Y7 SEN places deadline - have you heard which school?

[RainbowLife]

I posted this question in the SEN area without realising it is hidden from active list. If you have a Y6 child with an EHCP I'd be very grateful if you would answer the poll.

My child has had an EHCP for years and is now in year 6 and I was told very definitely we would have a school named by today.

I have heard nothing. I understand the deadline is a legal obligation not a guideline.

There is another child in Y6 at the same school with an EHCP who hasn't heard anything either.

If you have a child with SEN in Y6 have you heard yet? Please fill in the poll! Thank you.

I am a SENCO - all 7 of my y6 children with a plan have had a school named and I've received final amended plans for them.

As the legal deadline is today, a Sunday, probably hear tomorrow as Local Authority admin staff and SEND officers won’t be at work on a Sunday?

I remember when I found out about primary I got an email about midnight it was so bizarre-
maybe they’re all programmed to be released at a certain time?
if you don’t receive something by tomorrow I’d give the admissions team a call at the council and ask them.
I hope you get your first choice.

Pupils with EHCPs aren’t placed through the normal admissions teams and wouldn’t be told through an automated email out of hours but a personal phone call or email.

Ah ok 👌
well hopefully you’ll be able to call the right team tomorrow and they can shed some light on it 😊

Another parent has told me some people have received a phone call to say there is no place...

Received a phone call today?

I go a phone call a couple of weeks ago. Not naming in line with my preference. So tribunal it will be. But can’t do this until I get the letter…nothing yet… I guess it’ll be tomorrow because I’ll complain, but legally speaking we all have heard by now despite it being a Sunday - that doesn’t affect the legal timescales.

This is true and with the deadline being a Sunday, most diligent local authorities will have set themselves Friday to adhere to this with not working on a weekend, but I’d try to give them a grace period of tomorrow what with it falling unhelpfully on a Sunday (for the OP I mean, not you who heard already, sorry you didn’t get your choice).

Yes, as it was explained to me it's not relevant that it's a Sunday. 15th Feb is the legal deadline.

Please be patient, the teams are working hours before and after contacted ones to ensure the information gets out as quickly as possible!

Unfortunately when there are staff off, which in some regions there are a few, they're not replaced so everyone else/usually the ones paid less, has to pick up the slack.

I know for a fact my friend was working 10 hours on her child's birthday to ensure she could complete outstanding cases.

The deadline being a Sunday is not an excuse for unlawful behaviour. The deadline falling on a Sunday this year is not a surprise. The date is the same every year. The LA knows there are 7 days in a week and can look at a calendar. They have had plenty of time to comply.

Some LAs use do scheduled emails sometimes.

Never going to feel sorry for SEN teams! Not my problem if they can’t do the job in their hours and to national deadlines that literally never change. Trust me, it’s worse for the CYP and their families.

I'm very sorry, but not surprised to hear your description of how education authorities are failing dedicated staff, and their families by extension, as much as they are failing children with SEN, and their families by extension.

A stitch in time saves nine apparently and the efficient allocation of staff hours before the legal deadline and suitable educational arrangements might save a great deal in time and resources spent on enquiries, appeals, reallocations, distress and lost education after the legal deadline, who knows?

Hopeful, trusting, patience in the face of actual harm being done isn't always good parenting and I'm afraid I have been guilty of that in the past.

Ds has an Echp and in a transition year not secondary though. Today I received the amended plan with the school from september on it.

That's good to hear, I hope transition goes really well for your DS.

We found out on Friday with an amended EHCP. Another child in ds’s class found out Wednesday.

Good to hear, I hope all goes well.

I know as a parent of an SEN child myself. The thing is they can and do their jobs above amd beyond. The fault, as usual, lays at the funding and staff employed.

Sadly there just aren't enough places available and the staff trying their best to get them into appropriate education are met with this rejection.

They are disheartened and have to relay the outcome and face the brunt of angry parents, wish there was more they could do.

The whole education system needs an overhaul, it's designed to fit as many pupils into a big building while promising to ensure SEN students are catered for. Basically this could just be a 'time out' pass which isn't enough for them or the teachers worrying about what they're doing while being under their care, especially when there are several all leaving the classroom ,then the toilet pass. While these are all valid, you could have upwards of 8 plus children unsupervised.

No midnight emails here so I now have the difficult decision of whether to put lots of time and energy into engaging with the system - I'm painfully aware of the sunk costs fallacy.

Part of me thinks I should use my time and energy to do things of immediate benefit to my child, eg half term activities, and start to plan for no suitable school place being offered for year 7.

Thank you to everyone whose replied to the poll, its good see that, so far, half have got a place they want. Unfortunate a third are, like us, yet to hear anything.

Basically this could just be a 'time out' pass which isn't enough for them or the teachers worrying about what they're doing while being under their care, especially when there are several all leaving the classroom ,then the toilet pass. While these are all valid, you could have upwards of 8 plus children unsupervised.

If your DC’s EHCP just includes that, it is wholly inadequate and you should look to appeal. Not worth the paper it is written on. Even when a time out pass is included in F, staffing must also be included.