Can Section F identify a school and its provision
In Section F of EHCP it is stated that 'Whilst at (named school)' the pupil will have X provision. The EHCP is written like this for most of Section F. Is this correct?
A: SenseCheck
- 0 Yes
- 1 No
- 0 Other
- 15 Jan 2026
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No
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Simple
The SEN Code of Practice at page 166 identifies what is required in Section F
(F) The special educational provision required by the child or the young person
Provision must be detailed and specific and should normally be quantified, for example, in terms of the type, hours and frequency of support and level of expertise, including where this support is secured through a Personal Budget
Provision must be specified for each and every need specified in section B. It should be clear how the provision will support achievement of the outcomes
Where health or social care provision educates or trains a child or young person, it must appear in this section (see paragraph 9.73)
There should be clarity as to how advice and information gathered has informed the provision specified. Where the local authority has departed from that advice, they should say so and give reasons for it
In some cases, flexibility will be required to meet the changing needs of the child or young person including flexibility in the use of a Personal Budget
The plan should specify:
- any appropriate facilities and equipment, staffing arrangements and curriculum
- any appropriate modifications to the application of the National Curriculum, where relevant
- any appropriate exclusions from the application of the National Curriculum or the course being studied in a post-16 setting, in detail, and the provision which it is proposed to substitute for any such exclusions in order to maintain a balanced and broadly based curriculum
- where residential accommodation is appropriate, that fact
Where there is a Personal Budget, the outcomes to which it is intended to contribute (detail of the arrangements for a Personal Budget, including any direct payment, must be included in the plan and these should be set out in section J)
See paragraph 9.131 onwards for details of duties on the local authority to maintain the special educational provision in the EHC plan
Section I Placement
The name and type of the school, maintained nursery school, post-16 institution or other institution to be attended by the child or young person and the type of that institution (or, where the name of a school or other institution is not specified in the EHC plan, the type of school or other institution to be attended by the child or young person)
These details must be included only in the final EHC plan, not the draft EHC plan sent to the child's parent or to the young person
See paragraph 9.78 onwards for more details
Therefore Section F should not include any reference to a placement.
What this appears to be is a local variation which has crept in over the years.
I would suggest that naming a school in Section F would not be accepted by a Tribunal and therefore it is a position that has no value. Only Section I can name a school.
If it gets to be contentious then ask the LA for the exact section of the CFA/Regs/ CoP that they are relying on?
This is educational advice and does not constitute formal legal advice
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