EHCP requirements

[Melonhead739]

My son is diagnosed with autism and his EHCP has outlined his requirements for a 1on1 teacher for the whole school day which we are fine with as he wouldn’t be able to cope otherwise due to poor social skills and almost zero ability to communicate in anyway. However I’ve just spoken to his new headteacher inquiring as to when I would meet his 1to1. He has told me that research suggests that 1to1’s aren’t as helpful as believed and they operate with a team that alternates. There would always be someone present in the classroom for him however they wouldn’t be with my son. I’m a bit concerned that this structure has been outlined in his EHCP for a reason and it’s already not being followed before he even starts school. I’ve tried looking online for the research but I’m finding nothing, I wondered if any other mums have been through anything similar and what the outcomes were, thank you😊

Is the provision specific about the 1-1? Does it say how many hours and does it include break and lunchtime. If the funding is provided for 1-1 for a number of hours, that’s what it should be.

It’s true that there is a school of thought that 1-1 can develop a dependency and reduce independent learning, but that is more likely to be the case after a child has been in school for quite a while, which is not the case for your son.

Is it the fact that there will be more than one person supporting your child that most concerns you, or are you worried that he won’t have the level of support detailed in his EHCP?

What is the exact EHCP wording regarding 1 to 1?

You need to look at the wording in the EHCP.

If 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP, it must be provided and can be enforced. Follow up the verbal conversation with an email. Remind the HT the EHCP is a legal document. Also contact the LA because ultimately it is their responsibility to ensure the provision is provided.

However, if 1:1 is not detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP and the wording is vague and woolly (e.g. using words such as ‘access to’, ‘would benefit from’, ‘would be helpful’, ‘opportunities for’), it cannot be enforced. If this is the case you can request an early review with the intention of tightening up the wording.

If it needs to be a consistent person or the same one or two people sharing the role of providing 1:1 (e.g. one providing 1:1 in the morning and another in the afternoon), it needs to be included in F.

LAs and some schools like to misrepresent the research (most commonly Blatchford et al., 2012 and Sharples et al., 2015) on TAs. Michael Charles, a well regarded SEN solicitor, wrote an excellent piece on it. A well trained TA, deployed correctly does not lead to dependency.

The EHCP has under each section a box saying ‘staff/student ratio’ and a box under saying ‘how often’. For each of the sections it says for staff ratio 1:1 and how often is listed as ‘throughout the day’. I’m quite open to there being different adults as his 1:1 as if he forms a close attachment and that one person is sick it could cause him to meltdown. It’s more the level of support that concerns me and what this means in the future for the EHCP being followed.

It depends on the wider wording but ‘the whole school day’ is tighter wording.

Focus on the wording rather than the funding.

It doesn't sound like that is saying he needs 1:1 at all times of the day. So if it something like "intensive interaction - 1:1 - throughout the day", then it is saying he needs this provision delivered in a 1:1 ratio, but it is not saying that he will have an allocated adult at all times.

If he does need 1:1 at all times, you may need to ask for an emergency review to tighten the wording.

The EHCP is quite clearly worded as 1:1 throughout the school day and suggesting in certain areas that they should slowly move to 1:3. Thank you for your advice I will start by emailing the school to ensure the correct provision is provided.

I would go back to the EHCP and re-read it looking for vague and woolly wording. Unfortunately, some parents don’t realise the wording is unenforceable until they need to enforce it. Another example, what does ‘slowly’ mean? One week, two weeks, a term, longer?

I am paraphrasing for the purposes of not writing an essay however the exact wording is for example:
(F) The special educational provision required by the child or the young person
support needed: Here the support is listed as to what exactly needs to happen
To be provided by: School Staff
staff/student ratio: 1:1
How much/quantity: Regular intervals (at the start of each session/activity)
How often: Throughout the day

Unfortunately, that is too woolly and vague. It does not mean 1:1 provided via a full-time teaching assistant. It could be 2 mins from the class teacher at the start of each task. School staff needs to be amended - who is that? The teacher, a TA, the receptionist, the caretaker… what qualifications, training and experience will they have? Regular intervals needs defining. How long is the provision to be provided for 2 mins, 5 mins, 10 minutes, full-time? As I said in a pp, whole school day or throughout the whole school day is tighter wording.