Education Consultant for SEND

[newMomLondon]

Dear all

My DS is now 5 years old and has been identified with special needs. We were looking for an Education Consultant who can help us find the right school for him going ahead and for help in EHCP. If anyone has any recommendations it will be really helpful.

Thanks

Are you looking for an Educational Psychologist, to assess your child. Is there one that the school uses, or are you seeking a private consultation and report. It will depend on EPs in the area I imagine, their availability and prices.

https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/education-consultants/special-educational-needs

Your local authority should have a parent support service, SENDIAS or a similar name, which will help you to navigate the system.

I suggest that you contact the SEND schools in your area and ask to visit them, to get a feel for whether your DS would benefit from attending.

It might depend on the nature of your child's SEN, whether a particular school's specialism will suit.
It might also be that DS can be educated successfully in a 'resourced provision' with specialist teachers trained to work in a particular area, e.g. language development, which is attached to a mainstream school.

Thanks everyone.

I was looking for an educational consultant who can help us navigate which schools may work for my DS and also to explain the EHCP process. For eg when should we start looking at schools? At what point in the process does the LA ask us about schools that DS may benefit from? How long does the whole process take?

I've just gone through the Echp process for my son each councils times vary. The guidelines are 20 weeks for a final plan.
Ds was already in nursery so that's his named placement until July 26.
When we recieved the draft plan we was asked about school for next year September we named a special needs school. They will now consult with the school for Sept 2026.
From requesting ds be assessed to getting our final plan it took 18 weeks.
With my yoher son a few years back same council took 26 weeks.

The education phycologist and our peadtirtain both say ds needs special needs school.

That is the function of the SENDIAS service, they are an independent advisory service, although their funding comes through the LA. When the EHCP comes through, there will be a recommendation for a named school but you might prefer him to attend a different one, depending on his specific needs.

You don’t need to pay for someone to explain the EHCP process. Have a look at IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites and read the SENCOP.

If you don’t have to appeal, other than a few limited exceptions, if the LA is going to issue an EHCP, they have 20 weeks from the EHCNA request to finalise the EHCP.

If the LA is going to issue an EHCP, when they send you the draft, you will be able to state your preferred placement. Unless the school is wholly independent, there are limited reasons the LA can refuse to name your preferred school. Wholly independent schools have slightly different rules.

You can start investigating schools now. However, if you are looking at special/specialist schools, many wouldn’t speak to you at this point. Although that doesn’t stop you asking around locally, reading policies, looking if the schools have any public events (e.g. Christmas Fair).

Personally, I wouldn’t use an education consultant for advice about schools. Particularly at this stage when you haven’t requested an EHCNA and haven’t had assessments to inform the provision required to meet needs. I would save your money in case you need to appeal and fund independent assessments.

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

Thank you so much everyone. This is really helpful. Just a couple more things which would be lovely to get some advice on.

1. DS is going to a state school now. Do we need to mention a preferred school now if his EHCP is accepted or can we keep him in this school for the time being and may be request a change of school if they are not able to cope with it after a year?
2. He is 5 now. Most of the independent schools catering to children with special needs do not take admission before 7. So if we ttry to get him to a through school then I think we have to wait till 7 anyhow. Is that correct? Its only because we have already changed a couple of schools in the last 2 years and we will ideally not have him keep changing more schools in the near future...But not sure if thats feasible
3. Both of us are working 5 days a week so we are in desperate need of wrap around care. Do any of these schools provide wrap around care as well or do we need to look at that separately?

We are both still new to the UK so trying to absorb everything and all the help is really appreciated as its quite overwhelming sometimes! Thanks once again!

If the LA agrees to issue an EHCP, they will send you a draft. At this point, you will get the opportunity to state your preferred placement. This can be the current school or a different one. The LA may or may not agree to name your placement. Although you will be able to appeal.

If an EHCP is issued, there will be an annual review at least every 12 months. (You can also request an early review if necessary.) If you believe a change of placement is required, you can raise this as part of the AR process. Although it doesn’t mean the LA will agree to a change of placement. Again, you will have the right of appeal.

Some independent SS admit before 7. It depends on the school.

Attending an all-through school in primary doesn’t guarantee the LA will continue to name it for secondary. Although again, you would have the right of appeal

Many special/specialist schools don’t offer wrap around care because of transport. A minority do.

The school I named is a local authority funded special needs school.
What reason could they reject this?
The mainstream I would have liked him to go to have said they can not meet his needs and I don't want a different mainstream has I would then need to move his brothers school.
With my oldest son from the start special needs school was named on his final plan main stream school was never considered.

@Lostxmasfairy have you appealed? For schools that are not wholly independent, the LA must name your preference unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs 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.
However, LAs sometimes refuse and force parents to appeal.

Do you have it in writing the current school can’t meet needs?

I have a email that I was cc in from the school to the la. Would that count?
I'm sure the senco would give me it in writing because she has said she would support me.
At present his Echp names his nursery for this school year.
I've been asked about sept 2026 and i have named the la special needs school.
The la have consulted with the mainstream school who have said can't meet needs.
La are consulting with special needs school now and they said I would get an amended plan by February with the named school for september 2026.
I just preparing for if they don't name the school I want.

@Lostxmasfairy ah, right, so you can’t appeal the reception place until you have the finalised phase transfer EHCP. That must be finalised by the 15th Feb.

Email is fine. I meant don’t rely on verbal conversations only because then there isn’t a paper trail.

@newMomLondon
I will PM you a company that might be able to help
I have not used them personally but I have come across them in a professional capacity and I vaguely know the owner and she is lovely

Thanks a lot. If someone can kindly suggest an agency or child minder who provides wrap around care for such kids that will be immensely helpful..as we are a bit stuck at that issue😞

You could look at Sennies and SNAP Childcare. Although both are expensive.

Depending on where in London you are, there will be local agencies covering the area. For example, depending on the child’s needs and their availability, Wimbledon babysitting agency can help families with DC with SEN. They don’t just cover Wimbledon, but some other areas in the vicinity too.

Some people look for a PA/carer rather than traditional childcare. Worth considering.

Childminders will depend where in London you are.