SEN and secondary admissions

[Corialanusburt]

DD year 6 is on her school SEN register as she has social anxiety. She doesn't have an Educaton and Health Care Plan. Without an EHCP, can I refer to her SEN in our secondary school application in order to help secure the school of our choice?
In the application we are able to write a 3000 character explanation of why we feel the school will meet DD's needs. Will this be read at all and without the EHCP, can it have any bearing on school allocation? Thanks

If you don't have an EHCP naming the school, then you are relying on the school having a "social/medical needs" criteria and applying under that.

To qualify, you would need documentation from medical professionals stating that this school is the best for her needs and why, in their opinion. Not just "Xs mum says that...".

If there is no social/medical criteria, then no, I'm afraid the SEN has no bearing on admissions in the absence of an EHCP.

Thanks for useful info

If she's already y6 don't applications have to be in next week? Can you apply for an ehcp now and put a note to that effect on the application form.

I have put the application in tho it can be altered. Takes a long time to get an EHCP tho.

If your daughter gets an EHCP the school named on it has to admit even if they are already full. So even if you don't get the school you want in the normal way you can still get it through an EHCP.

....if you can get an ehcp

Thank you Poltergoose. I will read the thread.
Ibwonder if anyone here could tell me if DD actually has the type of needs that would require an EHCP.
She is academically fine to good and is happy at home, has a best friend from early childhood, but at school she speaks to no one unless it's to answer the register or to tentatively out her hand up. At playtime and lunch she just stands still in one spot and plays with no one. She had no school friends whatsoever. Her mind is constantly whirring so if a child says, 'do you want to play with us?' She's thinking: they've just asked me because they feel sorry for me, what if I join in and I look stupid, what if they wander off because I'm boring etc.
What she looks like when she's like this and how she describes it fits with descriptions I've read of low level selective mutism.
As she's academically able and her anxiety occurs less in the classroom, could she be condpsudered for an EHCP?
Thanks

LEAs differ but, unfortunately, in my LEA she wouldn't even be considered.

Not in my area

They would say she could be supported through the normal practices of the school -learning mentor, access to safe space etc

Aargh. Makes me so annoyed that school haven't begun to scratch the surface with what they could be doing. I've been passing n my advice but to no avail. She's absolutely isolated at school.

The problem you have in my very cynical experience is 'academically fine to good'

Also standing quietly and not mixing with people brings about much less attention than throwing chairs and punching people

You can request an ehcp without going through the school, but they would likely still say no

Dd's ehcp was rejected first time because the school were making use of local service for dd -she was having 3 hours of teaching a week, at home -couldn't attend school because of severe anxiety -but it was turned down by the panel