EHCP and the race to state

Yes I went to appeal it was back in 2016 so a long time ago now. We got the ehcp eventually with a full time 1-1 in mainstream, unfortunately the school didn’t provide this all the time and things still went downhill and he ended up moving to specialist in 2019 and is doing well now in a class of 4 children with a teacher and ta as couldn’t manage in the bigger 8 children class. I do wonder though if we’d have got the ehcp or even support without an ehcp when we first asked if he’d still be in mainstream, maybe have become independent and able to manage and not need an ehcp anymore, maybe he would have ended up in specialist anyway but we’ll never know

Depends on the school. We had a horrendous time when my autistic so was in mainstream both before and after he had an ehcp. A lot of schools just want to force Sen children out

Your choice but I think it’s clear what your rallying to arms thread is all about.

The issue we are facing in my area is that no matter what mainstream state secondary schools do, with the best will in the world, they just can not meet the requirements on the ehcps. They don't have the funding from the LA, but also some students even with all reasonable adjustments, just find mainstream secondary not suitable. I really hope that the new government is able to see this problem, without being able to recognise and accept this thousands of children will continue to have their needs unmet. It is so sad and so cruel.
And to answer that question that so many people have asked. There are more children with SEND than ever before and the severity of how they are impacted has increased. There are lots of suggested reasons for this including genetic factors and widening diagnosis tools for example for ASD. In the area of mental health the negative influence of social media is raised frequently.
On the plus side I have seen some students with EHCPs thrive in mainstream and I think their presence really helps non SEND students understand the issues far better than many adults!

I dont think arguing whether or not ops child would qualify for an ehcp is helpful. It's perfectly OK for her to apply for one and if the LA or tribunal agree her child needs one she will get one, regardless of whether she has previously paid for support herself.
It's a horrid process. Some people are better equipped to cope with the process than others. That's no ops childs fault.

Yes they are. I have 5 dc with SEN, 1 has an ehcp and 1 is being assessed. Both of them would have been in special school in the 1990's. Dc4 has moderate learning disabilities and dc5 has autism with a 7 year delay in his emotional development.

depends on the type of school, not in the traditional academic type but there are a number of more nurturing small schools that tend to have a high level of Sen

But it’s the vat that has tipped it, if vat wasn’t being added then the parent would have just kept on sending their child to the school without an ehcp. Although in op case it seems to be more a case of the school most probably closing down

Are there high numbers of SEN children in private schools? My only experience is the opposite where my friend’s daughter has been booted out of her private school as the nature of her needs means she’s likely to not do well in exams.

We were turned down for ehcp assessment, my autistic son wasn’t managing in his large mainstream, and not managing consisted of throwing chairs, trying to escape and climb the fence, having screaming meltdowns. The la said his needs could be met in mainstream without an ehcp even with evidence of this going on, so personally I don’t think the local authorities are well qualified to spot

You listed what his private school provision as regards his SEN is. Most state schools provide that with bells on with no need for an EHCP. One worries about SEN provision in your academy if you don’t know this to be the case.

Transport doesn’t have to be included in an EHCP for a child to be eligible. Transport is covered by separate legislation.

Yes we didn’t need a layer for our child’s EHCP or a tribunal. Really shit to read the tactics some parents are going to go to, stamping on children in need in order to get the schools they want for their children.

I hope local authorities start to prioritise those in the state sector , most in need and without huge sums of money to buy EHCPs.

local authorities will be well qualified to spot.

The success rate at SENDIST says otherwise.

I suspect this varies around the country as certainly where I am, it’s the norm. Then again, it’s also the norm for legal support and an abundance of private assessments to support a claim.

This

EHCPs are reviewed by the SEnCO every year and you can’t dictate what is written.

While schools, where a child or young person is on the roll of one, are involved in ARs, it is actually the LA who have ultimate responsibility and decide whether they propose to amend, maintain as is, or propose to cease to maintain.

Parents don’t dictate what is in EHCPs, but they can appeal to SENDIST where they disagree.

Well then you’ll know that an EHCP isn’t needed for what you have listed you currently have. I’m not entirely sure of the point re this thread .I strongly suspect it’s yet another attempt at vat on fees scaremongering.

Interesting that some families are paying lawyers to get the EHCPs.

My job is with children who all need (and get) an EHCP and many/most will go into specialist provisions. However a lawyer would be completely out of the question, infact not even remotely on the radar.

I hugely disagree with you.

It’s not just the VAT though as the EHCP covers the school fees and the transport.