EHCP ‘naming a secondary’ how does it work?

[Bearlionfalcon]

After a slightly sobering meeting about our dyslexic DD we have been told her primary school would support trying to get her an EHCP, she is in year four currently. She is bright and very keen to learn, loves reading now - but I think she is quite behind in writing / spelling and struggling with maths. In some areas she is way behind - spelling /punctuation and things like place value/ number bonds in particular. But verbally she presents as very bright. Anyway - I had a question about EHCPs. I have heard you can name a secondary school on them - is that right? This would be amazing for her as anecdotally there are two good schools near us which are good for dyslexia - an all -girls comp which we are not in catchment for, (catchment is tiny) and a small inclusive private school with good dyslexia support. I’d be happy with the comp, but would they allow us to name a different comp than the one we are in catchment for, if it’s not a ‘dyslexia specialist’ school (just a generally better school with better dyslexia support as well as better everything?!) or, alternatively, would they fund/ let me name a local mainstream private school (even if it’s not a dyslexia specialist school) on the basis that she would be in smaller class sizes and more 1:1 support there? Or, would it only allow me to ‘name’ a specialist dyslexia school (like fairly house) which I’m not sure would be ideal for her (it’s soo far away and I hate the idea of her not being in her community and having local friends as those things are important too.) I would appreciate any advice. Tia

I haven’t had her assessed for dyscalculia but I do suspect it. I don’t know how I’d go about getting her an assessment for that. Someone told me it’s a nightmare to assess for, I don’t know if that’s true.
Honestly it’s been such a lot even getting the support in place for the dyslexia since she was assessed in March, finding the right tutors etc, keeping on top of the school. But since then the maths difficulties have become more apparent and she is struggling with the y4 maths a lot. Her writing seems to almost be getting worse, her dyslexia tutor thinks some of this is to do with her attempting more complex things but I’m not so sure. Her spelling is so bad that her work is often illegible. Her IQ was assessed as 125 and I know she is a bright girl and sometimes I’m just floored by how hard she finds the mechanics of maths and writing. I really fear for her future.

@Lougle your explanation of the whole process is excellent.

@Bearlionfalcon it's clear there's more than "just" dyslexia going on, I think. I would engage the sendco on this to look into it more, and make sure it's really outlined in the echna.

It all depends on the ehcp, and what her needs are shown as. If “small class sizes” needed is detailed then you’d have an argument for a private school.

my youngest has an ehcp primarily for dyslexia and I could have argued for a (relatively) local private school that specialises but it is boys only and that would not have suited him. We have a local secondary school that has a resourced provision for SpLD and that was fantastic for him.

you’re fortunate that the school is on board so in an excellent position so far.

I agree with you - Even the dyslexia assessor said ‘I’m surprised DD has struggled as much as you describe given these scores.’ After she had had this assessment we were all (including the SENDCO) feeling quite positive that with a few adjustments and a bit more help she would do well. But this hasn’t been the case, she is still really struggling. And it’s not her learning behaviours - one of her teachers said she’d rarely seen a kid work so hard as DD and her behaviour is always excellent. I think there must be something else going on that we haven’t got to the bottom of

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Everyone is trying their best including DD but I don’t think we have fully understood her needs yet. I guess it’s tempting to throw money at getting EP, OT and SALT organised asap privately but it sounds like I should hold fire on it for now (plus I don’t even know if we have the money to do all of that at once)

I wouldn’t seek an independent EP assessment at this stage. This is because further down the line you might need to prioritise a report from a different professional and you won’t know if you will or who at this point.

The scope of OT is huge. From motor skills, sensory needs, emotional regulation, executive functioning, social interaction and so much more.

I've had a lot if experience with EHCP/school applying.

For MS state schools (once you have an EHCP), parental preference is very hard to over rule so i would be surprised if you didnt get the school you want (DS was child #31 in YR as ICS doesnt apply to EHCPs), a Senco told me they have been forced to take children whose needs they cant meet because of parental prefence (although i would counsel against doing this, i met with SENCOs prior to naming somewhere as i wanted DS to be somewhere he was wanted and embraced).

I know people with both MS and SS private placements but it is a complicated battle so you need to be 1000000% sure/ready to take this on.

Your DD could have inattentive adhd, sounds like my DS

If you name a school the la will consult with them.

They could name a different school.

You can appeal it and go to tribunal where it’s actually about proving why the named school can’t meet the need rather than why the one you named can.

We also had private assessments which were defo helpful, they had much better stucture and detail than council ones as it's entirely child focused vs balancing the needs of the council.

Im under surrey who have a bad reputation but i have had few issues, maybe because of a very watertight ehcp (?)

There is no need to get these done privately, they will almost certainly be done as part of the ehcp assessment

Please don’t be discouraged if the request for assessment is initially turned down. This is fairly common but you can appeal the decision and the initial denial has no bearing on the outcome ( in my experience the children with the highest needs are more likely to be initially refused assessment)

Thanks all. I’ll try not to get disheartened. I’ve spent all this morning compiling the letter along the IPSEA template but using the guide from our LA as well. It’s tricky in some areas because it seems to want you to set out all her needs under all the various headings, but I don’t know what they are, that’s the point! I’ve put in as much as I can about her difficulties and as much evidence for that as I can find. It’s also tricky in some areas where her school reports sort of skate over the difficulties she has and insist she is fine in areas where she very much isn’t . But anyway it’s good to at least have the ball rolling even if the process is going to be absolutely brutal.
I’m aiming to get a draft ready this week so I can meet the SENCO first week back, get as much input from her as possible, and then just send it straight off after that to get the process underway.

You could comment on those areas of the reports: "the school report states that X, however at home I have noticed Y..."

You're only trying to establish "may have SEN", not investigate or prove or assess anything - that's their job!

Come over to the EHCP support thread if you do feel dispirited. We've all been there.

It's not nice having to detail your beloved child's problems and deficits.

Thank you I definitely will. It’s horrible isn’t it. I hate how much of my headspace is taken up with all this, with having to document her and write about her as a problem to be solved, instead of just being with her and loving her (and my other kids). It’s so draining already so the thought that I’m about to embark on even more of a battle is utterly demoralising. But what can you do!

I must say that although we've had some bad times, now DD is settled in her secondary it's nothing like as bad, so while I will never get those years of bureaucracy-battling back, it was worth it.

It is so, so worth addressing this stuff at primary. It's much harder when they're older and have opinions!

Hang in there.

I agree. In fact I specifically stated that school did not support my view that DD2 needed an EHCNA and had refused to help me apply for one, which in my view was further evidence that they were unable to meet need, because they couldn't even interpret the SEN Code of Practice correctly.

I reported a range of factual evidence, alongside my views on DD2's difficulties, along with various 'DD2 states....' and 'DD2 reports that...' statements.

@Bearlionfalcon the LA isn't allowed to limit your application. You don't have to use their forms. You can just use the IPSEA template letter and give your views.

It’s very rare for the LA to fund a private school, or even agree to pay the top up. It usually only happens when a judge orders it at a tribunal in my experience, unless there is absolutely no alternative school offering a place within travelling distance.

1.1% of EHCPs named an Independent Mainstream School in 2024/2025. 4.64% of EHCPs named an Independent Special school.

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/17ab87e9-6288-469d-2fe9-08dd9848d708

Yes. I have known a couple of families get a private school without tribunal but like I said there are cases but it's not the norm.

I’d say not. As part of the process any necessary assessments such as by an EP or SALT should be carried out to inform the EHCP needs assessment. It’s the school’s job to sort this out. It’s also their job to initiate the process. If they haven’t submitted their paperwork by mid November I’d contact the LA and request the application forms myself. Your DD sounds like she may have other SEN alongside dyslexia. If a child has other cognitive needs, the usual strategies for supporting dyslexia may not be effective, which is why an EP report is vital.

An EHCP does not automatically fund a private!! Jesus. Imagine the costs

When a child gets an EHCP, the parents are asked what school they want named.

If they choose a state school, there are only limited grounds on which the LA can refuse to name their chosen school. If the LA refuses to name the school selected by the parents, the parents can go to Tribunal which will order the LA to name the school chosen by the parents unless one of the limited grounds applies. Once the school is named, the child must be admitted even if the school is already full.

Some independent schools are approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014. If parents want to name such a school, the grounds on which the LA can refuse are again limited, and the parents can ask the Tribunal to order the LA to name the school if the LA refuses. Once the school is named, the school must admit the child.

If the parents want to name an independent school that is not approved under Section 41, the LA is not required to agree to this. They can still name the school if they think it is appropriate. However, unlike state schools and Section 41 approved schools, independent schools that are not approved under Section 41 cannot be forced to admit a child. The LA will therefore not name the school, nor with the Tribunal order the LA to name the school, unless the school has offered the child a place. Parents may also need to show that there is no other suitable place available and that the cost of the independent school is not an unreasonable public expenditure.

Thanks for this post. I can see that makes sense. My first preference would actually be the mainstream state school with good support that we are out of catchment for

you say in your post -

If they choose a state school, there are only limited grounds on which the LA can refuse to name their chosen school.

do you know what the ‘limited grounds’ are? Could you be so kind as to point me towards these rules ? Thanks so much

The grounds are:

• that the school is unsuitable for the child's age, ability, aptitude or SEN
• the child's attendance at the school would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others
• the child's attendance would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources

The bar to cross for the council to refuse on the second and third of the above points is high. The council cannot, for example, say that admitting the child would be incompatible with the efficient education of others unless it can show clear evidence of the impact of admitting the child - which student's will be affected and how. And it needs to show that the impact on those other student's is more than trivial.