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Back to school should not mean left behind: What if your child hasn’t returned?

For many families, September means getting back to routine with fresh school supplies, new timetables, and the morning send off to school. What happens to those whose children refuse school – sometimes for some considerable period of time? The Covid period has certainly had an impact. Refusal can be linked to special educational needs (SEN). […]

EHCP annual reviews – how to manage the process noting delays

What is the function of an Annual Review? Annual Reviews are a central pillar that supports the maintenance of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. The Annual Review of an EHCP must be completed within 12 months of the Plan being issued, or from the date of the previous Review. For children under 5 years […]

Can schools refuse to be named on an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)?

We often come across situations where schools do not want to be named in an EHCP. Schools can refuse to be named in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), but only in specific circumstances set out by law. To determine whether a school can refuse to be named in an EHCP, there are different criteria […]

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and Section F banding

EHCPs are meant to detail, amongst other things, the special educational provision to be delivered to a child or young person included in Section F. We often see EHCPs that also have reference to funding/bands, and sometimes instead of clear special educational provision. This can be a concern to parents, so here are some key […]

Section E (EHCP) outcomes – how important are they?

In the Education Team at Boyes Turner, we see a lot of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) which require the special educational needs (Section B) and special educational provision (Section F) to be updated and improved. Whilst Section F provision is there to meet the Section B needs, Section F provisions are also required […]

Social Care and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP)

Children or young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities may have an EHCP maintained by their local authority. The link between EHCPs and social care, in particular, can be complex. Here is a summary of key points to be aware of: Before an EHCP is issued, a local authority must carry out an EHC Needs […]

Home to school transport and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

A recent Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) decision from 16 September 2024, highlighted key points about home to school transport when the pupil in question has an EHCP and is of compulsory school age, i.e., between five – sixteen years old. Here, EHCPs should name just one school or college placement in Section I. If there are […]

Independent schools, VAT and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

Following the government’s decision to add VAT onto independent school fees, now is a good time to consider what will happen for pupils with EHCPs who attend independent schools. There are some key points to be aware of: Firstly, if an independent school is named as the sole placement in section I of a child […]

Special educational provision in the school holidays

As we have reached half term, it is a good opportunity to consider the potential tricky area of special educational provision in school holidays. Specifically, we are looking at such provision within an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). EHCPs include special educational provisions (within Section F) that must be delivered to a child or […]