What to include in EHCP to support specialist secondary school placement?

[Sssteph]

Hi everyone,

I’ve just received the draft EHCP for my son. He’s a dyslexic boy in Year 5, and he’s really struggling in mainstream school because he hasn’t had the right support so far.

We’re hoping he can get into Burlington House in Fulham when he starts secondary school, as it’s a specialist school that could really meet his needs.

I’m wondering if anyone here has experience with this: what’s really important to include in the EHCP to strengthen the case for a specialist secondary school? Are there specific targets, support types, or wording that make a difference?

I really want to make sure his plan reflects his needs properly, because the mainstream setting isn’t giving him the support he requires. Any advice, experiences, or tips would be so appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

The amendments you propose should be based on the evidence. I’m not saying otherwise. I am saying be careful relying on the SENCO for advice around the EHCP. Two different things.

100%, I already had a bed experience with her and the school in general, I am planning to write everything myself and bring it to our meeting.

The issue here is that in schools like Bh that doesn’t actually happen either. If it’s very specific high amount of 1-1 specified they may say no to. It’s better if saying small groups for reading and spelling etc rather than 1-1 x

Thank you for the suggestion 🙂

So do I keep small groups (reading, writing, spelling) and small class size, specialist support and then the dyslexia strategies: colours, laptop, typing, mind maps etc...

Yes perfect.

i don’t know what LA you are but it reallt will be based on what schools say yes or no. You need it to be too “ severe “ for mainstream but not severe enough for LA maintained Sen schools but right for the independent schools.
to be able to do go to tribunal if needed you will need a yes from either BHS or fairly house. H&F hate tribunals this year there is 3 from H&F and none needed tribunal. I know the ones from Wandsworth / Ealing / Chelsea and Kensington had a bit of a harder time request appeals.

what will happen is the you pick preference schools

for example
BHS and Fairley house

however, the LA will consult with all their local offers m including mainstreams.
if a LA maintained school say they can meet needs then the likelihood is they will be named.
if they all say no they can still force name one of them ( Hammersmith and Fulham don’t tend to do this )
if you have a mainstream school named on the final EHCP in the February of year 6 but you have a YES from BHS or Fairley then lodge an appeal immediately.
request the consultations from the named school and then get evidence together as to why they can not meet needs.speak to the senco of the local schools they put them off to behind with 🤣
you can only appeal for the independence non section 41s if you have an offer of a place.
from what you have said you will likely be offered a yes by Burlington house. They will hold the place and the deadline for fees for extended time if an appeal / tribunal is in process with the LA.

I am working on the draft, would something like this work?
Daily, intensive literacy intervention starting from phonics fundamentals.
Responsibility for intervention clearly assigned to a specialist teacher or trained TA, with specific targets and measurable progress tracking.
Explicit inclusion of multi-sensory approaches:
Audio books, visual word banks, word-image associations
Literacy-boosting games (e.g., Bananagrams, Apples to Apples)
Home reinforcement strategies (e.g., Paired Reading with parent guidance)
Access to structured spelling programmes (e.g., Hornet) once reading is established.
Use of computer-based literacy programmes (e.g., Lexia, Spellodrome, Phono-Graphix/Accelerated programmes).
This is what I want them to add in the Literacy Sec F
I still need to add few things.

I would think all of that could be delivered in any mainstream school. Also i wouldnt include the home learning bits

I suspect council funded places only go to kids with dyslexia and another learning disability although i am happy to be proved wrong. My son has severe dyslexia and adhd and is doing pretty well in a mainstream school. Although we dont have any dyslexia achools near us so not an option for us.

I am working on the draft, would something like this work?

SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound

"Daily, intensive literacy intervention starting from phonics fundamentals."

What is intensive? That could be 15 minutes of Read, Write, Inc. in a group of 30 children. Or it could be 15 minutes of 1:1 phonics teaching.... An hour? 2 hours? Will he have the stamina for intense intervention?

What does 'phonics fundamentals' mean and what does that look like? Who delivers it? How often? What is the evidence that it's required? Where is it specified as a need?

"Responsibility for intervention clearly assigned to a specialist teacher or trained TA, with specific targets and measurable progress tracking."

What defines a trained TA? What makes a teacher specialist? Who sets the targets? How are targets defined? What measure of progress is used? What is done with the tracking? How often is it reviewed? Honestly, it's meaningless waffle. Again, what evidence do you have that he needs a trained TA or a Specialist teacher?

Explicit inclusion of multi-sensory approaches:
"Audio books, visual word banks, word-image associations"

Is this listed as a need in a report, or is it the usual vomit on a page of all the stuff dyslexic kids might benefit from? Most of this stuff can be provided in mainstream. All schools provide word banks.

"Literacy-boosting games (e.g., Bananagrams, Apples to Apples)"

When will this be used? How often? For how long? In a group of children? 1:1 with a TA?

"Home reinforcement strategies (e.g., Paired Reading with parent guidance)"

How is this relevant to his school provision? Are you intending that school provides guidance? What makes it special educational provision rather than a good thing for a parent to do?

"Access to structured spelling programmes (e.g., Hornet) once reading is established."

Is this in a report? Access to means it's there if he wants it. It doesn't mean it has to be used. So, again, how often? How long for? Who with? How reviewed?

"Use of computer-based literacy programmes (e.g., Lexia, Spellodrome, Phono-Graphix/Accelerated programmes)."

Is this in reports? Again, most mainstream schools will have access to this stuff.

"This is what I want them to add in the Literacy Sec F
I still need to add few things."

This really isn't how the EHCP process works. You don't write a bucket list. You have professional reports which state outcomes and needs/provision. They are then -watered down by- incorporated by the LA into section B (outcomes) and section F provision.

This is by no means perfect, or even very good, but it is an example from DD2's EHCP:

DD2 requires 6 direct occupational therapy meetings to build rapport and complete the education assessment and subsequent sensory diet and movement programme with DD2 to support her interaction with her education programme, at home by DD2 and adult support / family. Following initial relationship building of 6 sessions. DD2 will receive ongoing 12 sessions per academic year and additional time for review, updating programmes / attending review meetings. 18 sessions in total throughout the academic year.
To be provided by: a qualified Occupational therapist Staff/ student ratio: 1:1
How much/ quantity: one hour Termly review.
How often: 18 sessions per academic year "

An excerpt from DD1's EHCP. Terribly wooly, to be honest, but it does specify that she needs support constantly:

"Adults to provide mediation to work systematically, model labelling as a strategy before starting a task and the need to be accurate, e.g. describe exactly what you can see, then formulate a plan/break down into steps. Use visuals such as task planners to support this process. DD1 will need constant encouragement and motivating factors to keep her on track.
To be provided by: College
Staff Staff/ student ratio: 1:1
How much/ quantity: At all times in all lessons.
How often: Every lesson"

I'm concerned that you have been misled somewhere about how the EHCP process works and that you think you can just ask for things that you think are important. You really need to read the posts by @ChasingMoreSleep again. They have extensive experience in helping parents to ensure that EHCPs meet the legal standard and holding LAs to account if they don't. If you try to add stuff that isn't evidenced, the LA would knock it back and you would then lose at tribunal because you don't have any evidence that it's needed.

You need to be critical when you are assessing the wording. Think of a 10 year old that really doesn't want to do what you've told them to do. "Well you said 'at some point' so I didn't do it yet". "Well you didn't say I had to do it, you just said you'd like me to do it...." "Well you said it would be nice to include Tommy, you didn't say I absolutely had to."

What do you believe I am missing?

Essentially, you are missing the quantified, specific and fully backed up evidence that your child MUST be placed in a (hugely expensive) private school because their needs CANNOT be met in a mainstream setting. (Importantly, not just that their needs have historically not been particularly well met in their current mainstream), or that their progress there has been slower than you would like, or that they might do better in a specialist setting)

EHCPs, especially at secondary transition, are not a wishlist, or a magic ticket to get whatever your child might benefit from. They need to be a watertight and absolutely clear statement, completely backed up by evidence individual to your own child, that the named school (and only the named school, especially if the named school is not mainstream) is the only one that can meet the need.

They also have to clearly show why your child - in competition with the many many others with EHCPs who could benefit from a specialist private - should be one of the lucky few allocated a paid-for place.

I know that the above is not a technical guide to what should be included - other posters are excellent for that - but having been part of the team fighting for appropriate specialist placements for a number of children with EHCPs over a number of years, I have become aware of just how strong, just how precise, just how evidenced the EHCPs have to be, and just how hard it can be to get non-mainstream placements approved.

What school did you choose for him? The thing for me is that on the care plan they suggest a specialist setting and if he needs a specialist setting I want a specialist dyslexia school for him. At the moment teachers do not even understand the concept of extra time, during his tests they ask him " do you want to take it?", he declined the extra time. I am paying tutors after school to support him to build his confidence that after years of no support has been destroyed.

I agree with the above about it not being specific and measurable enough. However, the specific and measurable needs to be in the reports and just copied across otherwise any parent could juat make any old crap up and stick it in the ehcp.

You really need to contact the school you want a place at and get their advice. They will know exactly what profile of child they can support on local authority funding. They will be honest, and it will save you a lot of energy and stress. I. E. They will be brilliant support if your son is the right candidate and will be honest if he isn't.

I am going through a similar process of trying to get one of my kids into a private special needs school and have done similar several times before so i totally understand how stressful it is. You have to work with the system or you will use all your energy effectively punching a wall and will end up exhausted.

Who is ‘they’ is the ‘on the care plan they suggest a specialist setting’?

Do you mean the current primary has suggested specialist? Weak, unless they have given precise and quantified reasons why: ‘C in Year 6 is already receiving full
time 1:1 support from a qualified teacher, to access a tailored scheme of work based on the Year 1 curriculum, and while their scores on the Y1 reading tests have increased from 3/20 to 5/20, they are not able to access the main class curriculum except in Art and PE’ did get a specialist placement after significant pushing, for example.

Or you have reports from professionals suggesting that his needs cannot be met except in a specialist setting? Again, that can be successful after pushing, but again is no guarantee.

He is just at the local catchment school. He did very poorly on sats despite having a reader, scribe, movement breaks and extra time and being quite bright. Since then he has started adhs meds and is doing loads better at school.
We have always explained that he is brilliant and just needs extra help so he can access things in the same way as everyone else can so he is quite accepting of the extra support. That might just be personality though and may change when he gets a bit older. He has access to a laptop for some lessons but not all, has full exam support and extra reading and phonics lessons. We did nessy at home for a couple of years which helped and had a tutor for a year. When he gets nearer gcse i will be pushing for him to do less subjects if i think it will mean that he gets better grades as a result. But tbh his memory is amazing because of the dyslexia ao i may not need to.

"EHCPs, especially at secondary transition, are not a wishlist, or a magic ticket to get whatever your child might benefit from."

I think this isn't understood enough. EHCPs are legal documents that set out a child's educational needs (as assessed by professionals), the outcomes that will need to be achieved to meet those needs, and the provision needed to achieve the outcomes.

The SEN legislation only mandates that an Educational Psychologist assesses the child. However, it also says that the LA must consult with anyone the parent reasonably requests. So parents with OT concerns can request an OT assessment, and Speech and Language issues can be assessed by a SaLT. It is those reports which define and evidence 'need'. If it's not in the report, it isn't a need. They also define the outcomes and the provision.

The less specific and robust the recommendations in reports are, the more likely it is that a LA will conclude that a mainstream school can meet need. Conversely, some needs will clearly require specialist education. For example, DD3 had an EP report that said she needed 1:1 support, a small environment, bespoke provision to engage with her and encourage her to attend school, etc. That automatically ruled out every mainstream secondary school because she needed a small school. The 1:1 support meant that they opted for an independent special school which has bespoke timetabling and 1:1 support at all times, where the staff will come out to the home and deliver sessions if necessary. But it was only so because her reports all said 'This kid is super smart but she's an absolute mess and any school is going to have to work really hard to get her to even attend, and honestly...not sure how they are going to do it, but they will have to start really slowly and build up contact."

So you need to look at your reports. Do they say that specialist provision is needed? Can the recommended provision be made in a mainstream school?

Who is recommending a specialist setting and why?

It is possible to get an independent SS for ‘just’ dyslexia. Obviously not all will need that, but some do.

@Lougle is right. This is far too vague and woolly. The wording in F needs to be detailed, specified and quantified. Who (job title, training, qualifications and experience), what, when, where, how, duration, frequency.

Not a comprehensive list but:
‘Daily’ how long for? 2 mins? 5 mins?
‘literacy intervention’ what intervention?
‘Responsibility for’ what does this mean? It doesn’t mean the person actually delivering the intervention.
‘Specialist teacher’ in what?
What ‘training’?
Which is it teacher or TA?
‘home reinforcement strategies’ is the LA providing staff for home? Parents can’t compelled to deliver provision in F.
‘access to’ means it might not be given. Even if DS wants it.
‘e.g.’ means those might not be used.
‘Use of’ doesn’t mean it will be provided.
None of them say frequency, duration, ratio, etc.

‘Small group’ is too vague. What is a small group 3, 5, 10, 24?

Special educational needs (section B) and special educational provision (F) are based on the evidence. Is the evidence detailed, specified and quantified or vague and woolly? If the evidence is vague and woolly, the EHCP will be too.

The special educational provision in F is based on what is reasonably required to meet needs in B. It is not written to fit a particular placement. The placement named in section I is the logical conclusion of B&F.

In section E EHCPs contain outcomes rather than targets.

BTW, @Lougle I have reported your post because you have left DD2’s name in.

Are the professionals involved saying a specialist provision is the only place that will need need?

I never do that, do I? 🤣 Thanks. I triple checked, too. Multitasking.

Many children with SEN use extra time poorly or do not benefit from it - a child who is exhausted by the effort of taking the test, or who has already done everything they can do (even if a small amount) will not benefit from extra time at the end.

You could discuss with the SENCo whether they could experiment with rest breaks instead, or prompts, or ask him to swap pen colour at the end of ‘normal’ time to evaluate whether the extra time actually leads to any extra marks. Also may need him to be placed in a separate room with a separate invigilator for tests - there is nothing like the restlessness of the rest of the waiting class, or the sight of everyone else going out to play, to discourage a child from using their extra time!

Oh, and ‘starting early’ rather than ‘finishing late’ may be a helpful approach, so your child finishes at the same time as everyone and thus moves on to the next activity / lesson / playtime in a more seamless, less visible way - extra time can feel a bit like a ‘punishment’, especially when the child anyway finds the content and process of the test really hard.