Ehcp and starting school in September

[Curlycookie5]

I’m wondering if anyone could give me some advice? My daughter was diagnosed with autism in 2024 and we have recently got a finalised ehcp for her in time for starting primary school. The ehcp is worded well but doesn’t use the words 1-1 which is what she is getting at the moment in preschool. My problem is all I seem to be getting from the primary school is negative emails and meetings like they are trying to put me off sending her there, telling me about other children in the class that will need the same support they’ve even said that all the support on her ehcp will cost £50,000 and they only will receive £15000 for it, they’ve applied for more funding but then they says they probably won’t respond to them applying for it, so if they are saying her ehcp is going to cost that much how is she going to get that support that’s on her ehcp? They say no mainstream school has to provide 1-1 but right now it doesn’t even seem like they can afford for her to be there without a ehcp. I’m honestly at the point of saying stuff starting school I will home school her. Does anyone have any advice?

If DD requires 1:1, it in must be detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP. If it isn’t, it does not have to be provided, and means it is not worded well.

Provision detailed, specified and quantified in F must be provided and can be enforced. That includes 1:1.

Other pupils are irrelevant. If other pupils need EHCPs, the school should request EHCNAs. If the school needs more funding to provide the provision in F, they need to take that up with the LA and not accept them ignoring them. However, they won’t get funding for a 1:1 if it isn’t in F.

Thank you for your reply. I am going to contact her ehcp keyworker tomorrow to discuss what they have put in the email, there is a lot of 1-1 mentioned in her ehcp but it’s more while they are doing different activities with her not full time, would they put a full time 1-1 for a mainstream ehcp? The school keep telling me mainstream schools don’t offer 1-1s. Unfortunately with pda aswell she will be excluded every week without a 1-1. There attitude toward my daughter starting there is really putting me off do you know if the school can be changed on there ehcp before she even starts that school, the is a nice mainstream school near by with the right support, I was going to see tomorrow if I could change school.

Full-time 1:1 can be included in F. The school isn’t being truthful. However, many have to appeal. Lots of LAs say they don’t do 1:1 anymore - ignore!

You need to look at the wording very carefully. I know you think it is worded well, but many parents don’t realise the wording is not detailed, specified and quantified until the provision isn’t provided and they try to enforce it and can’t because it is vague and woolly. For example, look for wording such as “access to”, “would benefit from”, “regular”, “up to”, “or equivalent”, “opportunities for”, “as appropriate”, “would be useful/helpful”, “such as”, “e.g.”, “etc.”, “as required”, “as advised”, “key adult(s)”, “adult support”, “small group”. This wording is too vague and woolly.

You can request an early review in order to try to amend the placement. The LA may not agree.

If you are still within the appeal window, you can appeal.

I have just looked at her ehcp and it says review is September 2025 so I wonder if they will review and update as soon as she has started school? It was issued in March 2025 so that’s not even a year before being reviewed. With this timeframe would I be able to appeal?

The LA may not amend following review. They don’t always. Either way, you will get the right of appeal following the review.

If the EHCP was finalised in March, you won’t still be in the appeal window. If you wanted to appeal, you could try your luck requesting leave to appeal out of time. No guarantee it would be allowed though.

I’m not sure about schools costings, £50,000 is much more than a maintained special school cost and more like the cost of independent special school costings (although some are much higher!). So for context the £15k plus the schools own £6k (which is what schools have from their own SEN resources) is £21k, within our LA and surrounding LAs that amount in a mainstream school would be expected to provide at least 1:1 support throughout the day. I’d ask to see how the school have come to their costings, and what they’d be putting in place.

Unfortunately in terms of their negative approach to meeting need, this can be common with schools sadly. It’s confusing for parents as its very much a “can’t do” attitude with some schools rather than working with you to meet your daughters needs. If a child has an EHCP then it’s been identified they require additional support above what a mainstream school can ordinarily provide, but that doesn’t mean is that they can’t meet need at all. They have funding through the EHCP to implement Section F, and they can request additional funding through the LA (if required), but schools act like this to put parents off.

if your daughter is under 5, annual reviews have to happen every 6 months rather than every 12, so I’m guessing that’s why the September annual review as it’s following the COP for under 5s.

It is possible £50k is accurate. I know cases where it is/has been. For some in MS, £21k would not cover the special educational provision detailed, specified and quantified in F. (Similar for some in maintained SS.) However, that isn’t a reason for the school to refuse admission. They are named, so they must admit. The provision detailed, specified and quantified in F must be provided, and the LA is responsible for ensuring the provision is provided. That includes ensuring there is adequate funding. EHCPs can be fully funded, but LAs won’t do that unless forced.

My LA has moved away from 1 to 1 TAs in mainstream schools. They even sent a letter out to parents about it last year.

So you could find that this is policy in your area.

But the school's attitude sounds unwelcoming. They may have said they can't meet your daughter's needs but been overruled by the LA.

It will be difficult to change school now it has been named on the ehc. You may have to see how it goes.

Local policy isn’t law. LAs can claim to have moved away from 1:1 in MS however much they want. That doesn’t change the law. Parents may have to appeal to ensure 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified in F, but if it is detailed, specified and quantified in F, it must be provided and can be enforced.

Hello. I’m new on here and have just sent my dla claim off for my daughter who’s 8 in July. She has been referred by the school SENCO and on the pathway to cahms who I’ve received a letter from last week. Possible Autism and adhd referral.
I have sent off the dla forms with the questionnaire that we filled out detailing her needs and the past now and present answers which also contains a brief description of her needs and personality.
also sent the latest IEP she has and the referral to cahms letter.
do you think this is enough evidence and how long are the waiting times I have been told 25 weeks from posts I have read.
also if she’s not yet diagnosed as I’m told it’s a long wait for an appointment will this go against her getting dla.
hope this makes sense and thanks in advance 🤞🏼

Yes, I agree, but it is a fact that they can and will word a new ehc (which is what we have here) without a 1 to 1 and many parents won't challenge that. Of course, if things get worse, there is always the option for the LA to make an exception.

@Arran2024 I agree, some parents don’t challenge it, but OP needs to know the actual law rather than just believing unlawful LA ‘policy’.

@Jbc1990 you would be better starting your own thread or joining one of the many DLA threads. It is about quality of evidence, not quantity, so no-one here can say if what you list is enough evidence. Not having a diagnosis doesn’t prevent DLA from being awarded.

Hey all, just a update, early years advisory team have been in to see my daughter this week followed by a meeting, they have requested the school put a clear plan of how they are going to support my daughters ehcp and there is questions that needs to be answered at my next meeting with the school, if the support isn’t good enough and they can’t provide this we will be calling for a early review asap either to amend the ehcp or to change to another setting, she will stay in preschool until January while it is being sorted.

Just so you are aware, there’s no guarantee the LA will agree to an early review. Even if they do, if you have to appeal following it, unless the LA then quickly concede, it will not be sorted for January.