Navigating Secondary School Choices for My Son

[Olaideak]

Hi mums,

Please I need you help and insight.

My son is in Year 5 and has autism—he's incredibly high-functioning, especially in science, maths, language, and music. He currently attends a mainstream school in Derby with an EHCP, but we're planning to move closer to family in Hertfordshire next summer to ensure he gets the right support in secondary school.
I’m starting the school research process early since we’ll be applying from Derby for a school in Hertfordshire. At the moment, I’m looking at Hockerill in Bishop’s Stortford and would love to hear from anyone who has experience with their support for autistic children.
I want to keep school options limited to avoid overwhelming him, as too many choices could make settling in trickier. Our plan is to live as close as possible to his future school, so knowing what to highlight in the application process (September/October) will be key.
If anyone has insights into:
✅ Hockerill’s approach to supporting autistic students
✅ The best way to prepare him for this transition
✅ Key considerations / process / tips when moving from a different area

I’d really appreciate your advice! Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks in advance.

Ola

I'd suggest you ask MN to edit your post to put the school name in the title. Much more likely that you'll find someone who can help you with the specific details you want.

Do you mean you will be moving in summer 2025 (so in about six months)? If so then just move close to the school and as long as it prioritises distance as its first main decision factor (after LAC etc) then you should be fine, applying in September or October this year.

Or do you mean that you will still be in Derby this autumn and will apply from there, moving house in July 2026? If so I would imagine you are unlikely to be allocated a place at your school of choice unless it is not generally popular (ofc you can apply from anywhere). Unless you are able to have the preferred school named on your son's EHCP? I am not an expert on that but it is worth finding out from the school/LA if that is possible and if so, whether it would put your son to the top of the list?

So in terms of the application, it’s not really an issue as long as the EHCP names the school and that gets him in, even from Derby.

I don’t know the school in question, sorry, so cannot advise on that. I would say in general tho that all the support possible to keep things the same and familiar for him would be helpful – so being in the area for the new secondary as soon as you can, practising the walk to school, maybe doing what you can to meet other DC who will be attending the school if that would be good for him.

Similarly with moving area in general – keep things as familiar as you can, bedroom looking the same, meals the same, all things that you can control kept familiar.

Thank you @RedSkyDelights , I will do that. Do you know how I can contact MN as I am new on this platform.

regards
Ola

Hi @clary , Thank you for your response. To clarify, we intend to move in the summer of 2026, so we will still be in Derby this autumn when submitting the secondary school application. I have called the school once, but they were not forthcoming with information on support for him as they felt it was too early to enquire. However, they did confirm, as you mentioned, that we can apply from Derby, and Derby LA has also confirmed this.
I plan to start engaging with the school and area more actively once we have confirmation that our son has been allocated a place.

Yes for sure you can apply from Derby. You could apply for a place at <fill in name of unpopular school in Derby> from Cornwall and you would be offered it.

But it's whether the EHCP will name the school and thus guarantee a place. I’ve not done this so I don’t know whether it varies from one LA to another, or if it is always a sure thing – if the latter then no worries.

You will need to ensure your chosen school are invited (virtually) to his y5 EHCP review and that the school agree to be named on his EHCP. Then you will go to the top of their priority order when allocating places.

If you just apply through the normal process without the school agreeing they can meet need and being named on EHCP then you will be bottom of the priority order and only be able to secure a place in a school that is undersubscribed.

Talk to Derby SENDIASS about what you need to have in place to make this happen.

@Purplewallsrock Thank you for this information—it’s all very new to me, so I really appreciate your guidance. Hockerill is a very popular and oversubscribed school, which is why I want to start the process early. I have a meeting with my son’s teacher on Monday and will share this new information to explore what we can do to ensure we get a place and have a smooth transition for him.
I hadn’t considered that he may only be allocated a place at an undersubscribed school if Hockerill isn’t named on his EHCP. I will speak to his teacher so we can look into inviting the school (virtually) seeing whether they agree to be named on his plan. I’ll also reach out to Derby SENDIASS for further advice on what steps we need to take to make this happen.
Thanks again for your help!

@clary , thanks again for confirming that we can apply from Derby. I understand that the key factor is whether the EHCP names the school, as that would secure a place. I’ll also reach out to Derby SENDIASS for more information x

You can apply with everyone else as part of an application to secondary, but if school is popular they wont be accepted. An EHCP transfer is different, Derby are responsible for the EHCP, until Hertfordshire take over, at which point they can reassess/ review the EHCP or worse case ceasd to maintain. You can consult any school you want as far away as you want for the next school, so you will request a consultation with the school to see if they can meet need (your choice should be named, except in exceptional circumstances, with caveats e.g., Derby wont providetransport to Hertfordshire if you fail to move). If you go through normal admissions the school are not required to meet EHCP, only if named in EHCP.

Now is not the best time to speak to secondary schools as 2025 admissions are released in the next week, but you may want to contact the school next half term and try and speak to the SENDCO and see if what they can offer matches provision required. Once you move the local Authority will transfer EHCP to Hertfordshire. The issue could be if move doesn't go as planned, you have no school near where you live. If you don't get a Hertfordshire school named at transfer (transfer EHCP'S are completedby mid Feb), you could end up with a delay and if popular the school may find it wouldn't be efficient for the education of others e.g., high level of SEN in the year group, and you may be into appeal territory.

I don’t know about Hockerill’s autism focus, but they are a state boarding school (so I believe the day pupil catchment is small) with a language focus that does the IB.

What is it about them that you liked over other possible local schools?

@SheilaFentiman , I’m looking for a mixed school, and my son is strong in languages - French and Chinese. One of the reasons we’re considering Hockerill is that he has friends already attending. I’m still exploring how well they support autistic students, but their language focus and IB programme are appealing.

@Takeachance18 Thank you for the insight and advice. I’ll consult with Hockerill to assess whether they can meet my son's needs. Identifying the right school early is crucial, especially as we plan our move closer to family. I have a meeting with his teacher on Monday to discuss these key points and explore reaching out to Hockerill’s SENDCO to understand the support they can offer.