Enhanced Provision EHCP?

[KisstheTeapot14]

Looking at schools for secondary (summer after next). One local school has mainstream plus an enhanced resource unit which I think may be a good fit but school website says needs EHCP (tick - almost) but specifiying enhanced resource as funded.

Ed psych said in report for EHCP that he can do mainstream with 'proper support' hmm. That's the bit I worry about. I think he will struggle in mainstream, he's already 3 to 4 years behind in maths/English.

Any suggestions on how to gather evidence that mainstream may be setting him up to fail? That's my gut feeling. We have just emailed 4 schools to visit this autumn/winter. Be good to have searching questions to ask. I know SENCo's tend to make reassuring noises but that is often different to what happens day to day for a child with SEN in class. Trying to maintain a bit of objectivity and keep an open mind but I have a lot of doubts as to mainstream.

Yes you do need an EHCP to access the special hubs that are often part of a mainstream. You can apply for an EHCP yourself and you’re right, you will need masses of evidence. Www.ipsea.org.uk is a good place to start

We are in the process and have a draft which we are negotiating.

My question is how do we get enhanced provision named on it when he is ready to move to secondary? What evidence do we need?

The evidence should be in the reports you've got which feed into the EHCP. "Mainstream with proper support"sounds vague. What does this actually mean? If the EHCP is woolly it is not worth the paper it is written on.

The fact that your son is 3/4 years behind his peers would suggest to me that mainstream is not meeting his needs sufficiently. Is there anything in the reports about needing 1:1 support or working in small groups?

If you think the enhanced resource school is the right one for your son you may need to get private assessments done that specifically recommend this sort of provision to meet his needs.

How does the unit work?

Some enhanced provisions integrate the pupils into the MS school with a 1:1 and they have specific salt and ot and life skills support in the unit.

Some units the pupils remain in all the time as a separate school and take their lessons in there.

My ds has 1:1 in English in MS school and also 1:1 in some other subjects, a small tutor group with A. HOY and spell8ng and reading support and support from asd specialist teacher advisors.
He also has Elsa support and some salt support.

So if it's the academics more than needing a separate small school with small classes a unit will be hard to prove. But you will need to make sure if he can manage classes but not crowded corridors then this support is in place.