Should I prioritise requesting a SALT or OT assessment over the EP report in my EHCP appeal, considering the potential for necessary therapy and interventions to support my child’s needs?

I am currently in the process of appealing my child’s EHCP, as the LA has omitted both an OT and a SALT assessment. The EP report submitted is from October 2023, but I am not sure whether I should prioritise further assessments.

In my appeal, I have requested that the LA carry out both an OT and SALT assessment, but I am concerned about their follow-through, given my lack of trust in the process. I’d appreciate your advice on which assessment would be more urgent to prioritise — the EP report, which is broader in scope, or a SALT assessment, which could potentially lead to therapy for my child.

Thank you.

Is it risky to agree to Late EP Assessment when SALT recommends 25 Hours of 1:1 support?

The Local Authority is seeking to carry out a late EP assessment after the hearing bundle has been finalised. I already have an independent SALT report recommending 25 hours of one-to-one support and specialist SALT therapy.

I am concerned that agreeing to a late EP assessment could risk undermining the strong recommendations in the SALT report. However, the therapist does note that it is not her role to determine final one-to-one provision.

I would appreciate advice on whether it is advisable to agree to the assessment at this stage.

Secondary school naming with appeal pending - Y5 transition timing

I have an appeal pending with a hearing in the first months of next year. We've just had our annual review and the school amended the EHCP but noted that there's an appeal ongoing.
They're saying we'll need another annual review after the appeal to name the secondary school. My child is in Y5, and they've warned the secondary could refuse him if they see the EHCP post-appeal.
I've heard it's better to request secondary placement earlier rather than waiting until June 2026. The secondary school SENCO confirmed they usually get requests much earlier than June.
Questions:

Should I request secondary placement now or wait until after the tribunal?
Can the LA delay naming a secondary school until the appeal's resolved?
Could requesting now affect my appeal?

Thanks for any advice!

How many schools should I name on my son’s secondary transfer

Lambeth asks for three preferences - I have only one school’s name; can I write down only one ? Thank you very much

Year 5 Missed Annual Review

My son has an EHCP and is entering Year 6. His Year 5 Annual Review was missed, which is a major issue because our preferred secondary school has a practice of requiring the EHCP consultation to be sent before June of Year 5 for consideration. Now, the primary school staff and SENCO are putting pressure on us during a transition meeting, arguing that the school is 'too academic and busy' for him and pointing to his 'Working Towards Standards' profile to steer us toward alternative placements. We want to name our preferred secondary school as our absolute first preference on the Phase Transfer form. In practice, what are our legal rights regarding this missed Year 5 review and the secondary school's June timeline, and can the school or local authority override our choice based on subjective claims that a school is 'too academic'?

Thank you so much for your questions. It is an academy and mainstream. I won partially an appeal in January 2026 and they amended the EHCP in April ( not sure what they amended ). Now we have an annual review meeting in September with the school but I think there was a missed annual review in Year 5. Plus the secondary schools told me last year that usually to get a place the EHCP should be sent to them before June in year 5 -