SENDIASS supported a parent, whose child had been allocated a reception place in a mainstream primary school. However, the school had written a letter to the parents withdrawing the school place due to information shared, that the child is either undergoing an Education, Health and Care Assessment or is in need of an Education Heath and Care assessment.

The child’s parent contacted SENDIASS via the 24-hour answerphone service (helpline). The child is 4 years old and has been diagnosed with Autism and a Speech, Language and Communication Need. 

The child had been attending a local nursery using the free 15 hours free childcare funding and was going to be transitioning to a reception place at a local mainstream primary school.

Both parents and the child were excited to be going to ‘big school’ and to attend a school where some family members were currently attending and where family members had attended previously.

The parent contacted SENDIASS as she was unsure what to do next as her child had been offered a school reception place and she had accepted the place. However, the school had withdrawn the place. The parent was worried that her child would not be allowed to attend a school.

The parent had the letter from the school withdrawing her child’s reception place. With parental consent, SENDIASS spoke to both school admissions (contactable on 0161 234 4343 or via email school.admissions@manchester.gov.uk) and the Statutory Assessment team (EHCP) (contactable on 01612347439 or email sen@manchester.gov.uk) They both confirmed that her child had the school place, and should start at the school in September. The case was discussed with the Senior Schools Quality Assurance Officer, and they contacted the school to support them.

There had been a request for a statutory assessment from the current nursery provider. However, this had only been requested a few weeks before and as it was early days within the assessment period the Local Authority may not even have agreed to conduct a statutory needs assessment (EHCP).

It was discussed with the parent that as the school place has been offered and had accepted, then her child had a school place to start in September.

The parent received a phone call from the school to say that they had to offer her child a reception place. The parent was very worried and was unsure if to send her child to the school as she felt like the school did not want him there.

SENDIASS reassured the parent about how professional the school would be and that it was not that the school that did not want her child to attend but that they felt they were following the correct procedure due to her child being referred for a statutory assessment team. 



SENDIASS advised the parent to speak to the school directly to discuss how she wanted to work with the school and support the school in settling her child in, which she did.

Before the summer holidays, the school SENCO and the school’s class teacher arranged to see her child at his nursery setting so that that they were able to speak to the nursery staff and their SENCO to gain an understanding of her child’s needs. School then invited the parents to come into the school for a meeting. This was a positive meeting, which put both the school and parents at ease and enabled a plan for a positive transition. 

“I cannot thank SENDIASS enough for their support with my child’s school place and help with their EHCP. I did not have any idea about what rights we had or what the next steps would be, I rang the helpline and was assigned to a SENDIASS adviser, who has been such a help and followed our journey for the past few months always being a call/message or email away”.

Without the support my child may not be attending school at all, so we are grateful. They are now doing 1.5 hours a day Monday to Friday and due to increase their hours very soon as they settle.”

”Working together as a team with the parents, school and SENDIASS has been a positive experience.

The child started slowly building up hours to help support him settling into their reception class, so that they felt safe and secure at school. 

Staff at the primary school are collaborating with the child and the parents are now more familiar of the child’s needs. 

The child has been issued an EHC Plan, which identifies all their needs, and the provision needed to support their education. 

If a child with Special Education Needs (SEN) is allocated a school place you would apply via the Manchester city council school admission team Primary school admissions | Manchester City Council which the parent had done. If a child had an EHC Plan, then they will go via the EHCP team/coordinator sen@manchester.gov.uk as they will consult with schools to see if they can meet all the child’s needs and provisions outlined in the EHC Plan.

The SEND Code of Practice says:

All children and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to make progress so that they:

• Achieve their best.
• Become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and
• Make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further/higher education, or training
  

Schools and settings support children with a wide range of SEND and all schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and they must make reasonable adjustments to prevent them from being put at a substantial disadvantage.

The SEND Code of Practice says all mainstream schools, including Alternative Provision and Pupil Referral Units must:

• Use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEND gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SEND.
• Ensure that children and young people with SEND engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEND.
  

Factsheets  This is a link to our SENDIASS Manchester website scroll down to Factsheet 4 ‘SEN in mainstream’ and Factsheet 12 ‘SEN in Early Years for more information. 

Recording of a webinar for parents/carers in Suffolk, UK, exploring support in early years settings for children with special educational needs and also those with medical needs and disabilities SEN support in early years settings

SEN in mainstream

SEN in Early Years

The SENDIASS website for Parent/carers, YP’s and professionals has lots of relevant information with links, podcasts, factsheets, training and information.

The SENDIASS website for parent/carers, YP’s and professionals has lots of relevant information with links, podcasts and factsheets. https://www.iasmanchester.org 

There are several ways parent/carers can gain information and knowledge. SENDIASS Manchester Information is shared verbally through volunteer parent groups:

1. Manchester Parent Carer Forum – For Parents and Carers of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Aged 0-25 in Manchester , 
2. Manchester Parent Champions (on Facebook)
3. Manchester's Local Offer  
4. The SPACE Group | Help & Support Manchester     

SENDIASS also attends local drop-ins in North, Central and South Manchester