Independent school - EHCP

[SherbertLemons]

My DC is due to start school in September. They are awaiting an ASD diagnosis and we are at EHCP needs assessment stage. We have recently had our meeting with the educational physiologist and all other professionals are providing their reports. DC has had an IEP and additional funding at their nursery setting.

we have visited local mainstream schools and have made our selection (choosing what we to believe be the best available but not perfect option) on the LA website. The SEN coordinator advised a lot can change between offer days an September so we shouldn’t put too much weight on our choices.

i have this week found out we can indicate one of our preferred choice of school is an independent school (fee paying) with an excellent local reputation for small class sizes and pastoral care.

Has anyone managed to get the LA to name an independent private school in the draft (or revised draft EHCP)? If so do you have any advice on how we could improve our chances of achieving this if the independent can meet DCSs needs?

Thank you in advance for any very appreciated advice you can share.

I’m about 12 months ahead of your on our journey. DS has an EHCP and started reception in September. We looked around a few private and state schools. Whilst we thought the private school we looked at would suit him a lot better, we were advised by the private school that it would be better to put him into state school, let him struggle, (sounds awful I know) and then ask the LA to consider paying for the private school for him. If you put him into private school to start with, the LA will say, oh you can afford it, you don’t need us to pay. Whereas he needs to go through the state system first, and for the state school to say, we can’t cope with him, for them to even consider other options.
if it’s the first draft, you are extremely unlikely to get a private school in your EHCP, especially this young. You should get your first choice school through the LA. Our case worker rang me and asked what school we wanted, and we got it.
We would love for DS to go to private school, but it’s the long term cost which put us off private school at this age, if the local authority could pay, fantastic. But we are seeing how things go first before we push for anything.

Draft EHCPs must not name a placement or type of placement. Section I must be blank in drafts.

Independent schools can be named in finalised EHCPs. To get a wholly independent school named, you will need to show the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or that it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. You do that by referencing the evidence - EP, SALT, OT, etc. You don’t need DC to fail in state school first. However, some have to appeal. You will also need an offer of a place from the school.

Admissions for those with EHCPs isn’t via the normal admission process. You don’t have to fill in the standard form by the normal deadline. You don’t have to give multiple preferences. For non-wholly independent schools, there are limited reasons the LA can refuse to name them if they are your preference.

If you have a report stating that your child needs small class sizes, it can make a huge difference. Our educational psychologist specified that our daughter required classes with no more than 20 students, which effectively ruled out mainstream settings.

We have a local independent mainstream school that’s very popular with families of children who have an EHCP, largely because it’s far cheaper for the local authority than placing them in a specialist school.

Hi, is the independent MS in London? My DD has EHCP and sensory difficulties, so looking for smaller classes.

It’s in the Midlands. If you search the names of the schools you’re considering along with “DFE statistics,” you’ll be able to check how many students have an EHCP. Some independent schools are far more welcoming and experienced with EHCPs than others.

@Njbnnn Thanks for the tip, will search. We would not get into the highly competative London ones, but hope to find suitable non-selective.

I'd say pretty low chance / zero. You will need a tribunal plus EP, OT, Salt for your evidence which will cost around £8k.

Also the independent has to agree to take your child. Can the school meet the child's needs. Independent mainstream can off roll too and left without a school place. Lots of state schools have a better understanding of sen and also more inclusive of sen children.

Lots of these independents say excellent pastoral care be careful they all chat the chat with beautiful grounds and marketing.

The other way of doing it enrol pay yourself the fees and wait 1.5 years for a tribunal and hope that you win going forward for the LA to pay the fees (its a gamble though and might not work) so you have to decide whether you are able to / want to pay for the independent.

The LA will always go for the cheapest option.

Many do need to appeal, but not everyone does. If independent reports are required but parents can’t afford them and aren’t eligible for legal aid, which can fund independent assessments, there are charities who can help. Even without that, not everyone needs or wants to spend £8k on assessments.

Whether an offer of a place is required depends on if the independent school is wholly independent or a section 41 independent.

OP’s DC is in a phase transfer year, so if she has to appeal BFI, it won’t be 1.5yrs wait.