SEND and EHCP - Print version

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Rachel Wedgbury - Coventry Virtual school SEND lead and lead advisory teacher

As the SEND lead for the Coventry Virtual school, I play a pivotal role in ensuring inclusive education and supporting schools with our CIC with additional needs.

Our work is around supporting schools identifying and supporting the SEND need assessment and next step intervention. It will be advised through the appropriate SEND service whether a diagnosis is present.

Supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

When a pupil is identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN), schools must take proactive steps to remove barriers to learning and provide effective, tailored support.

This support follows a structured, four-stage cycle known as the Graduated Approach:

  1. Assess – Understand the pupil’s needs through observation, data, and input from staff, parents, and specialists.
  2. Plan – Design targeted interventions and strategies to support progress, with clear outcomes.
  3. Do – Implement the planned support consistently across the school environment.
  4. Review – Evaluate the impact of the support, refine strategies, and adjust provision as needed.

This ongoing cycle helps schools build a deeper understanding of each pupil’s needs and ensures that support evolves to secure meaningful progress and positive outcomes.

SEND needs and the school’s graduated approach should be clearly documented in every Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting.

Schools should use their own allocated hours for the Coventry SEND services:

  • EPS (Education Psychology Service)
  • CCT (Complex Communication Team)
  • SEMHL teacher (Social Emotional Mental Health and Learning)

All schools receive Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) funding for children in care, allocated via Personal Education Plans (PEPs). If in line with PEP targets, this can be used towards commissioning specialist professional advice e.g. SEMHL/CCT or EPS hours.

In some complex cases, we can help provide the bespoke outreach (emergency support) for children and young people whose school placement is at risk. This is delivered by specialist SEMHL outreach teacher Rachael Hansford. This area of support usually concentrates on strategic support for schools around developing positive intervention plans, pupil passports and advice and guidance with writing requests for statutory assessment if required.

The SEND Support hours that are provided via the Virtual School form part of our Highly Vulnerable (HV) framework. In majority of cases, schools are responsible for meeting the SEND needs of pupils and this includes seeking and implementing specialist advice where the graduated approach requires this.

Some children in care may face exceptional challenges, making their education highly vulnerable. In these cases, additional funding or SEND professional advice may be required to secure stability or access to appropriate support.

Definition of Highly Vulnerable (HV) education circumstances

A child's education is deemed highly vulnerable when the child’s looked-after status contributes directly to educational instability or risk, such as:

  • high risk of permanent exclusion (PEX)
  • significant and rapid decline in academic progress following disrupted home circumstances
  • lack of access to appropriate SEND advice/support due to school/placement changes
  • multiple placement moves leading to disrupted school placements or transition difficulties
  • unmet complex SEMH or behavioural needs linked to previous trauma/ attachment challenges

SEND needs of pupils and this includes seeking and implementing specialist advice where the gradated approach requires this.

The level of need become significant when a pupil shows limited progress despite receiving relevant, time-bound, and closely monitored interventions—delivered within the context of consistently good or better teaching. At this point, a decision may be made to request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.

EHCPs

Children in Care (CiC) and EHCPs – Coventry SEND guidance

  • Notification of EHCPs: For all Children in Care (CiC), the Coventry SEND Team must be informed if a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
  • Kellie Jones is the CiC Plan Coordinator for children from Reception to Year 10.
  • EHCPs for Year 11 pupils are transferred to the post-16 SEND Team.
  • Virtual School (VS) Advisory Teacher Must always be involved in any SEND-related communication.
  • Children living outside Coventry:
  • The Local Authority (LA) where the child resides is responsible for maintaining the EHCP and securing appropriate education.
  • Coventry remains the funding authority.
  • This process can be complex—The Coventry Virtual School Advisory Teacher is involved throughout.

Considering an EHCP for a CiC

  • If a child in care may require an EHCP, their needs should be reviewed regularly with the social worker actively involved. A child with a EHCP has an annual review whereby the plan is reviewed and updated appropriately
  • Support plans and progress reviews must be co-produced with all stakeholders.

Please note

  • Not all CiC require an EHCP
  • Not all children with SEND need an EHCP
  • Not all children with a diagnosis automatically qualify for an EHCP
  •  Meeting needs without an EHCP
  • The majority of children’s needs can be met through school-based provision
  • Nationally, only 2.6% of pupils require an EHCP to have their needs met

Requesting an EHCP Assessment

  • When a request to assess is submitted, all professionals working with the child is required to complete appropriate advice.

RSA and EHCP process – from school evidencing graduated approach – to receiving final plan

Weeks 0-6: Assessment decision​

  • The local authority decides whether to carry out an EHC needs assessment. â€‹
  • If they decide against it, they must inform you of the reason within this timeframe. â€‹

Weeks 7-12: Advice gathering​

  • If the local authority agrees to an assessment, they will gather advice from various professionals and settings. â€‹
  • These professionals have a legal requirement to respond within six weeks. â€‹

Weeks 13-16: Draft plan issued​

  • By week 12, the local authority should decide whether to issue an EHC plan. â€‹
  • If an EHC plan is to be issued, a draft plan must be sent by week 14. â€‹

Week 16 to 20: Final plan issued​

  • You will have at least 15 days to comment on the draft EHCP and to request a specific school or college. â€‹
  • The local authority must issue the final EHC plan by week 20. â€‹

Useful links

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