EHCPs in year 9 and impact on 6th form admissions

[winterrabbit]

DS, 14, has ADHD and his school have told me they are going to apply for an EHCP for him to try to get funding for extra support such as counselling. Just wondering what that will mean for him at this stage, (he goes into year 10 in September) and whether or not he will get priority for 6th for applications. I remember when we applied for secondary, kids with EHCPs had priority in the admissions policy but I am not sure if this applies at sixth form.

If an EHCP names a sixth form they must admit. Unless the sixth form is wholly independent the LA can only refuse to name your preference if they can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

6th form usually have academic requirements for specific courses.
I'm not sure whether naming somewhere if your DC doesn't meet the academic criteria would get them a place on a desired course. (e.g. if they require a 7 in maths to do A level maths I suspect you couldn't insist on him doing maths if he only got a 6 iyswim?)

what is the "market" like for sixth form applications in your area? Round here basically young people get to go to whichever 6th form they name. I am not entirely sure how but it seems to work.

So technically yes, but in practice it might depend why you're asking. As @TeenDivided

...and @LargeLegoHaul say it won't get him a place at a college that cannot meet his needs, if they give an admissable objection in grounds such as not being suitable for his ability or his special needs. In practice they get an "out", though you can challenge this if you disagree.

Round here students all get their pick of sixth forms so there is essentially no benefit in terms of queue jumping, just the "disbenefit" of potential schools getting to read his EHCP and potentially say no on grounds that they cannot meet his needs.

It's still worth doing though, because it gives him a legal right to all the extra help listed in it. Also, by laying out what his needs are, it makes it much more likely that schools can judge effectively whether they can support him sufficiently or not.

Lastly if you are considering specialist college, an EHCP could open the door to that.

To add, the bar to prove one of the exceptions is high, higher than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”. And unless the sixth form is wholly independent the LA can, and must, name them if they are your preference unless the LA can prove one of the exceptions, even if the sixth form object.

dont worry about places as sixth forms need students as they bring in money. An ECHP will bring in a lot of money. I taught in colleges for 15 years. Also I taught and students with ASD are very welcome and most college should provide support.

An ECHP will bring in a lot of money.

Not always, it depends on the EHCP. Some with have funding attached, others will hardly have any or none at all,

Thanks all, very helpful. The good sixth forms in our area are very oversubscribed so probably worth doing. It may also protect him and mark it harder to exclude him if anything happens in year 10 or 11.

I am assuming though that he will still need to get the grades to get on the course? For example, if he wants to do A-level maths and needs an 8 at GCSE to get on the course then the EHCP won't override that?

Some sixth forms will be more flexible with the grades required for individual courses.

If the EHCP specifies the courses to be undertaken and the sixth form is named in the EHCP then that’s what should happen. If it doesn’t specify the specific subjects the sixth form would be meeting their legal requirements by admitting DS to the sixth form even if they offered different subjects.

the grades set at college are to help students chose the right course. Normally if science wed ask for a grade 6 for A levels. Uni will ask for grade 4 in English lit or lang. What I would say as teacher of 18 years is that how a student likes to achieve their qual is important. If exams frighten them look at alternatives. There are so many options now