Been giving mainstream need help!

[Sostressedout89]

Just had our decision, my child who has been out of full time school for 2 years.
They are on 20 mins a day and can not manage that (the school is a one class intake so small).
They can not dress themselves with out help which is in his EHCP.
Also in there EHCP it states high staff to pupil ratio with children with similar needs to himself.
Personalised curriculum etc etc
And guess what they have named a main stream secondary school which have stated can not meet need! because I have been told they need to try mainstream first!
Im so 😠 😡

I know I need to go through tribunal, how do I show that he most definitely can not do mainstream.
His mental health is already at rock bottom.

Your first port of call is evidence from the school that it says it cant meet need. Then identify all provision in F which cant be provided by the school.

Get your appeal in. Its not as scary as it seems.

Thank you, I will do that.
I have asked the LA coordinator for all the schools they consulted with and there responses.
How can they do this to a child knowing full well it would never in a million years work.

Get your appeal paperwork in ASAP. Have you got an offer of a place from a school than can meet needs?

Definitely appeal. Make sure to appeal BFI. This is because the placement named in I is the logical conclusion of B&F. B + F = I.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the EHCP is poor. For example, high staff to pupil ratio is poor. What is high? What staff? Look at B&F with a critical eye.

Evidence is key. Look at your current evidence, see where the gaps are. Submit SARs to the current school, LA, the school named, any other schools consulted and any other agencies involved. Don’t worry if the named school say they can meet needs. Your other evidence can demonstrate otherwise. Consider whether you need independent assessments. Speak to the named school.

Do you have a preferred placement? Are they wholly independent? If not, you don’t need an offer of a place. They can be named even if they object.

Yes we did have an offer from the ideal place, all other places said no!
But yet they are placing him in one of them schools who can not meet need.

But surely no mainstream can take a child who needs help dressing, personalised curriculum, I know you say high adult to pupil but would they have that in mainstream as well?
It states with the sames needs as my child has as well which is autsim and adhd.
The primary put him on reduced hours because he couldnt cope, also he has high care needs and challenging behaviours.

Needing help dressing wouldn’t automatically mean MS is unsuitable.

Personalised curriculum would depend on the exact wording. It some cases, it can be provided in MS.

Yes, a high staff to pupil ratio can be provided in MS. It is all in the wording. You need to look at the exact wording. What is high? 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:5, 1:15, 1:20? What staff? Teachers, TAs (what training/qualifications/experience?), admin, facilities manger? ‘High staff to pupil ratio’ is far too vague and woolly.

I am not saying it is appropriate for DS to attend MS. I am saying you need to look at the EHCP and consider the evidence/what further evidence you need because, right now, the EHCP sounds poor and needs improving, so you need to go back to the evidence, look at it and see what more you need. The content of the EHCP is based on the evidence.

As you are finding, LAs can name schools that are not wholly independent even if they object. Sometimes that works in the parents’ favour, sometimes it doesn’t.

Are you any good at reading an EHCP? If so would you mind me private messaging you?

Have you got a copy of their response? I went through this last year. I got the appeal paperwork in and did a SAR to the named school. It's incredibly stressful.

Not directly from the placement but I have an email from the ehcp coordinator saying that they can meet needs.

Feel free to PM me. I am happy to have a quick look but I don’t have capacity for a full in-depth EHCP check I’m afraid.

I dont want to put any extra on you, I understand as a sen parent myself.
Thank you though.

OK. If you change your mind and would like me to have a quick look, feel free to PM.

Thank you

I have asked why they can not meet needs to the school that is named.
I have also asked LA for all consults and there replys.
If they dont give them to me I will do a sar.
Is there anything else I need to do?
I have my child's primary school who is 100% backing me up and will support where they can.

I would submit SARs to the current school, LA, the school named, any other schools consulted and any other agencies involved. It isn’t just about getting the formal consults.

Go through your other evidence and the EHCP.

Consider whether you need independent assessments.

And submit the SEND35 ASAP. You don’t need to wait to have all your evidence.

Will do, im so angry but I will put that into getting my child what he needs and deserves.
He still drinks from a babys bottle how on earth can I send him to a mainstream secondary 😢

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciated it.

Separate to the EHCP process, if DS isn’t in school, is alternative provision in place?

If he is going into year 7 in September make sure when putting in the appeal to say it is a phase transfer as you should get a quicker tribunal date x

Already have done, unfortunately from what I have heard from others slightly ahead of me it is still just over a year until hearing date.

Phase transfer appeals don’t have a wait of over a year. The original aim is to hold them in the summer term. Pressure on court time now means it isn’t feasible to hold all in the summer term. Some will be in the autumn term, which is why it is importantly to appeal ASAP. Once your appeal is registered, if the hearing hasn’t been prioritised, you can request an expedited hearing. Some do slip through the net.

A lot of people on the SEN thread on FB have feb/March 2026 (and yes that is with asking for expedited hearings) and sending in a send 7 form once they have the date.
Im just being realistic that yes it should be sooner but it is looking unlikely.

If those people have phase transfer appeals, they should contact SENDIST again if their expedited hearing isn’t until 2027 (I presume you mean 2027 rather than 2026?). Because phase transfer appeals are prioritised. They do not have a wait of a year.

Hello, I know this thread is a few months old, but did you get your tribunal date? We appealed on 18th Feb 2026 and our tribunal date is at the beginning of May 2026 for phase transfer year