Do schools exaggerate to get EHCP funding?

[TheWholeOfMeIsOne]

DS has a EHCP and was ‘apparently’ almost denied a reception place last year. The school pressed for more funding for his placement and I believe this was granted.

At the end of reception, at his EHCP review meeting - I was gobsmacked at the amount of money/time he was supposed to have had allocated to him over the year.

There is no way I think he had the amount of 1:1 time specified on his EHCP..

DS has made lots of progress and is not demanding. He is very quiet and well behaved/easily overlooked.

I feel his needs are being exaggerated to secure funding.

I’d like to ask :

1. should I complain and who to? LA or school?
2. I feel the expectations of DS are often low : in order to justify the funding
3. I’m absolutely certain that there is a no proactive plan/targeted activity or assessment based on his needs. Everything seems reactive, incidental and not a true reflection of his capabilities?

The school doesn’t decide what is included in EHCPs. The LA does. LAs don’t include provision that costs them money if it isn’t reasonably required. Provision in EHCPs is taken from the evidence collated as part of the needs assessment. This would have included information from the setting DC was in at that time. LAs are ultimately responsible for ensuring the provision is provided and that includes funding it at a level where it can actually be provided. Schools asking for more money is common because LAs rarely provide enough funding unless forced to. That isn’t the school exaggerating.

You should have known what was in the EHCP when it was issued. Did you not receive a finalised EHCP? The support included in it shouldn’t have come as a surprise at the AR.

Focus on the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F. Not the funding. If the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F isn’t being provided you need to remind the school it must be provide and send the LA the model letter on IPSEA’s website. If that doesn’t work you need to send a pre-action letter to the LA.

If you didn’t think the EHCP was reflective of DS’s needs and the support he requires you could have appealed. You will get the right of appeal again following the AR, so if you want to, you can appeal.

The EHCP is reflective of what he requires, but there is - absolutely no way - that the school actually allocates the time to DS that is specified in his EHCP.

I feel the funding is used for additional staff, but not to specifically support DS.

E.g - he is supposed to have 1:1 daily reading support and 3 intervention groups a week.

I get no feedback on any of this. To my mind - there should be a specific target/assessment - and feedback.

If DS isn’t receiving the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F then you need to look at enforcing that provision taking the steps in my previous post.

However, provision can only be enforced if the wording is detailed, specified and quantified. If it is vague or woolly it is not enforceable. Look for wording such as “access to”, “would benefit from”, “regular”, “up to”, “or equivalent”, “opportunities for”, “as appropriate”, “would be useful/helpful”, “such as”, “e.g.”, “etc.”, “as required”, “as advised”, “key adult(s)”, “small group”… For example, ‘1:1 daily reading support’ needs to say more. Who with, how long for, what is support, inside or outside the classroom? As it stands it could be 1 minute a day, by the receptionist in class during the whole class lesson. ‘3 intervention groups a week’ Doing what, how long for, who with, 1:1 or in a group (and if a group what size), in class or outside…

Unless feedback is included in the EHCP, the school doesn’t have to provide anything beyond the EHCP annual review. However, have you asked for feedback and updates? The AR reviews the EHCP, including the outcomes and progress.

There wouldn’t usually be a reassessment of needs every year. Reassessments if needs are via the LA. Not the school.