My child/young person has been put on a reduced timetable is this legal?

In very exceptional circumstances a child/young person can be put on a part-time/reduced timetable, for this to happen there needs to be full agreement from the parent/carer and Head Teacher. It needs to be temporary with a time limit stating when it will end and regular meetings with the place of learning to see how they are going to get the child/young person back into full time education. Whilst they are on a reduced timetable the school should be seeking outside advice from other professionals to see what more they can do to support the child/young person and increase the reduced timetable back up to full time.  If the child/young person has an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) it may be that an early review needs to be called.

 

The place of learning has told me that my child/young person can only have SEN support or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with a diagnosis.

This is not correct.  A child or young person does not need to have a diagnosis to receive SEN support or an EHCP. 

 

The place of learning is not providing any SEN Support for my child/young person do they have too?  

The code of practice says places of learnings have to use their ‘best endeavours’ to make sure that a child or young person with SEN gets the support they need.  A child/young person with SEN should have a SEN Support plan in place following a four-stage cycle Assess, Plan, Do, Review called the graduated approach.  The place of learning should review the child/young person’s progress and the difference that the help has made.  Every mainstream school gets a basic funding entitlement to support children with SEN.  Arrange a meeting with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and class teacher at your child’s setting to discuss.  

 

I’ve been and spoken with a number of local mainstream schools, but they are all saying they won’t be able to meet my child’s needs, can they do this? 

Schools (including academies and free schools) must have regard to the Admissions Code, the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. It is against the law to discriminate on the grounds of disability and if a school is saying they can’t accept a child because of their disability this may be discriminatory. The Children and Families Act states that children and young people must receive a mainstream education if that is what the parent/carer wishes for.