HELP 🙏!!! Primary to secondary school Transition EHCP

[Larrissaa]

I have a DD who is in Year 5 with 24 hrs per week 1 to 1 support on EHCP at a mainstream school. I am currently visiting schools and I will like her to attend a mainstream school with resource provision which I really like. I have had a look at the EHCP plan and it hasn't been updated since 2018, DD has come a long way since this EHCP was last written and I doubt any school Will want to accept her with the current EHCP. Please how can I go about getting this updated, reflecting her current needs and support as this as all changed. Each time I visit schools they ask for her plan but she is a different person to what the plan states. We have out next annul ehcp review in May. I have mentioned this to school and they have stated that this will be discussed at the next review. Do I need to request for an educational psychologist assessment to help document clearly what support she will be needing in secondary school. I am really lost... Please I need advice on how to navigate primary to secondary transition. Please help... Any advice will be greatly appreciated.....
Thank you in advance

Hi OP, When you had your last review in May 2023 were no updates made? You can request an early review and i think you have good grounds to but May is less than 2 months away so may not be worth it.
If you send her details to a school can you write a covering letter which states her needs now and that you have a review in may when this will be finalised into a new EHCP? If they need clarification they can speak to you and the current senco/teacher etc
If your DD is in year 5 and the EHCP is 5 years old then it would be unreasonable for any school to take the one she had in reception as gospel as it were.
I think you have to have your application in by October 2024 so have plenty of time to look at schools and get your application in with the updated EHCP.

You will have a transition review in the autumn term of Y6. During the review process you will be able to state your preferred placement. You do not have to complete the normal admissions form or name more than once placement, and the normal admissions deadline in October doesn’t apply.

You can request a reassessment of needs. On their website site, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. If DD’s needs have changed significantly and the EHCP hasn’t been amended for 5 years this could provide the opportunity for up to date assessments. From people like SALT and OT as well as an EP. The AR in May is also a good opportunity to update and improve the EHCP n preparation for the transition.

It is worth reading IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites to understand EHCPs better. Unless the school is wholly independent, there are limited reasons the LA can refuse to name your preferred placement and schools can be named against their will.

If your local authority I'd anything like ours, and given they've left the EHCP for 5 years without update, it sounds like it is, then don't count on anyone doing updates after the annual review. Our local authority dismisses any school comments and will only update outcomes and provision if an EP has seen them.

My suggestions:
Try using the IPSEA letter for a full reassessment of need.
If the annual review is held and no updates are made, consider appealing (see my warning below)
Ask the SENCO to provide the annual review report, provision map and current SEND plans (or equivalent of any of these docs) for your DD. Explain that you'd like to share these with your preferred high school

Do be careful though. If you fight too hard to document her progress, the local authority could well reduce her level of support - they will whenever they can. If she definitely won't need the original level of support, great. But it could be a good buffer if there might be wobbles during transition.

Also, note that mainstream schools can't reject her application, and can be directed to take her even if they say they cannot meet her needs.

Have you got reports from the last Annual Review? Or an annotated EHCP from the last AR together with any school reports that you could take to prospective schools. If you wait for an updated EHCP you will be waiting a long time. As part of the Yr5 review you could request an updated EP report, but it is likely there is huge pressure on local EP service. I’m not sure requesting a full reassessment would help you and certainly wouldn’t be completed in time to inform secondary transfer…..in my view.

and certainly wouldn’t be completed in time to inform secondary transfer

Unless OP had to appeal, which I appreciate some do, the reassessment would be completed in time to inform secondary transfer. The process takes 14 weeks from agreement to reassess and 15 days for the LA to inform the parents whether they agree to a reassessment of needs or not. As much as many LAs see these timescales as optional, they are statutory and can be enforced via judicial review if necessary.

Whether a reassessment of need would result in the necessary amendments and negate the need to appeal is a completely different matter of course.