Lewisham can't stop statements but as I understand it Lewisham would like to issue less of them. Statements protect the rights of children with special needs to have their needs met however they are legal documents which have to be prepared in cirtain ways over cirtain time spans. They cost a lot of money to prepare.
There are arguments that for all sorts of reasons it would be better for schools to have budget to meet the needs of children with special needs without the delay or expence of a statement. These arguments are about "high insidence low need" conditions where the support needed can be provided in a farely clearly percived way. For example a child needs hand outs in a cirtain font on a cirtain coloured paper. A T.A. has time allocated to do that or a child has problems with the physical act of writing, she is provided with a keyboard and time each week to talk over problems or a young person at secondary school cannot carry a heavy bag between split sites so assistance is provided when that event occurs. with a bit of money the problem is solved and without spending several thousand pounds and 6 months writing a statement.
My child had a statement before starting school. We have only really been interested in it's content when there have been difficulties for example when her primary school did not want to deal with new needs and when there were issues around secondary transfer. It is reveiwed every year but hasn't changed much in a long time. Her needs are met by her school so I don't need to constantly remind them what her needs are.
Children who need education in a special school have to have a statement, but it might be hoped(!) as years go by that as society equips itself to be flexable in its aceptance of difference they will be the children with high level needs for whom a document laying out how those needs are to be met is a necessary and wothwhile thing.
The question is who are statements to benifit? Are they documents which allow a school to get necessary funds which they can't get otherwise and without which a childs education falls short? Are they documents which give schools the ammunition to reject a child because "the school cannot meet their needs"? Are they a document which allow over demanding parents to barrate teachers who don't jump every hoop on command? Are they documents which make sure children with SEN are trated in an equitable way within our system?
Maybe there are better ways to spend money than writing on bits of paper. Maybe schools can be given budgets will will meet the needs of most pupils (I always think when schools say something like "42% of our pupils have special needs" well thats not "special" is it?). Maybe we can stop looking on difference as equating to wrong. Until it all feels "safe" parents will still ask for statements when needs might be met otherwise but until it all feels safe maybe I can understand that.