Can parents pay for their child’s one-to-one?

[Timeforaverynicecupoftea]

Reading the thread about EHCPs, and the difficulties there can be in securing one, I’m wondering if parents are allowed to pay for their child’s one-to-one provision in a state school. Or are there rules against it?

Of course parents should never have to do this. I’m just wondering if this is something they would be allowed to do.

I think there would be problems regarding them being in school but not employed by the school. Who directs their work and who supervises then and what are their terms and conditions?

If the parents gave the money to the school budget and the school employed additional staff, that might be possible. Assuming the parent pays the on costs as well. Even for someone working term time only this could be in the region of £20,000 pa. I guess few could afford this. The job would have to be a rolling contract and full time if 1:1 for all hours in school is required. Plus training days and paid holidays.

I know someone who asked their school this and was told definitely not (this was a state primary). At least not in a straightforward manner where the parents simply pay for a member of staff who would only be responsible for their child. No idea if some schools would be happy to accept a donation under the agreement that it would pay for a 1-1 that would mainly be responsible for their child.

Certainly in private schools this happens - generally if your child requires a 1-1 the parents are accepted to fund it in a private school and sometimes it will be a requirement of the child attending the school.

Where an EHCP is in place, in theory, the parent could request direct payments and then require this to be spent on 1:1 support. That doesn't get round the problem of securing an EHCP in the first place though, and so few parents request direct payments that it's pretty untested water.

I would say no. Its not just a case of paying for it. If a school says 'yes you can do this' they are saying 'yes your child needs this' and if your child needs it then the state should be paying for it. The only thing i have seen are private OTs and SaLTs coming in during school hours.

We have a slightly different case so not sure if it's that helpful, but we have a private SALT that goes into the school and works with the team and my child. We still had to ask for their consent and I was told by the private SALT that not all schools allow even that.

It would be very wrong. As imperfect as it is (and I do have a child with an EHCP which I have to fight to be implemented), we should be lobbying for SEN provision to be properly funded. What you are suggesting would result in a two tier system of those who can afford it and those who can't.

Paddlingwhenishouldbeworking

^ this.

The principles of state education is parity for all. This may not always be the case in the current climate but, if the wealthier kids get better provisions because their parents pay for it, that would undermine the system. Also, staff have to be paid and managed by the school.

But at the moment DC from poorer families get better provision as PPG money is spent on them for 1:1 etc. And it's not always fair who gets PPG or who deserves it. E.g. my dd us PPG eligible as my dh has been in between jobs for a little bit over a month and was eligible for jobseekers allowance, what resulted in 5 years of PPG money. We didn't spent it as went private. But it shows how random provisions are atm and it's no longer the same for everyone.

No it wouldn't be allowed. You could employ your own tutor out of school.

Only a small part of EHCP can be paid to parents dependent on need and what is being purchased. This obviously reduces the provision school will provide.

PPG eligible as my dh has been in between jobs for a little bit over a month and was eligible for jobseekers allowance, what resulted in 5 years of PPG money. We didn't spent it as went private

But the school gets the funding, not the parents of each individual child. And if you took your child out of the state school, it would stop getting the funding for her?

There is nothing to stop the school agreeing to this if they want (presumably as long as the 1:1 had DBS, insurance etc). However most won’t allow as it gets difficult with whose in charge of them and reasons pp have set out.
Many allow private professionals eg SaLT to go into school observe, provide strategies etc. To a certain extent this is providing additional training to their staff at no cost to them.