Starting the EHCP process at nursery and what happens for primary?

[AstheCrowFlies89]

Nursery are starting the EHCP process for my toddler.

Asking about schools, I apply in September for the following september to start.

The EHCP, does it move to Primary with her? Is the EHCP just discussed between me, school and her paedeatrician? Or do you get a council contact?

Please fill me in about it, the process and your experiences?

EHCPs are issued by the LA. They aren’t something the nursery, paed and you can make.

A request for an EHCNA is made to the LA. If the LA agree to assess, they undertake a needs assessment. During the needs assessment, advice and information from various sources is sought. Then, if the LA agree to issue, an EHCP is issued.

If you get an EHCP, it stays with the child even if they move setting. It continues until it is formally ceased, which can only be done in specific circumstances - don’t worry about that now.

EHCP admissions are outwith the normal application process.

For admission to primary school in September 2027, normal primary school applications close in January 2027. If you don’t have a finalised EHCP by that point, you should make a normal application just in case. If an EHCP is subsequently issued, the placement named in the EHCP overrides any offer made via the normal process.

Oh thats good, the nursery are filling in forms im guessing to request? They liiase with her specialist teams and paedeatrics so guessing they send in all the documents and we wait for needs assesment? I had a consent form i had to sign to share with council.

I doubt it will be ready at all by september 😅 so if im viewing schools do i mention her needs or not? 🤔

Unless the nursery is going to request an EHCNA ASAP, you should do it yourself. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. The request needs to be made ASAP because you need all the time you can get. Many have to appeal to secure an EHCP, sometimes every step of the way, and the wait for Tribunal is long so you need to act ASAP.

Once the EHCNA has been requested, the LA has 6 weeks to inform you if they are going to assess or not. If they refuse, you appeal. If they agree to assess, y the LA undertakes the needs assessment.

If an EHCNA has not already been requested, you definitely won’t have a finalised EHCP by September. Yes, mention DD’s needs. Ask to speak to the SENCOs. Although look at schools, I wouldn’t submit a normal application until just before the normal deadline, because there is a possibility you will have a finalised EHCP by the beginning of January, then you won’t need to make a normal application.