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Extra Year for A Levels - EHCP

MorganB

Hi, I hope there may be someone here who has had a similar problem (Ialtough I would not wish any of these problems on anyone really)

My daughter is 17 and has diagnoses of Autism, ADHD, and PTSD related to her previous school experiences, which began in Year 7. We were on the CAMHS waiting list for four years before she received support, nd had to get our MP involved to get anything sorted.

She is currently taking between 100–150mg of sertraline and has recently started ADHD medication. She is also on a waiting list for talking therapy. Due to her mental health and anxiety (rather than academic ability), she has an EHCP in place for her A Levels.

Because of her level of need, no mainstream college was able to offer her a place. She was eventually placed in a specialist provision, which has been fantastic. However, significant delays from the local authority meant her EHCP took 10 months to finalise, and she only found out about her placement the day before starting. This meant she had no transition period, and the anxiety and overwhelm made it very difficult for her to settle.

In addition, transport was not arranged on time due to these delays. Thankfully, the school stepped in, and a staff member transported her, but the timings meant she missed an hour at the beginning and end of each day.

All of this has had a significant impact on her attendance. She has only recently been able to attend her full timetable. As a result, she has missed a substantial amount of coursework, and the pressure to catch up is now becoming detrimental to her mental health.

We feel strongly that she needs an additional year to complete her courses properly and achieve the grades she is capable of. Without this, progressing to university will be very difficult.

Does anyone have experience of getting a local authority to extend an EHCP for an extra year in this situation? I’m really unsure what to do next. The school are also unsure, and the LA have said they only work year to year, so they could not discuss with the school.

  • in reply to MorganB

    The new legislation won't have come into play by then so you should be able to appeal their decision and take it to tribunal should they say no. I'm a little confused that they only make decisions year by year. Usually once they have a place in a sen school it is until the end of their education or that phase of education. What I would suggest is to ask the school to do her year 13 annual review as early as is possible in that academic year, naming the school as being an appropriate placement and writing something within the EHCP to say she needed extra time in the school setting. Hopefully this will prevent the LA from saying no.

    In the sen school I used to work in all of our children stayed until 19 (or the year in which they turn 19) and did 3 years of 6 form and as far as I'm aware that is common practice in send.

  • in reply to MorganB

    I see. Well the EHCP in itself isn’t the problem - but what the LA are willing to do is trickier I’m sure. I’m so sorry - I am all too familiar with these sorts of battles and it’s exhausting and emotionally very draining. Put everything in writing using all the evidence you have. A couple of times we even copied in our MP and I think the more you can put the LA under scrutiny by making it clear you are copying relevant people in the better. Be thorough, include all the evidence you have. Good luck. If it’s any comfort we fought many such battles for our son and though we lost some we also won quite a few. Don’t lose hope or give up. x 

  • in reply to Expecto_Patronum

    Thank you, I suppose my worry is if the LA decide they no longer want to pay, so will not name provision again, I think it would be totally unreasonable for them to say this part way through her course when the reason she has missed time is the very reason for her plan and the specialist provision. I just don't want to mess this up for her, as she is the most stable she has been in years & is banking on finishing her exams. She will be 19 partway through that year, but apparently, because she started the course before she was 18, she can stay on in a school setting with special permission.

  • Usually specialist provisions provide education til the age of 19 any way. I'm surprised by the schools and LA's reaction there. The EHCP itself will continue with her until she is 25 as it also supports with colleges. It is just the named placement that can change so as long as you, the school and the la keep naming that school until she is 19, I don't really see why it would be an issue. 

  • in reply to Kate Kestrel

    My concern is that the LA will cease paying for her provision partway through her A Levels, as the plan was for an initial 2-year period. Her plan did state A levels as an outcome, though, I just wondered where we would stand if a battle were likely.

  • An EHCP can last until the person is 25 years old. If your daughter is only 17 the EHCP can definitely continue.