EHCP - Independent School

[Bythesea72]

Hello all!
Have just had DS diagnosed with ADHD & ASD (Aspergers), he also has Dyslexia. He is 14yrs, about to start the GCSE years and goes to an independent school. The SEN department have been supporting some of his needs, namely linked to his dyslexia. I have been looking into applying for an EHCP but don't know much about it. Does anyone have experience of how this might work at an independent school? And what provisions that the local authority might cover? We already pay for the fees, and so wouldn't expect that to be covered. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thank you!

You can get an EHCP for DC currently attending an independent school. You can make a request for an EHCNA in the same way parents with DC in state schools can. If the LA issues an EHCP, in order to get a wholly independent school named in the EHCP you would need to prove the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. If it is named in the EHCP, the LA is responsible for funding the fees and the SEN support. Sometimes some LAs will come to an agreement whereby the parents pay the fees and the LA fund the SEN support. However, they don’t have to agree to this and there is no guarantee they will.

Provision in EHCPs depends on individual needs. Some examples of what one can include are 1:1, specialist tuition, SALT, OT, assistive technology.

Thank you that's really useful!

You would also need an offer of a place from the school in order for a wholly independent school to be named in an EHCP.

Yes, he is already at an independent school so I'm not imagining that the EHCP would cover the fees.
Really wanted an idea of if I could get an EHCP whilst he was at an independent school and what provision would be allowed. Thanks!

Just because DS is already in the independent school doesn’t necessarily mean they will agree to be named in an EHCP. They don’t always.

You can get an EHCP at independent schools. However, as I posted, there’s no guarantee the LA would come to an agreement whereby you continue to pay the fees and they pay the SEN support. They may well say you are making suitable alternative arrangements thereby relieving them of their duty. In order for wholly independent schools to be named in EHCPs (so the LA become responsible for the SEN support and fees) you have to prove the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure.

What support an EHCP would include depends on DS’s needs and what he reasonably requires.

Sorry a bit late to this. But just thought you might like to know that my daughter was in an independent specialist school when I applied for an EHCP for her. She has ADHD /ASD/ Dyslexia and some other stuff too.The LA agreed that she needed to be in a specialist ASD school and as no spaces in any state specialist they agreed that she could stay at her independent dyslexia specialist school and they paid the fees. Also EHCP's go up to the age of 25 if they are still in education or training and so it will be worth applying so that you have it in place for when he comes to post 16 provision.

Regards xx