Is my child's EHCP being followed? I'm going mad with worry

[Sweetpeasweetpea]

Hi all, I’m looking for some advice — I’d really appreciate input from anyone with experience, as I feel quite stuck and unsure what is reasonable to expect.

My daughter (6) has an EHCP (ASD, ADHD, sensory needs). Her plan was finalised recently and she started a new school 4 weeks ago. Section I names this school as able to meet her needs.

We also went through mediation (the new school SENCo attended). The Local Authority agreed:

• ADHD report to be added
• Section F to reflect ADHD needs (but wording remains broad to allow “flexibility”)
• SALT referral is still pending

We are now in week 4 and I’ve had:

• No communication on Edukey
• No clear idea what support she is actually receiving
• I had to email a few times to share daughter feelings.

My daughter is telling me:

• “The teacher/TA comes if I ask, but then moves away to help other children”
• She mainly mentions phonics daily, that's the only intervention she's had.
• She is now refusing school, crying and saying: “Where is the support mummy, you said there would be help?”
• She says she will only go if they understand her needs.

From what new school senco told me.
She will be sharing a TA which is fine.

• TA support is shared with another child/group with undiagnosed needs.
• My daughter is sat on another table.
• I don’t know who is checking her understanding or supporting her learning. The teacher seems helpful and understanding. I know she has 30 kids in the classroom, honestly I do emphasise with her workload.
• Her EHCP includes learning outcomes, but I don’t understand how these are being monitored or tracked (waiting until December for review feels too long)

In Section F:

• Cognition & learning provision states “daily support”
• Social communication provision says 2–3 times weekly social skills support.

There are some other needs which have quantification.

This feels very vague in practice. I don’t know:

• if support is happening proactively, or only if she asks
• whether I’m expected to request things like social skills support when she struggles .

At the moment, I honestly don’t know what her support looks like day-to-day.

My questions:
Is it reasonable to ask the school.
-for a weekly outline of support so both I and my daughter know what to expect?

• Should I be told when and how support is happening?
• Is no communication after 4 weeks acceptable?
• How do schools usually evidence that they are implementing Section F when wording is vague?

I have asked for a parent consultation meeting, but I feel like I’m going in without a clear understanding of what is currently in place.

I am also considering tribunal, but in the meantime I want to understand what I should reasonably expect and be asking for.

At her previous school, the SENCo was very clear about why she needed an EHCP and what support she required to avoid falling behind. This new setting feels very different, and I’m struggling to understand how her needs are being met.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

The problem is the poor EHCNA and the subsequent poor content and wording of the EHCP.

You didn’t need a normal SALT referral. Advice and information should have been sought as part of the EHCNA.

You need to look at the exact wording in F. It doesn’t sound like the problem is F not being provided. It sounds like the problem is the wording in F is far too vague and woolly to be enforceable. If the wording is vague, the provision isn’t enforceable and doesn’t have to be provided.

For example, ‘daily support’ is meaningless. All DC attending schools receive this. It doesn’t say what support, frequency, duration, ratio, where, who will provide it… It doesn’t mean TA support (shared or otherwise), let alone 1:2 support or sat on the same table (which in itself is pretty meaningless. It doesn’t mean someone will specifically check understanding or support learning beyond what is universal. Similarly, ‘social skills support’, what support, what duration (5 mins or something more?), ratio, where, who will provide it?

Is communication covered by the EHCP? By all means request a meeting to discuss support, but a weekly outline if support is unlikely unless in F.

You should know what needs to be provided by reading F.

It sounds like you need to appeal.

If you mean Outcomes in section E, these will be reviewed as part of the AR. You should focus on B&F of the EHCP over E. That is not to say section E isn’t important, but B&F are far more important.

Don't worry op. Take a breath... It sounds like you need to have a meeting with the senco and ask to go through your child's IEP (personal education plan) - this document should be a record of all the support she has been receiving.

Did your daughter have a transition meeting before moving from the old school to the new school. If yes - were you there? If no, did one happen at all?

You want to build a solid foundation for your DC and relationships break down if communication is poor - so keep communication open and I'd start off by asking for an urgent meeting to discuss your child's targets for this term.

Once you know what they are supporting your daughter with, you can address whether their support follows the EHCP or not ... Good luck!

I’d question whether you like the school and whether you think it’s suitable for your child. That’s the first hurdle as maybe you could make it work.

The LSA needs to specify how many hrs with your daughter and if 1 to 1. I could share an entire TA with the whole school so the senco is talking rubbish. Some sencos are dire don’t trust her word. Look up Ipsea website too.

Unfortunately if your EHCP doesn’t specify the precise number of hrs to your child etc it’s not worth anything really. As hours of a person equal cash and also that might mean that they would need to employ someone else.

Except nothing for your child unless section F is super clear. Even then it can be a battle. “Daily support” means zero in an EHCP plan in section F. Equally social communication too - it’s really not tight enough your wording to enforce. Salt should specify how many hrs when and by who.

If you do like this school though I’d work it out with them to iron out any issues but make sure it can meet your child’s needs! As it’s pointless if not. Sounds like the EHCP is a bit rubbish based on what you have said sorry OP (but it’s all based on evidence of EP, salt and OT). Tribunals can only be appealed once a final EHCP is given so it depends on the dates

Good luck

OP should still have the right of appeal because mediation was the 6th March according to OP’s other thread.