EHCP Secondary School Admissions

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My son is currently in year 6 and we submitted our parent preference form for secondary school admission at the end of October and will find out if we’ve been successful by middle of Feb.
Our son has had an EHCP since just before starting Reception and has been in a mainstream primary school with 121 support. We come under the London Borough of Havering.
How likely are we to get one of our two choices? Our first choice is an out of borough specialist speech and language provision and our second choice is an in borough mainstream secondary school that has a specific ARP/SEN units which is very popular, for obvious reasons. I’d be happy with either and actually there are two other in borough mainstream secondary schools that have ARPs, one of which I mentioned in the ‘other information’ section of the form as I’d be pretty happy with either of them too!
I’m just worried that they will allocate our nearest mainstream school which doesn’t fill its places and only has 1-2 EHCP children per year, which would not be suitable for my son’s needs at all.
Woukd love to hear other experiences please. I did ask my son’s EHCP case worker and, understandably, she couldn’t give much away but she did say it’s a good idea to have other schools in mind, just in case…!

It is impossible for anyone here to tell you how likely you are to get your preference, I’m afraid.

For schools that are not wholly independent, the LA must name your preferred school unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs
-Attendance would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others
-Attendance would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

The bar to prove one of the above is high, but that doesn’t stop LA’s sometimes refusing.

The rules are slightly different for wholly independent schools in case that applies.

Have you had a phase transfer review meeting this term? If not, is the meeting imminently?

The placement named in section I is the logical conclusion of B&F. B+F=I. Therefore, are B&F good? Do they accurately reflect DS’s needs and the provision he requires? Is the 1:1 detailed, specified and quantified in F? Is the evidence supportive?

IIRC LB of Havering’s ARPs are not separately registered units. They are part of the mainstream school. Until earlier this year, case law established that the school should be named in section I (without reference to the ARP) and the provision provided by the ARP included in F (but not naming the specific provider). Some LAs would still name the ARP, but SENDIST would not. Earlier this year, more case law established that in some cases it can be lawful to name the specific unit in F &/or in I alongside the school’s name. Although in many cases it is still just the school named in I rather than the ARP.

Have you spoken to your preferred schools, your nearest mainstream and any other schools the LA may consult?

So you are aware, you didn’t have to complete the LA’s preference form and you didn’t have to state more than one preference.

Thank you so much for the detailed response, I really appreciate you taking the time and it’s very helpful.
I have spoken to all 4 schools that we like and, although all were helpful, all emphasised that they receive a lot (one said 100!) EHCPs so they can’t accept everyone, which I understand.
We have not yet had a phase transfer review meeting yet. Will follow up with our senco as other parents have said she intends to hold them in the new year which I believe is late. Going to be a long wait until we find out which school so I just need to accept that and wait it out. The caseworker did say we would be contacted before the deadline if they couldn’t give us one of our two choices to discuss alternatives.

You need to chase the phase transfer review meeting. It needs to be held very soon. Next year is too late. Chase the LA as well as the SENCO.

When you spoke to the schools, did you ensure they have all the correct information? It isn’t uncommon for consultations to give an incomplete &/or inaccurate picture.