.  Some LEAs operate 'multi-disciplinary under fives advisory panels', which give advice about a child's needs to the receiving primary school.  If the child has an identified