EHCP - 'Special School or Mainstream School

[Willie17]

My son (4yo) was approved an EHCP due to a speech delay the week before primary school placements were allocated. At the time of school application the EHCP was not in place, so all our choices were for mainstream schools. We found out yesterday he got our first choice mainstream school, but now he has the EHCP we do have the option of him going to a Special School if we would like him too.
Has anyone else been in this situation before?
The mainstream school appears from our research and visit to have a very good SENco team - including specialist huts built for learning and a whole page on their website dedicated to SENco, we also know someone whose child has Downs Syndrome and attended the school until Year 4 and they were very happy with the support he was given.
And I just have a gut feeling that despite the speech delay and undiagnosed mild autism (no impact of his day to day life) he would do absolutely fine in this mainstream school and he could build a good life at the school - it is local to our house so friends would also likely be from the local area for play dates and there are other children that attend the school that also attend our church (it is a Catholic school and we are practising Baptists).
However am I short changing his education by not sending him to a special school seeing as he has that option available to him? The closest special schools that would be suitable for him are about 15 miles away - no idea how we would manage the school runs and wrap around childcare as both of us parents work full time, but that is a different matter! - so little chance of any friends being local to his home for play, no guarantee on how broad the needs of others in his class may be (personally I feel my sons needs are very mild) and so he may struggle to make friends at a similar level to him. I have been told that if he does well at the mainstream school then he can transition to a mainstream school, but I just feel that this is such a disruption to a small person and if friendships are formed by that point, it just seems cruel.
I am waiting for a call back from the head of SEN at our allocated mainsteam school so I can discuss it with them and I am doing plenty of research of the special schools that have been suggested.
I just feel so confused about what is the 'right decision to make' as at the end of the day I just want what is right for my son and unfortunately the decision doesn't seem as simple as black or white!
Any advise or words of wisdom greatly appreciated.

The school named in the EHCP overrules the place allocated during the normal admissions round. When you get the draft EHCP you name your preferred school preference and unless wholly independent there are limited reasons the LA can refuse. Whether SS or MS is right depends on DS’s needs, what are the assessment reports like?

Transport can be provided so don’t make your decision based solely on the school run.

An EHCP doesn’t have to name a school it can just name the type of provision.

OP I recommend you visit both schools and ask to meet with the SENCo. In my experience most families can gauge after these visits which is right for their child.

My DSis was absolutely certain that her child would need to be in a special school (neurodiverse and probably learning disability), but she went round her local mainstream and was blown away by the SENCo and head - and her child is thriving.

I think it’s easier to go mainstream to sen provision then the other way round. I’ve known a couple of friends whose children did infants mainstream and then rest of education in sen provision.

If mild SEN I would go with mainstream. I teach in SEND school and we have a few who could be in mainstream and have witnessed behaviour they really didnt need to see. Mainstream to SEND school later if needed is better than the other way around.

While section I can just name a type of provision, if there is a school the child is going to attend it should be named in section I, and unless the school is wholly independent the LA must name the parental preference unless the can prove one of the following:

• The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

If the LA finalise naming mainstream as the type of provision then they should normally name a school as well, according to case law.

I think that in your position I would start in mainstream and see.

There are a lot of advantages to going to the local school on the corner with people/other kids that he knows. He will build friendships in your local area which will last.

If his needs are able to be met at the mainstream school, then I would send him there.

BUT there is a big difference between reception and year 1 and year 5 and 6.
At some between the two you may feel that mainstream is no longer the best option. When that is will depend on your son.
I know several families who have switched at various points from year 3 to year 7. For all of them that switch was a good thing, they did it because their child was no longer coping well in mainstream, but they all said they should have done it at least a year earlier.

So if you are comfortable with what the school is offering, then start there and see.

I’d prefer to DM you. An EHCP means you can apply for any school you wish but the school needs to say how the extra funding will meet his need.

I’ve been in your situation - in my case he went 4 days a week to a special school on a placement and 1 day a week up an outstanding g primary that was local. The placement school was solely for speech and had extensive 1-2-1 it was always a placement - due to lockdown he had nearly a year of non attendance and the max placement is a year. He loved the special school - 10 in a class and 4 adults and hated primary.

be careful about autism. When there is a speech delay or a hearing problem the meaning of the language is lost so it comes across as autism. Eg stand on that spot as an instruction - child looks for a spot etc their focus is so hard as sound and speech are very very complex as needs. I teach him around the language - audio books daily - Lots and lots of reading etc

we relocated and we offered a placement at the local special school. I turned it down without any hesitation. He was on track due to home schooling with English and ahead in maths.

his new primary gets £10 K a year and that’s pretty much 1-2-1

in my mind - you need to do what is right for the child. He needed his social friends from a local school. It’s not just that they do sports everyday after school eg cricket, tennis etc and they all do the clubs he doesn’t get that at a special school (no before school or after school care) / Also the taxi would only pick him up from home 8 am and drop him at 3.30 at the special school - nightmare if you work so that’s a massive consideration.

my son has had his EHCP 2 years now and in year 4 - two years at his new primary and he’s thriving.

dm me If you need help the EHCP must be specific.

An EHCP means you can apply for any school you wish but the school needs to say how the extra funding will meet his need.

No they don’t, schools don’t have ”to say how the extra funding will meet his need”, funding should be used to provide the provision specified and quantified in section F. With the exception of wholly independent schools parents have the right to request any school and the LA can only refuse to name the school unless the LA can prove one of the reasons in my pp.

I would say specialist then to mainstream later. I work in a mainstream that’s renowned for our SEN support but in reality we can’t offer half of what specialist can, we don’t have a sp&l therapist on site, not every member of staff has makaton etc whereas at all the specialist near us those things are standard .

his new primary gets £10 K a year and that’s pretty much 1-2-1

1 to 1 will cost the school closer to £22k to provide.

@IDontHaveAnOutingHobby again that depends on the school, also whether they specifically recruit someone with extra training or whether they redeploy an existing member of staff to be the 1-1.

IDontHaveAnOutingHobby I agree, £10k funding is unlikely to be enough to provide full time 1:1 in any school regardless of whether an existing employee is redeployed (which would depend on what is specified in section F), especially in addition to everything else.

That is a basic unqualified 32.5 hours TA with on costs . With additional training it is higher.

Redeploying another member of staff still has the same costs. A salary has to be paid. It doesnt save the school any money by redeploying.

In our West Mids LA, the top band of funding is 10k ish and our lowest TA’s are on around 12k so definitely not enough but schools are supposed to put it with the “notional budget” of 6000 to give them a staff budget of £16000 for that child. I absolutely agree it isn’t enough, especially when you would ideally want them to be recruiting someone with specialist knowledge rather than giving them Mrs Jones etc from Year 6 because she’s no longer being used as a class TA!

My DS went to mainstream until he started year 9. It worked well up to year 5 and I have no regrets about those years - he had an amazing 1-1 who was so intuitive and knew how to help it. He’s now in a small independent specialist which is amazing for him however I don’t regret his early years in mainstream.

In your position I would see how mainstream goes and then call an emergency annual review for a change of placement if it doesn’t work out. Ensure that any help - speech and language therapy, OT and 1-1 hours are quantified and specified in section F of the EHCP as then the provision has to be provided .

Ultimately it is the LA who are responsible for ensuring provision in section F is provided and it is possible to get the LA to fund higher amounts. There are many, DS3 included, where the LA fund the provision in its entirety. You might find this thread and the link within it an interesting read.

especially when you would ideally want them to be recruiting someone with specialist knowledge rather than giving them Mrs Jones etc from Year 6 because she’s no longer being used as a class TA!

A good EHCP will state exactly what qualifications, experience and training needed, so for many this is not just ideal, it must be provided and can be enforced if necessary.

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom, lots to look into.
At the moment I don't have any of the paperwork so not really sure what the named school will be on it, but if there is one then our parental preference was the mainstream school as at the time of applying for the EHCP we weren't aware of which SS's he would even qualify for.
I'll certainly look at what is specified in section F once we have it and discuss this with the various schools.
Thanks especially for the words of those who are in the same situation or been through it, in my heart I feel like my mothers instinct is what I need to be guided by.
Thanks again

Your parental preference, which you state after getting the draft EHCP, doesn’t have to be the mainstream school you applied for in the normal admissions round, it can be another school. The draft itself shouldn’t name a school or type of school.

If your child has an EHCP agreed before Reception, then my inference is that the needs are not mild and it is not just for a speech delay. I would therefore look very carefully at all the options. What did the EP recommend? The SLT? His current nursery staff?

Hey! Can anybody help please? My little one is 5 and in year one. He has been diagnosed with asd and is being screened for adhd. He has minimal speech, learning difficulties and developmental delay. When applying for school he was 3 so I was unsure whether to apply for mainstream or special school because of how young he was and how he may have progressed. I opted for mainstream which I regret massively now because myself and Ms school strongly agree SS is needed at this point but my local authority have said mainstream can meet his needsbwhich isn't right. Is there anything I can do??

Does DS have an EHCP?

If not, you need to request an EHCNA. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

If so, when you next have the right of appeal you can appeal. To get the right of appeal request an early review. On their website, ISPEA has a model letter you can use. Unfortunately, the LA doesn’t have to agree to an early review and if they don’t there’s no right of appeal - you would have to wait for the AR or request a reassessment of needs.