To ask about 1 on 1 support for SEN children in school

[NCForThisOneToday]

My son is autistic and will start school in September. Going to try mainstream school first. On his ECHP it says 1 to 1 help 1/6 of the time (10 minutes in every hour). I'm confused how that works and why isn't it full-time 1 to 1 help? Do I need to push to get more 1 on 1 help? He has behavioural issues and a big language delay that means he will struggle without 1 on 1 help. He has 1 on 1 help at preschool. Thanks for and advice

Sounds like a badly worded EHCP ,I would get some advice from an independent advisory service check if your LEA has one ,and speak to the SENCO and iron out exactly what support he will get .

You will need to go back to your ehcp coordinator and say that you think the ehcp is badly worded and doesn’t specify enough help.

I agree with PPs, that’s badly worded.

EHCPs should be specified and quantified, so his help should be specified as to who provides the support and quantified in time. It should also specify how the support will be funded.

IPSEA are fantastic for advice and have FAQs on their website along with contact details.

Is it worded like that? Children don't always get full time support but some support. School is expected to fund the first 15 hours themselves, further funding is then provided but this will be in a block of hours. So if it is 1/6 of the time they won't appear every hour for 10 minutes but a block of time to help a child access their learning.

As a PP said it's most likely that your son will have 1:1 for a block of time, for example 30 mins in Phonics/English then 15 mins Maths and maybe another 15 mins focussed on his speech. The rest of the time the 1:1 will be there but not solely there for his care. The EHCP should be reworded though as it's very "woolly" and needs clarification so that both you and the school know what he is receiving.

That's very weird. Could it also mean he is sharing a 121 with 5 others?

My son has full time 121 now but in his first few years (pre EHCP) it was mornings only as that's when he most needed the support for the academic work.

First port of call SENDIASS or similar for the local authority - details should be available on their website eg https://www.kids.org.uk/sendiass?gclid=CjwKCAjw6dmSBhBkEiwAW-EoGhibRNiVoWi0UIwq8ZP9V030jEIcFcXF5uNAAgV6EZxuoxhTCssmBoCvPQQAvDBwE

I agree that if it says 1/6 of the time he will get 1-2-1 for an hour a day, not 10 minute blocks at a time.

You’ve said that you’re going to “try” mainstream school first, which sounds like you’re aware it’s not going to work but want to tick the box to say you’ve tried. Is there a reason why you haven’t looked at specialist provision from the outset, which might be much more set up to help him?

In the school where i work LSAs are not assigned to a particular child but there may be several who work in the same class with multiple children, so that is maybe what the EHCP is trying to reflect. Our school is moving away from the 1:1 model because this creates issues when that particular LSA is off school. Better to have several staff in class who all know the children.

I worked as an LSA, a few years back and I had a few kids in the class to look after - each one had different needs at different times. If one was struggling then they would get more help.

There was one mother however that fought and fought for her daughter to get more 1-1 help and got it.

Talk to the SENDCO at the school and bring forward his Annual Review. This is the time to make changes to the EHCP. It’s very likely that a change of setting will need changes to the support required.

It’s not unusual (depending on county) for part if the application process to include quantifying the support a child needs, sometimes I will give a proportion of an our in my applications, although I’m surprised that 1/6 of each hour was enough to secure an EHCP.

The SENDCO may include a costed IEP.

That sound's like very little support for a child with behavioural and language difficulties. I think you need to get it clarified within the EHCP as to how that support will actually be implemented in the classroom (and also don't forget he will most likely need support at playtimes and lunch as well). ds1, for example got 25 hours support and that was with mainly behavioural problems.

I have been a 1:1 a number of times - very rarely do children get a full time 1:1 - and it’s usually because the local authority has recognised the need fully and is funding it. In this case - it’s usually because mainstream school has become somewhere to hold them before a specialist place arrives.

Most likely he will get ten minutes on paper - but if he struggles behaviourally the class TA may end up looking after him more anyway.

Be aware that often “trying” mainstream can often put you at a disadvantage. My experience is that children who don’t get their names down for Specialist places can get lost in the mainstream school system for years. All my 1:1’s went on to specialist placements at the end of infant school and I feel they would have been happier in those places from the start - as mainstream school just couldn’t meet their needs.

Local authorities tend to not discourage this as there are few specialist places and they cost over five times the amount of a 1:1 (who will be on just over minimum wage.) specialist schools are amazing - mainstream just isn’t set up physically or training wise to deal with children with more SEN needs.

Seek advice now for your child about whether mainstream is the right place - and if it isn’t - fight hard to get on that list.
Good luck - wishing your child a happy school experience whatever happens.

Regarding special school ,s my son is nearly 12 and has always been in a special school since reception, honestly his need could not have been met in mainstream, he would of at best "been babysat" I remember it being made clear to me when he was in mainstream nursery, that I should consider special schools ,and being upset ,but in hindsight it was definitely the best decision for him ,he's fully included in his school and gets the support he needs,obviously all children are different but wanted to give some perspective.

My son has a 1-1 in reality he shares it with another child who also has additional needs but no ehcp but badly needs the supervision he also shares her with several other children on an as needed basis

It's never the ideal scenario and he will be transitioning to a special school soon hopefully

@Disabrie22

I have been a 1:1 a number of times - very rarely do children get a full time 1:1 - and it’s usually because the local authority has recognised the need fully and is funding it. In this case - it’s usually because mainstream school has become somewhere to hold them before a specialist place arrives.

Most likely he will get ten minutes on paper - but if he struggles behaviourally the class TA may end up looking after him more anyway.

Be aware that often “trying” mainstream can often put you at a disadvantage. My experience is that children who don’t get their names down for Specialist places can get lost in the mainstream school system for years. All my 1:1’s went on to specialist placements at the end of infant school and I feel they would have been happier in those places from the start - as mainstream school just couldn’t meet their needs.

Local authorities tend to not discourage this as there are few specialist places and they cost over five times the amount of a 1:1 (who will be on just over minimum wage.) specialist schools are amazing - mainstream just isn’t set up physically or training wise to deal with children with more SEN needs.

Seek advice now for your child about whether mainstream is the right place - and if it isn’t - fight hard to get on that list.
Good luck - wishing your child a happy school experience whatever happens.

I agree with this. It's often much more difficult to go from mainstream to a specialist placement, as you usually need to spend several years showing the mainstream setting is failing to meet your child's needs.

If you think a specialist setting is where he is likely to end up then I definitely recommend trying to do it from the start of his educational journey.

Sounds like a badly worded section F. What do the reports say? Provision in EHCPs is taken from the reports so if they don’t specify and quantify full time 1:1 it won’t be in section F.

If you think full time is needed you can ask the LA for an early review and when you next have the right of appeal appeal it. Then if you get full time 1:1 written into section F it must be provided, and if it isn’t you can enforce it.

Be careful with SENDIASS, some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.