Choosing an Educational Setting
Throughout a child/young person's education, there will be decisions to be made about which setting they attend.
At each of these stages, families have the opportunity to state a preference for the setting that they would ideally like. In order to make a preference, the best starting point is to think about your child's needs and how they support it. To help you consider this, it's useful to visit some settings to get an idea of what they offer - whilst settings are expected to follow the SEND Code of Practice, there will be differences in the way they do this.
There is also a difference in the way that you apply for a place.
Without an Education, Health and Care Plan
If you do not have an EHCP, then you will need to apply through the school admissions team. This can be done through https://www.coventry.gov.uk/school-admissions. You will not be able to apply for a place in a specialist setting, and all applications will be considered against the admission criteria for the school.
If you're looking for a placement in a nursery or a post-16 setting, you will need to follow the admissions process by contacting the individual setting directly.
With an Education, Health and Care Plan
If your child/young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan, the final plan will state the setting they will attend in Section I. Therefore, all decisions about settings will be made alongside the Education, Health and Care Plan co-ordinator from the Local Authority, either once a draft EHCP has been created or through the annual review process.
Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment
If you are in the process of an EHC needs assessment, and you are nearing a deadline for applying for a school place, it is best to first follow the process for those without an EHCP. This is because there is no guarantee that an assessment will end up with a plan being written.
Applications for primary school places closes on 15th January every year, and Secondary applications close on 31st October.
If the Local Authority determine that an EHCP will be required following assessment, parent/carers, or a young person if they are over 16, will be asked for a preference of setting when the draft EHCP is prepared. Any preference must be consulted with by the Local Authority to determine if the setting is suitable, which includes specialist settings/enhanced resource provision/independent schools.