If you managed to get an EHCP specifying small class sizes - what evidence did you have?

[Loueytb3]

DS1 (ASD/ADHD) has poor concentration, is very distractable and needs small class sizes, he's struggling in a ms class. He learns much better in his unit. I can say he needs small class sizes but I don't know whether the SEN team will accept that as evidence. I am hoping to talk to his school today but their report for the annual review does not really cover that. It says that he receives "small group teaching and high level of adult support throughout his school day". Is that enough evidence?

EP report states that he needs "continued access to curriculum delivery that is different to what would normally be expected for a child of his age" and "will benefit from adult support in his learning context"

Small group teaching could mean anything, and could mean within a mainstream class! ACcess and benefit from are weasel words in EHC plans, which render the provision unenforceable.

I did get small class sizes in statements/EHC plans, but that was because I always got an independent EP's report for phase transfers (to make sure we got the right specialist placement). If you can possibly afford it, using his DLA or whatever, I suggest you get one. SOS!SEN can suggest good EPs, they know of.

However, it depends on your situation - if he is in a unit most of the time, how long he has there....? Are they trying to return him to mainstream full time? I would try to get small classes, 1:1 support full time in mainstream (if there is integration for some subjects), etc specified as future proofing - the LA or school could change the set up at any time on a whim, and put him in mainstream full time. If the unit is specified in terms of a small class, specialist teacher, etc, at least you could enforce it by judicial review.

DS has got small class sizes specified in his EHCP. It was a recommendation from a private EP report that we had done while going through SENDIST for his specialist placement.

Small group teaching and a high level of adult support could be interpreted as your DC having a 1:1 in a full mainstream class and going out for small group work as and when the school decides.
I would recommend getting an independent EP report if you are able to. I don't trust LA EP's at all and I found that the independent EP was much more thorough and specific in his assessment and report.

I am going to get a private EP report but we won't get it in time for the EHCP. I will need one for the likely tribunal as the LA EP report is pretty brief and will be more than a year old by the summer. I have tried and failed to get hold of one today but will try again tomorrow.

Checklist - he is in ms most of the time (80%) but has been struggling. Before Christmas he was often going to ms on his own without adult support and it was a disaster. He would not get any work done and his anxiety levels skyrocketed. He wasn't sleeping. He is sent back to the unit if he isn't co-operating but if he isn't being particularly disruptive, often he just stays there without actually doing much work, especially if he doesn't have a TA with him. His unit were trying to test whether he could cope in ms most of the time in preparation for secondary transfer and at the same time, they had a lack of staff and a load of new kids who were more needy, so he suffered.

Verbally they agree that he needs 1-1 all the time and that small class sizes would be much better. They agree that he can't cope in ms all the time and certainly won't in secondary. I am going to ask them to write a report for the EHCP as the annual review report is a bit sparse on detail. I actually went to SOS SEN today to one of their advice centres and they said that the school should write a formal report.