EHCP and funding

[Bolanik]

My son is at an independent school and has just been awarded an EHCP. It comes with funding of £2500, however the school are saying they need £26000!!!! to fulfill the plans objectives! My son has dyspraxia and is not that bad! Just needs help with staying on task , handwriting etc. The school have refused to be named so the plan can't be finalised, I'm having no choice but to find another school although he is settled at this one and it will really upset him. Any comments,ideas to keep him there greatly appreciated!

www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk/independent-schools.html

Was he already at the independent school prior to the EHCP being awarded? Is that £26,000 inclusive of their normal fees, or in addition to their normal fees? Did you agree with the LA that they would be responsible for his school fees i.e. that the school was being named as the 'only suitable school', or was the school proposed due to parental preference and the LA had other schools that it would have named in preference?

In a nutshell, SEN provision is paid from tax payers money and has to be costed to show that it is being spent in the best possible way. If a local maintained school can meet your child's needs for less, there is no responsibility on the LA to pay anything above that. You can request a personal budget and look into using that to contribute to the fees but you will probably still be short if that is what the school says that they require.

He's been at this school for 3 years, and that money does not include his fees! We would still have to pay them! My question is, can they refuse to be named on the plan? And why do they need such a massive amount of money to meet the objectives which to be honest, are pretty basic!

The true cost is not just the time it takes to keep him on track, but also the time it takes to plan the interventions, and assess the effectiveness of the interventions. Also, any additional 1:1 support. It won't just be the headline salary, but also the on-costs such as employers NI and pension contributions, plus any employer benefits that are offered as standard.

If the school is named in the plan without any condition such as you paying the fees, then the LA has to pay the fees plus the costs of all the support needed.

If the plan says something like "X's needs can be met in a maintained mainstream school but his parents have chosen to place him at ABC independent school" then the LA doesn't have to pay anything for his support because you have assumed the relevant responsibility. They are entitled to argue that they could provide the support more cheaply at the local mainstream.

If you don't think the mainstream school could meet his needs even with extra funding, you need to appeal to the tribunal.