How to apply for a sen secondary school

[OliviaGrace15]

Hi everyone

So I'm currently feeling very overwhelmed and any advice would be massively appreciated especially if you've been through this process.
My daughter is currently in year 5 and I'm aware we will need to apply for secondary schools around October time.

She's currently in a mainstream primary school but I feel she's only coped because they are great with sen and done everything they can to meet her needs.

I'm currently working closely with the senco to sort her an ehcp before she leaves primary next year.

She was diagnosed with autism at age 4, she also has dyslexia, hip dysplasia and hypermobility. She's OK ish academically, they say she's about 6 months behind in her work. They also say her processing time is slower so takes longer to answer questions on her work etc and she is for the most part mute in school. In nursery they said she has selective mutism.

I really don't feel she will thrive in mainstream secondary, she struggles to make friends as she doesn't talk unless she's close with someone, she's highly sensitive to noise and smells etc. She struggles to keep up in physical activity due to her mobility issues too so with moving to a new classroom every lesson and finding her way round busy hallways will be very overwhelming for her, even just keeping up with the work during lesson will be difficult.

So my question is what are the chances her ehcp will be accepted and what are the chances of a sen school accepting her?

thank you for any help or advice!

I'd say really unlikely. Places are so oversubscribed. Our places mostly go to the nearby primary special school , with a few joining as in-year students usually from year 8 onwards. We have really long waiting lists. I'd still try for an EHCP, but without one she's unlikely to get a place in a SEND secondary

Of course it depends on where in the U.K. you are, I work in the SE

It depends what SEN schools there are in your area and what sort of needs they cater for, but in many areas, special schools are only able to take the most severely behind children these days, with huge waiting lists.

I would concentrate on getting the EHCP for now, and start researching every secondary school you could physically get her to. Ask to meet the SENCO, ask for details of their inclusive practices, ask how they meet the needs of children like your daughter.

It’s really hard for the kids “in the middle” at this stage, I’m sorry. An inclusive mainstream secondary is likely to be your best bet.

There aren’t enough places in send secondaries. I would say without an EHCP, no chance and even with it could be tricky, as there just aren’t enough places. My dd sounds similar to yours, I’ve kind of accepted that am she will end up in mainstream secondary and honestly I’ll be surprised if she copes.

this is very variable within the UK.

you may want to consider SEN units attached to mainstream secondaries.

you need to look at all the possibilities and what their requirements are. Near me there are some that require a diagnosis and some that do not.

Without an EHCP at this stage you are I think unlikely to get a special school. However, a provision attached to mainstream might be great. Lessons usually (but not always, depending on need) in mainstream but with time in the provision for 1:1 or small group work and break-out time.

If there is any way you can afford it, I'd try to pay for the bits you need to get the EHCP in place, so that you get a secondary place secured early - you should be looking round now.

Are school applying for the ehcp now? Where I am you need to ask for secondary sen school this September in year 5. To get into one you need the ehcp or you can't even into applying as there's a SEN admissions team separate from mainstream admissions.

Here where I am there are spaces in LAN schools and ASD units in secondary but if your bright, you really need a independent SEN school. To get into them you normally appeal and they too can be oversubscribed.

Check the ehcp application has already gone in.

Going through the same process with a same school year child at the moment - although we already have an EHCP.

You need a really, really solid educational psychologist report to get a specialist school for secondary. If you DM me roughly where in the country you are, I can share details of the one we used if you are nearby.

Once you've got a solid EP report you ask to have all those recommendations specified in the EHCP. You then go and look at mainstreams so that you know why they won't suit your DD, and you go and look at specialists so that you know which ones you would ask for. We identified 5 specialists, one said they couldn't meet needs, we've seen 2 and are going to see 2 more after half term. You put down which you want as parental preference and then you do battle with the LA, potentially in the SEND tribunal.

Thank you for all your replies and advice it's massively appreciated

I agree it's so hard for the kids in the middle, we are in North yorkshire.

I know there are a few mainstream schools around with the separate hub so maybe this could be an option, I do worry she won't cope during her time in the main building though.

I have a meeting with the senco again after half term so I'll go through all options with her and also take on all your advice, thank you so much.

I can't help with a good EP in N Yorks but you could look at Witherslack Group and Cambian Group schools as they both have schools near you. Kedleston Group might be a bit far south.

Is there a small secondary school near you? Your daughter might feel more comfortable in a smaller environment. I would do some research on the mainstream schools in your area and see if you can visit.

If a needs assessment leads to an EHCP, you can name a mainstream school and they must offer a place, providing it offers a suitable education for your child and that it won’t interfere with the efficient education of other pupils, or be too expensive.

If there is no EHCP, the school must make provision and adjustments to meet her needs, so that will be important for you to find out. Mainstream schools can and do have safe places to go, adjustments that can be made, additional and pastoral support. The current SENCo might be able to advise.

You say you are working with the SENCO to sort an EHCP, but has an EHCNA actually been requested yet? If not, you should do that ASAP. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. You don’t have time to lose because many have to appeal, some more than once.

Special schools can be named in EHCPs, although many have to appeal. Without an EHCP, NYCC will not give you a special school placement - a place in a targeted mainstream provision unit is unlikely either. I wouldn’t recommend the Witherslack or Cambian schools with DD’s profile.

I think it's very unlikely to get a specialist school p lace even with an ECHP from.your description. Mainly due to her academic ability (my DS is also in mainstream, we have an excellent SEND tram who have really listened to DS and myself).

Looking for schools with Integrated Resources (IR) is one possibility. They can offer good support with flexibility to attend classes they can thrive. You'll need an EHCP for IR too

Many have to appeal, but it is possible to get a special school placement even if the child isn’t significantly behind academically.

My council will be VERY reluctant to name a specialist secondary school unless you have a 32.5 hours EHCP, anything less is a struggle. I am currently going through transition reviews for my year 5s , two of whom have 32.5 hr EHCPs but parents want mainstream secondary and one 25 hour EHCP where parents want specialist secondary. I have a fight on my hands with the latter, the two former ones were greeted with great enthusiasm by the caseworkers!

I agree with the above comments that without an EHCP already in place and in use, you are unlikely to get a specialist school placement without a fight.

Certainly in my area, you would need to be able to demonstrate why the local mainstream schools can’t meet your DD’s needs, and these schools would need to confirm this to the LA. My LA agrees to very few special school placements without tribunal, or at least the threat of tribunal.

My son was in an independent special school from Year 6 to Year 13, but it took a heck of a fight with the LA. He had had an EHCP and full-time 1:1 support since Reception, but the LA still wanted to keep him in mainstream because it would cost them less. Our case for special school heavily involved the failure of his mainstream state placement, followed by the eventual failure of his place at a small quiet private school where he was down a year. This was all used as evidence for his need for a special school placement.

Echoing others’ advice to get your DD’s EHCP sorted as quickly as you can. Good luck with it all.

Get your EHCP sorted as soon as possible - you won’t get anywhere without it

Ipsea has good info about your rights around choosing a school with and without an EHCP here:

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/selecting-a-school-or-college

As others have said, you must ensure that your local authority stick to the legal timeframes in the EHCP process. Again, the Ipsea website has information on this.
Sadly, you may have to become 'that' parent in order to ensure your DD gets the support she needs. Make sure everything is put in writing - follow up every conversation, meeting with an email so it's all documented. Keep a diary of dates so you don't lose track - when did the request to assess go in, when did they agree to assess etc. The whole process is supposed to take 20 weeks.

With regards to your query about secondary options for your DD. Obviously with an EHCP you can look further afield and at more bespoke packages - local authorities can even fund independents (but that's more complicated and will probably involve a tribunal battle). You can also look out of borough.

Have you visited any settings yet? Contacted any schools?

My DS is at an autism resourced unit attached to a mainstream secondary (he has autism and an EHCP). He spends break times and lunchtimes in there. (The students don't have to though.) He has full time 1 to 2 support. He's been allowed to sit out of some subjects like MFL and drama which has helped him massively. The students in his setting have a wide range of academic abilities - some are predicted 9's in their GCES, some are in nurture classes. They also work on social skills in small groups. Every unit is run on different lines though so you will need to visit as many as you can.

My DS has some similarities to your DD. I was so, so worried about him going to secondary school but he's surviving - maybe even thriving!
The school have made some 'minor' adjustments that have made a massive difference (he's allowed to go to lunch 5mins early for example so he doesn't get overwhelmed. He has a 'time out' card he can use in lessons). These are things that any mainstream secondary should be able to put in place though.

I would also say that I know of DC who are at special schools and some do offer a range of GCSES and have quite academically able students. One DC I know is being predicted 5s to 7s in their GCSEs.
One of the things the LA will look at though - and you will need to as well - is if a particular setting will be able to offer her a peer group (ie students of a similar profile).

The problem is so many pupils are being given EHCPs, finding a specialist secondary school is very difficult. No council will fully fund full time help for all these pupils, so it’s a difficult task all round.

The LA must fund all the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F and the school named in the EHCP. Other DC are irrelevant to that. Some have to appeal to get the school/provision in an EHCP, but ultimately it isn’t the LA making the decisions.