R-02-E · Records
Contact from the Local Authority
Know Your Rights Before You Reply
Know your rights, set your boundaries, and get prepared before the LA ever gets in touch.
14 min read
England
Updated August 2026
Records
Take a deep breath. First contact is a standard bureaucratic process.
Before you reply to any correspondence from your Local Authority (LA), you need to know the rules of engagement. This guide breaks down the essential pre-response strategy: what they are likely to ask, what they are allowed to ask, how much you…
The rest of this guide
With an account you get every remaining section, in full — the same headings you see here, written through to the end.
- 02Before you reply
- 03The information your LA may request
- 04Education remains your responsibility throughout
- 05How the LA might contact you (and the rules of engagement)
- 06Why you should never share your child’s work
- 07Your written response and the right framing
- 08What not to share (even if they ask for it)
- 09High-Level Goals vs. Rigid Promises
- 10Do and Don’t
- 11After you send it
- 12The takeaway. What this means for you.
- 13Where to go from here.
