Bromley : EHCP

[Bromley12]

Hi
Our Local school in Bromley are in the process of applying the EHCP plan for our son who is in Year 5. He has already been seen by Education Psychologist and SLT. School SENCo recommends/suggests he should have ehcp plan.
We are aware that this will take 20 weeks or even more. I just wanted to know what to do if we do not have the plan in time to name a preferred school in the plan before the school admission deadline 31st October. Thank you.

Sorry @PatriciaHolm, I am the pp who mentioned it. I just didn’t want anyone reading who it might be relevant for to think EHCPs could ever name one placement.

There will be time if the OP doesn’t have to appeal refusal to assess &/or refusal to issue. Adding in time for appeal(s) would mean the 15th Feb deadline wouldn’t apply as there wouldn’t be an existing EHCP. Although placements can/would still be named when/if an EHCP was finalised after this.

ah, I see! Yes, I do appreciate the wait time maybe significant unfortunately...

In grammar counties like Kent there will now be a fair few EHCPs that name grammars. Not dozens - maybe 20/30 - but enough that it's an understood process.

The number of EHCPs overall is growing significantly year on year, very much so since you taught, I think, and last figures I saw showed that around half of grammars now have admitted children with EHCPs into Year 7 in the last few years, in addition to any EHCP granted to children are already in the school.

Tiffin boys in Kingston, for example which is a School I know a bit about because I've sat on Appeals there, has 0.8% on roll having an EHCP, which equates to about 11 or 12 students, or a couple each year.

That makes sense, however, I just checked on the government website and St Olaves' shows zero pupils with EHCP in 2023-4 and my old grammar in an adjacent county shows around 2 (that's total, not per year). Whereas the comprehensive I teach at has around 70 EHCP (total).

The Judd School in Tonbridge shows as 3 EHCP (total) and I would imagine they are the students attending their ASD resource base (which has only 4 spaces).

I would as a parent be cautious about naming a school with zero EHCP on roll as it would suggest to me that school doesn't have the right kind of expertise, whatever their policies may say.

My own child attends a school out of borough for this reason.

@Needlenardlenoo
Makes the point that many local authorities don't advise or guide parents in any way. This is certainly the case in my area also. I argue that it is the responsibility of the LA to explain something about the secondary schools. After all if they don't who does? I have had several students placed in my current school whose level of need can not be met in a mainstream school. It was terrible for the child and the parents obviously and distressing for staff especially the head teacher.
The best way to check is to visit and see the actual provision. Parents know best what is going to work for their children pretty much every time.

Yes OP, definitely visit any potential school asap and also join as many SEND parent groups as you can and ask about their experiences with local schools.

When I visited one of the Harris academies they appeared to have emptied their SEN unit for the tour day, which I found quite suggestive.

Look at Sid&Chis grammar school in Bexley, they are meant to have a good SEND provision hub. St Olave’s is superselective and there is no SEND priority, only pupil premium and only if you pass Stage 1.