Can he attend without an EHCP

[Rosebel]

If your child goes to a special needs school or an access centre did they get a place while waiting for their EHCP or did they already have the EHCP?
Nursery said they were going to put one together for DS but I'm worried it won't be accepted until after I have to apply for school.
So what do I do? Unless DS suddenly catches up with his development age then I absolutely know he will not cope in mainstream school. But if I can't apply to special needs school without an EHCP then what?
He has to go to school somewhere. I have no family support apart from DH and we both work full time (although practically one of us will probably have to go part time when he starts school) so home school isn't really an option.
I just feel so stressed. Nursery told me they were going to submit an EHCP in March but I found out today they haven't done it yet.

I don't know much about the special needs system, but I do know that you can apply for an EHCP yourself rather than waiting for the nursery to do so, and that many people prefer to do so in order to get things moving faster.

Also, if your son's current nursery is more suitable for him than Reception at mainstream school, you can buy a little more time by keeping him there longer. He should be able to stay on until he reaches Compulsory School Age in the term after his fifth birthday. Just let them know so they don't assume he will be going to school and give his place to someone else. He will still be eligible for his free hours, so it won't cost you any more next year than this year. That option could enable him to transition directly from nursery to special school without having to do a stint at mainstream first.

If you decide not to send him to school at the start of his Reception year, you can nevertheless keep hold of the mainstream school place he's offered by deferring his start there. His place would then be kept waiting for him until he reaches CSA or until the start of summer term in Reception, whichever comes first. That provides a backup plan, so you don't risk him ending up at a mainstream school far away instead of the local mainstream school if he doesn't get a place at the special school after all.

Good luck!

Some areas have assessment places for foundation stage pupils who are going through or need to go through the EHCNA process. Although in some areas these places are only for nursery age pupils, not reception. You could look whether your area offers this.

I second requesting an EHCNA yourself now. IPSEA has a model letter on their website you can use.

Unless you have a finalised EHCP by the time the normal admission applications close, you should apply via the normal admissions procedure even if an EHCNA has been requested. Some parents have to appeal more than once to get an EHCP and you don’t want to end up having to make a late application and get an MS miles away that doesn’t work.

One thing I've learnt on my SEN journey (my DS is now 13) is that you need to be really proactive: don't rely on what anyone else tells you or says they're going to do. Also, always follow every conversation up with an email so there's a paper trail.

Has your DS's nursery said why they've not applied for an EHCP? As others have said, you should just apply for one today. The whole process should, legally, take 20 weeks but it could take much longer. If you need to appeal, it could be up to a year.

All the information you need is here. I did it myself. It can feel daunting but there are people who can help you, both on these boards and charities such as Ipsea and SOS!SEN.

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/asking-for-an-ehc-needs-assessment

Have you identified any specialist schools you think would be suitable for your DS? If not, I would get looking now. Then call them to find out what their entry criteria is. Some may take DC if they're working towards an EHCP/diagnosis - some won't.

If you have an EHCP, you don't have to just look at schools in your borough. Again, info here:

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/pages/category/choosing-a-school-or-college

I didn't think my DS would ever be able to go to school but with the right support, he is doing pretty well.