What is an EHCP?
An Educational Healthcare Plan (EHCP or EHC) is a legal document that sets out the education, healthcare and social needs of a child or a young person who requires extra support in school beyond what the school can provide. Previously this was known as a “Statement of Special Educational Needs”.
Who is an EHCP for?
An EHCP is for any child or young person with significant and complex Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND). An EHCP is required when a child’s needs cannot be met by the usual support available to them in their school or setting.
An EHCP is drawn up between the LA, Health and Social Care and the child’s family (or directly with the young person, if aged between 16 and 25). The purpose of an EHCP is to provide clear, structured support for any difficulties that the child or young person has. The EHCP will identify what a school must put in place to help the child or young person and the outcomes necessary to achieve it. The EHCP will also set a clear timeframe drawn up, during which the outcomes should be achieved, and when they will be next reviewed. As it is legally binding, this means the LA must fund any extra help identified as necessary.
What does an EHCP include?
An EHCP will include 12 sections of crucial information, which include:
- The views, the interests and aspirations of the child or young person
- (B) The child’s or young person’s Special Educational Needs
- (C) The health needs related to the child’s or young person’s SEN or disability
- (D) The social care needs related to the child’s or young person’s SEN or disability
- (E) The planned outcomes for the child or young person
- (F) The provision for the needs mentioned in Section B
- (G) Any health provision
- (H1) Any social care provision that must be made for a child or young person
- (H2) Any social care provision related to a child’s SEN or a disability
- (I) The name/type of school or setting
- (J) Details of any personal budget
- (K) Any advice and information from the EHC assessment
Note, if a young person is in or beyond Year 9, the EHCP must also set out the provision for the young person in preparing for adulthood and independent living.
How long does an EHCP last?
An EHCP should support a child or young person from birth up to 25, helping them access school, further education, training, and further support in the workplace.
What is an annual review is and how does it affect you
An EHCP requires a review at least every 12 months. It directly affects your child, as this is the best opportunity to voice concerns, propose amendments, or ask questions. The annual review can be called early in some cases, and this can be requested by the parent, the school or the LA (Local Authority). Its purpose is to check that the EHC Plan remains relevant.
Your involvement in annual reviews
Your involvement is poignant. It is your child or young person who you must represent, sharing their feelings, opinions, wants, and needs. You should be contacted by the school about the annual review and the school should seek your written reviews, which should be shared with other attendees. The school will also provide a report for the meeting.
What rights do you have when asking for a review?
Remember, you can request a review at any time, you do not have to wait for the annual review. Whilst it is a requirement that the EHC Plan be reviewed on at least an annual basis, this should not put you off requesting an early review if you have concerns about your child’s progress, about their provision or about their placement.
The meeting
The meeting will be scheduled by the school and they should agree a date that is suitable for the parent too. The class teacher and SEND administrator will usually host the meeting and invite everyone who is involved in the EHCP that supports your child. At the meeting we will discuss:
- Your child’s progress
- Suggested changes in the EHCP provision or about your child’s needs
- Views and recommendations
- Any reports submitted before the annual review
- Changes to goals and outcomes
Welcome to our new families
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to our school. We are very much looking forward to meeting your child. In preparation for your child starting at Oaklands, we want to give you lots of opportunities to get to know us so that you and your child are ready to take the next steps. The transition arrangements for this year will include:
- Lots of information being shared on our website specifically for new parents including key information
- A parent meeting
- A home visit for you to meet key members of staff so that you can ask any questions that you may have. Once we have the timetable for this we will contact you with the date and time.
- A stay and play session for you and your child which will be an opportunity to meet the class teacher. We will contact you shortly to arrange a date and time.
- A transition booklet that you can share with your child over the summer to help you prepare them.
- A comprehensive admission pack so that you can share all that important information with us.
We will contact you directly regarding the home visit and stay and play session, and look forward to meeting with you and your child.
Resilience Building Programmes (RBPs)
The aim of the RBPs are to enable children to develop their capacity to access and enjoy a wider range of experiences both in school and the wider community. 
An example of an RBP:
|
Oaklands Resilience Building Programme (RBP)
|
||||||||||
| Child: | Class: | |||||||||
| Issue/s to be addressed: (What & why?; How will RBP benefit this child? Will it support their family?)
A currently wears a nappy and does not use the toilet, but she has started to show awareness of her nappy being soiled. If successful, she would no longer need to wear a nappy and would be able to communicate her toileting needs with adults. This will develop her independence and in turn maintain her digniity. This will support family and home life as a result of A’s increased independence.
|
||||||||||
| Current situation & observations from class team: (be as detailed as possible in unpicking the behaviour/ issue and potential causes; include parental feedback wherever possible so that RBP can be supported at home)
A is beginning to show some recognition of when her nappy is soiled and is taking adults to the toilet or retrieving her own nappies to communicate her need. Once she recognises that she needs her nappy changing, she finds it difficult to wait for any length of time for an adult to take her to the toilet and will become increasingly distressed in a very short period of time. She requires immediate adult attention. This impacts her learning as she cannot pay attention or concentrate on any instructions or activities. Her distress can become very vocal, which impacts the learning of other pupils in the class. Mum communicated at her Annual Review in September, that she has started showing similar signs and behaviours at home. |
||||||||||
| Goal at the end of the six-week intervention RBP: (can be directly taken from OPAL and/ or broader)
To have a clean/dry nappy 80% of the time at school.
|
||||||||||
| Complicating factors to consider in planning the RBP: (e.g. diagnosis; peers; time constraints; cost; resources)
Diagnosis, consistent staffing, high level of staffing needed.
|
||||||||||
| Related OPAL statements:
Self-Care – Self-Toileting: I can tolerate sitting on the toilet/potty I can sit on the toilet/potty when prompted I can request to use the toilet through gestures, visuals or speech I can attempt to flush the toilet when prompted I can flush the toilet when prompted I can attempt to clean/wipe with support when finished using the toilet
|
||||||||||
| Logistics: Who, where, when of the programme
1:1 adult support to take A to the toilet regularly throughout the day.
|
||||||||||
| What type of intervention?
Tick all that apply |
1:1 | With a peer | Planned teachable moments | Part of daily routine | During specific session (which?) | Through social story | ||||
| Programme steps & strategies to be used | Success criteria (may be OPAL statements | Target milestones within 6 weeks | ||||||||
| Take A to the toilet and encourage her to sit on it when she has her nappy changed.
|
I can tolerate sitting on the toilet/potty
I can sit on the toilet/potty when prompted
|
|||||||||
| Ensure consistent use of Makaton sign for ‘toilet’ to support her to communicate her needs in all environments.
|
I can request to use the toilet through gestures, visuals or speech
|
|||||||||
| A to wear knickers instead of a nappy to eliminate the association between wearing a nappy and going to the toilet.
|
To be able to tolerate wearing knickers instead of a nappy.
To be able to pull her own knickers up and down. |
After week 1 | ||||||||
| Support A to exchange toilet symbol with an adult every time she goes to the toilet (to have her nappy changed).
|
I can request to use the toilet through gestures, visuals or speech
|
|||||||||
| Take A to the toilet every 30 minutes throughout the day.
|
A accepts going to the toilet at more regular intervals, even during activities she may be enjoying. | |||||||||
| Praise A and reward her each time she uses the toilet. | A interacts positively with praise and begins to recognise that using the toilet is a positive thing. | |||||||||
| Do not draw attention to any toileting accidents she may have and ensure that if an accident does happen, she goes to the toilet immediately and sits on the toilet to reinforce learning.
|
A does not become overly anxious or upset and recognises that once she has had an accident, she needs to go straight to the toilet. | |||||||||
| Encourage A to flush the toilet after she has used it.
|
I can attempt to flush the toilet when prompted
I can flush the toilet when prompted
|
|||||||||
| Support her to attempt to clean herself after using the toilet.
|
I can attempt to clean/wipe with support when finished using the toilet | |||||||||
| Increase the length of time between toilet trips as appropriate – 45 minutes, then 1 hour.
|
To be able to last longer periods of time between toilet trips without having an accident. | After 1 week | ||||||||
| Monitor patterns of toileting needs during the day. | A begins to demonstrate a pattern in her toileting habits and needs – regular times that she uses the toilet.
|
|||||||||
| Start date: | ||||||||||
| Mid-point review date & notes | ||||||||||
| End of RBP date |
|
|||||||||
| End point evaluation: |
|
|||||||||
Transition to Secondary School
School admissions can be stressful for any family but we will be here to support you throughout the process. Parents of children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) aren’t required to make an application for secondary school places to their Local Authority in the normal admissions round, as the question of secondary school placements for these children should be addressed through a transition review of their EHCP.
It is therefore important to have a clear idea of which school you would like your child to go to by their year 6 annual review so that your preference can be recorded and returned to the Local Authority. If you are a parent of a child in year 5 or 6 and want further information, don’t hesitate to contact a member of the senior leadership team.
You can also contact SES for further guidance and support.
Telephone: 0116 454 2050
Email: [email protected]
Below is some information about the process and links to the other special schools in Leicester and Leicestershire
Ellesmere College is a large special school on the outskirts of Leicester City with places for 426 students. The college caters for students aged 4-19 with a range of special educational needs ranging from moderate to severe and complex needs. Some students have additional sensory or speech, language and communication needs. All students have an Education, Health Care Plan.
Netherhall Mead Academy: A special school for children aged 4-19 years who have severe, profound and multiple learning disabilities. In addition to their learning difficulties, many pupils have other needs associated with physical disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and medical conditions. Our entire school community is wholly committed to creating an environment where everyone can shine.
West Gate is a city special school which caters for a wide range of special needs. We are a popular oversubscribed setting for 4 – 19 year olds. The vast majority of our pupils have communication and interaction needs. We pride ourselves on being a highly-skilled staff with expertise in managing a broad spectrum of special educational needs.
Ash Field Academy is a specialist school catering for pupils from age 4 to 19. The school serves Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland and also admits pupils from other counties. Our key specialism is in ensuring an excellent education for pupils with complex medical conditions or serious physical disabilities in a safe and nurturing environment. Our pupil population has a wide range of cognitive ability, from those with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) to those with more Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD), and everything in between. A few of our pupils’ cognition is more in line with national expectations; however, the shift towards greater inclusion means that most of these pupils are now catered for in mainstream schools and, as a result, our main curriculum provision is now more focused at supporting pupils with learning difficulties. In addition to physical and learning needs and disabilities, many pupils also have communication and sensory needs. Whilst we are able to cater for pupils who have some level of social and emotional needs and have seen significant success in this area, due to the medical vulnerabilities of many of our pupils, we are unable to meet the needs of pupils with significantly challenging behaviours.
Keyham Lodge School is a vibrant and successful City Special School. Previously part of a federation, the school joined the Discovery Trust in September 2021 along with Millgate School. All students have an education health care plan and the school cohort is made up of KS3 and KS4 and caters for both girls and boys from KS3 upwards. We are a diverse school, and we welcome students from a range of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, which contributes to our unique values and ethos. For the majority of our students, their education prior to joining us has been disrupted and, because of this, the school relentlessly strives to remove barriers to learning, close attainment gaps and provide an inclusive environment that is child-centered and learning-focussed. Our aim is to ensure the academic, personal and social development of all of our students so that they can develop their potential both in school and in the wider community. We understand that our students have individual talents and, in order to ensure success for every child, we believe that education goes beyond the core curriculum and out of the confines of the classroom and consequently, we have adapted our curriculum offer to ensure students are prepared for the next stage of their life, whether that be within education or in the workplace.
Millgate School is an amazing place that is ‘Transforming Lives and Inspiring Futures’ everyday. As a staff and student body, we work tirelessly to ensure excellent learning experiences for all and our mission to secure exceptional outcomes, in a range of forms, is uncompromising.
Birch Wood Area Special School consists of two successful and vibrant special schools- Birch Wood Grange Drive (age 4-19 years) and Birch Wood Vale (age 11-19 years) which includes Ashton House a secondary specialist autism provision and our newly formed Birch Wood College Post 16. We are an outward looking maintained school, committed to our community in Melton Mowbray and the surrounding areas in Leicestershire. Birch Wood provides a highly specialised and completely unique learning environment, which aims to meet our pupils at their point of need to enable their success. We share a culture which is ambitious without limits for our children and young people and aim to provide a high quality, relevant and balanced education that focuses on individual, personal and academic achievement.
Dorothy Goodman School is a good all age SEN School serving the Leicester, Leicestershire & Warwickshire area with over 380 pupils on roll. Our pupils have a wide variety of special educational needs and disabilities including pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning difficulties, moderate difficulties and those with Autism. Some pupils also have social, emotional and mental health difficulties associated with their learning difficulties.
Maplewell Hall School is an outstanding maintained special school in Leicestershire, providing high quality education and care for pupils aged 11–19 with Education, Health and Care Plans. We mainly specialise in supporting children and young people with cognition and learning and communication and interaction needs, alongside other complex and overlapping needs.
Birkett House School is a co-educational special school for 240 pupils aged 4-19. Pupils have a range of learning needs, from profound and multiple learning difficulties to moderate needs. The school takes pride in positioning itself at the heart of several communities, working to give students a very bespoke pathway through their educational journey. The school has students based on 5 sites, which enables us to provide a very specialised and personal education and a range of opportunities.
Building Foundations for Fulfilling Futures