SEND education options and admissions

If your child or young person does not have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, you should follow the normal school admissions process when applying for a school place.

Read about school admissions on the Buckinghamshire Council website, including how to:

• apply for a school place
• find a school place
• appeal a school admission decision

If a child or young person has an EHC plan, parents, carers, and the young person can choose which education provider they want to attend.

They can do this when a new EHC plan is in draft form or as part of an annual EHC plan review.

The council must consult with education providers before naming them in an EHC plan.

They will name the parents’, carers’ or young person’s preferred education provider in their EHC plan, unless:

• the education provider is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude, or special educational needs of the child or young person
• the attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient education of others – and there are no reasonable steps the council can take to avoid this – or the efficient use of council resources (paragraph 9.79, SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years)

If your child or young person has SEND and you are moving into or out of Buckinghamshire, this information explains what you need to do and where to get support.

If you are moving to a different county, remember to change your GP so you can access health services in your new area.

If your child or young person has SEND but does not have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, apply for a school place through the normal admissions process.

If you are moving during the school year, you may need to make an in-year application.

Once the school offers a place, staff will work with you to identify and provide the support your child needs. Share any recent education, health or care reports to help with this process.

For more information:

• Getting Started with SEND
• If your child is under 5, see SEND childcare and early years.
• If your child is home educated, see Elective Home Education (EHE).
• For post-16 education and training options, see Post-16 education and training.

If your child or young person has an EHC plan, tell your current local authority about your move as soon as possible. Your current local authority will transfer the EHC plan to Buckinghamshire Council.

Once the plan transfers, Buckinghamshire Council becomes responsible for securing the provision in the EHC plan and ensuring your child or young person continues to receive suitable education.

Within six weeks, we will tell you whether we will:

• maintain the current EHC plan
• review the EHC plan
• carry out a reassessment

Once you confirm your Buckinghamshire address, you can contact the SEND Team at [email protected].

If you are moving to Buckinghamshire from outside England, contact the SEND Team as early as possible.

If your child or young person needs an EHC plan, we may need to carry out an EHC needs assessment.

If you are moving to another local authority area, tell the Buckinghamshire SEND Team as soon as possible. Where possible, tell us at least 15 working days before you move.

We will transfer the EHC plan to your new local authority. Your new local authority will then become responsible for maintaining the plan and securing the provision it contains.

You may also want to contact your new local authority's SEND Team and Local Offer to find out about support available in your new area.