SEN in Herfordshire

[Nlinden3439]

Hello! My husband is considering a job which would move us from the US to the UK (hertfordshire, specifically). We have a son who is 9 years old in third grade and is autistic. He also has dysgraphia and dyslexia. What does schooling in the UK look like for this? He currently is in public school in Texas, where we live, and is in a class specifically designed to support autistic kids. Do programs like that exist in public schools in the UK? Should we consider private school instead? What private schools are best to support kids with differences like his?

In England the majority of DC with SEN are supported at a school level in mainstream schools. With the school making adjustments and providing interventions and SEN support.

For those that need more than this you can apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which is a legal document that, among other things, sets out a pupil’s needs and the provision they require to meet those needs as well as the setting they will attend.

Some DC with EHCPs are in mainstream schools, some in special schools, some have education otherwise than at school (EOTAS), and some attend specialist resourced provisions (what they are called varies areas to area but that is what they are called in Hertfordshire). The last sounds the closest to what you describe, but each provision is set up slightly differently. The majority expect pupils to attend mainstream classes some of the time.

As soon as you/DS are resident in the LA you will be able to apply for an EHCNA (a needs assessment you first request before the LA decide whether to issue an EHCP or not).

Not all mainstream independent schools are supportive of SEN, and if they are they often charge extra and the cost of SEN support can mount up quickly. Not all specialist schools accept self funding pupils and where they do the fees can be large. So, if you go down that route have a frank conversation beforehand. If you get an EHCP independent schools can be funded via that.

You can search for schools here.

Reading the SENCOP will help you understanding the system better. IPSEA and SOSSEN are charities that support parents with SEN matters, looking at their websites will help too.

Thank you so much! My husbands company might be willing to pay for a self funded independent school, but I can’t seem to figure out if those exist?

My main concern with a public school is how long it takes to get him “identified” through the public system. He attends a mainstream class now, but with an aide. I don’t want him to have to attend a regular school with no support for months while they “evaluate” to see what support he needs. Does that make sense? It took a long time in America to get him the right support services. And we will likely only be in the UK for 2-3 years before returning to America. So I don’t want to waste months at the beginning just putting him through evaluations that we have already done many times.

Independent schools do exist. There are mainstream independent schools, wholly independent special schools and section 41 independent special schools. Some independent special schools allow parents to self fund, others don’t.

If you apply for an EHCP the process takes 20 weeks if you don’t have to appeal. Unfortunately many do have to appeal, some more than once, making the process much longer.

If DS did start in a state mainstream even without an EHCP schools will still provide some support. They must make their best endeavours to meet a pupil’s needs. If they need more funding to do that they can apply for high needs top up funding.

When you arrive the LA must provide a suitable, full time education. If mainstream isn’t suitable (although this doesn’t sound like it will be the case) they must do that via other provision.

thank you again! Schooling in the UK is so different than in America, I’m feeling, so overwhelmed! Do you know of any independent special schools that allow self funding in the area?

if we do a main stream school, will they take any of the evaluation’s that we have for our son into account when determining services?

Egerton Rothesay allow self funders. Depending on where in Hertfordshire you are planning to live The Holmewood school or Gretton may be within travelling distance. I’m sure there’s more too.

If you decide on mainstream without an EHCP the school will look at any existing information you have and also on their own observations. They may also ask for advice from outside services.

If you apply for an EHCNA and the LA agree to assess the LA must seek advice from:
a) the child’s parent or the young person;
b) educational advice (usually from the head teacher or principal);
c) medical advice and information from a health care professional;
d) psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist;
e) advice and information in relation to social care;
f) advice and information from any other person the local authority thinks appropriate;
g) where the child or young person is in or beyond year 9, advice and information in relation to provision to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living; and
h) advice and information from any person the child’s parent or young person reasonably requests that the local authority seek advice from.


H can include things like SALT and OT.