Applying for under exceptional medical or social need

I think you would be much better off starting your own thread for advice, rather than posting on one which is 6 years old.

Sorry, but zillions of children have anxiety. It is definitely not "exceptional" and all schools have procedures to help children manage it.

No. Secondary children are expected to travel independently, unless there is a professionally evidenced reason why not.

@GoodluckJonathan76 there is nothing "exeptional" about your child's special educational needs. If the needs are severe enough to qualify for an EHCP that names the school, then there is a separate admissions process. If not, their needs can me met by any school.

I sit on the Exceptional Needs panel for our school and we admit very few children under that criterion - less than 1 a year. The needs of successful applicants are unique in each case, so it wouldn't be appropriate to generalise them. There has to be professional evidence that only our school can meet the need, which is a very high bar to meet.

Hi
My daughter is on waiting list for another primary and i need help filling out the form. she has Anxiety which has been caused by behaviour in the current class. various issues and teacher isnt able to control class. I need to demonstrate why the school i have applied for suits her needs.
i have a letter from GP naming the school she does not have a EHCP
we are currently 1st on the waiting list but any child that joins pushes us back

thank you

One of my children got a place on medical need, without an EHCP, on tne basis of a mobility disability that made it impossible for her to travel independently to a school further away.

She would have qualified on distance too, but was admitted under the higher priority criteria.

My dd got in on appeal on socio medical needs...(in year admission to year 9). presented all evidence and panel were super understanding. You can but try.

There are certainly a number of local authorities who seem to reject EHCP applications on almost a knee-jerk basis, without contemplating applying the law. They're the ones with over 90% failure rates in appeals against refusals of assessment.

EHCPs are like hen’s teeth where I work.
I can’t tell you the number of what we thought would be watertight applications with whole dossiers of evidence and they’ve been rejected out of hand. Incredibly dispiriting.

I would check how many places this school has offered under this category over the past few years.
Unfortunately it can't be relied on (even with a diagnosed condition) as quite a high percentage of children have additional needs with no ECHP/statement.
The only examples that I can think of in my area are schools that are a recognised resource base for a particular condition e.g. one school has a unit for deaf children with additional support with staff who are qualified in sign language etc. (if your child needs that type of support).

Your problem is that to use the additional needs criterion you have to be able to demonstrate that because of those needs your child can't attend any other school. LAs will claim that all schools have SENCOs and good pastoral systems and therefore that there is nothing about this particular school which makes it the only one that can meet your child's needs.

I wouldn't necessarily take the word of either the school or the health authorities that your child won't get an EHCP, they're rarely fully aware of the relevant criteria. For example, for the first stage - an EHC needs assessment - the criteria you have to satisfy are whether your child has or may have SEN, and whether he may need an EHCP. If the SENCO thinks your child won't cope in a normal mainstream comprehensive, it sounds as if you would certainly meet those criteria.

Fair point DeepanKrisp.
(Our LA has a history of pushing it to tribunal , but it is true, most of the tribunals are then won. Scandalous way for them to operate).

EHCPs are very difficult to get in our LA.

No-one should ever be put off by this sort of perception. All LAs are bound by the law, they can't just decide to ignore it for their own policy reasons. If they do, that is what the tribunal is there for. Around 85% of refusal to assess appeals are conceded by LAs or won by parents, and around 80% of refusal to issue appeals likewise go the parents' way.

“The school have now removed that from their admission code because of how my son got his place... “

That ‘s bonkers! Surely the whole point of a priority category for children with exceptional medical social needs is that there are children with those needs .

And especially when you consider that within the appeals process kids can get a place above local
Kids at a highly oversubscribed school if parents can argue that the school’s stamp collecting club offers a unique support to their stamp-collecting child.

Sorry, mine was example of not getting in under medical/social, even though ds had multiple needs, since any school can meet his needs. (My concern was distance, I wanted him to go to overscribed closest school, which we got a place anyway under distance in the end.)

So, since EHCP name the school, it's only way to guarantee you get a place at your preferred school I assume.

Sorry, my bad. I overlooked which topic, and you're right school run reasons would not normally apply for secondary.

Would the ‘school run’ reason apply at Secondary?

Examples:

When the school is the nearest one which is fully accessible given width of a wheelchair (many, especially older buildings, are only partially accessible).

When a child has frequent (life-threatening) collapses and the school requested is next street to the major hospital where child has been lifelong patient. Backed by letters from two consultants, about how delay to treatment was immediately life threatening. And from hospital SW and hospital school about how this was by far and away the best school for continuity during admissions. Siblings of this child (who also had medical conditions, but not quite so severe) were admitted under exceptional social need.

Social need: sole parent with significant mobility issues requesting a school for which she could cope with the school run. Backed with letters about her limits from specialist and GP (essentially giving maximum cope-able journey parameters, I think only one school within them). This was in a LA which explicitly said that mobility issues for principle carer would be considered by the panel.

EHCPs are very difficult to get in our LA.

OP: a school which is flat access or is s new build so is accessible for children with mobility disabilities, for example of medical need, a child whose parent has a job which puts them at risk in the local catchment (some police or social workers),

It is worth a shot, if it is a Foundation school or Academy they may be less strict than a LA, who do take the view that all schools are / should be equipped to manage a range of SEN.

Also it may be more credible to go to Appeal with material you presented from the start.

It is also well worth having a good look at your local school. Some schools perceived to be ‘rough’ can have excellent SEN provision.

My kids went to an ‘outstanding ‘ primary, but the experience and training of the SEN / Inclusion team at the comp was way higher.

To give you an idea, my ds had multiple food allergy(including
anaphylaxis), chronic illness(which he lost one of his organ), social difficulty with asd/adhd traits and was selective mute at the time of primary admission, all backed up by letters from relevant professionals. Still, LA said his needs can be met at any school within the area.
I would get EHCP.