Please note: If your child does not have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), even if they are being assessed for special educational needs or an EHCP, you should submit a preference for a school place via our mainstream admissions page.
Applying for a school place for a child with an EHCP
If you are a parent or carer living in Surrey, and your child:
- has an existing Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and
- is due to start a new primary or secondary school (key transition stage) in September 2024
You will need to follow a separate process for requesting and applying for a school for your child. You can find out more about this process in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Admissions Process section below.
If your child is currently under assessment for an EHCP or your child does not have an EHCP, then you must follow the Mainstream Admissions process, which you can find more information about via the mainstream admissions page.
The Local Authority has a duty to confirm your child's next placement or type of placement in their final EHCP before:
- the 15 February 2024 for transitions to Reception, Year 3, and Year 7
- the 31 March 2024 for transitions from Year 11 to Year 12
If your child is awarded their EHCP for the first time after 15th February 2024, then school consultations will take place, taking into consideration the placement offered through the mainstream admissions process.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) admissions process
Most children with an EHCP can be appropriately supported in mainstream schools. However, if your child has more complex needs, it may have been agreed that they require a place at a mainstream school with a specialist centre attached, or a specialist school.
Below is an overview of the SEND Admissions Process for pupils with an EHCP. For more detailed guidance, please see the SEND Admissions arrangements for children and young people with an EHCP guidance
These arrangements apply to those pupils who will transfer to Reception, Year 3, Year 7 or Year 12 in September 2024.
Key deadlines for confirmation of placement or types of provision
| Transition Group | Deadline |
|---|---|
Nursery Year to 0 (Reception) Year 2 to Year 3 for those in an infant school, Year 6 to Year 7 | 15 February 2024 |
| Year 11 to Year 12 | 31 March 2024 |
Overview of SEND school age admissions process
| Date | Description of activity |
|---|---|
| By end of July 2023 | Annual Reviews to have taken place to discuss your child's transition to their new school or key stage. EHCP's amended following review where applicable. |
| September 2023 | Key Stage Transfer Process for September 2024 commences. If you have a preferred choice of school for your child that you would like SCC to consider, please inform your SEND Case Officer by the 20 October 2023 |
| October 2023 | Placements for children and young people already attending all-through maintained specialist schools, which are still deemed suitable, will be considered for continuation. |
November 2023 | School consultations undertaken for current Year 6 pupils requiring mainstream provision, and allocation of places in specialist schools and mainstream schools with specialist centres attached. College, 6th form and school consultations undertaken for current Year 11 pupils, and allocation of places in specialist schools and 6thforms with specialist centres attached. |
December 2023 | School consultations undertaken for children going into reception/leaving an infant mainstream school, or mainstream school with an infant specialist centre attached, and allocations of specialist school places. |
| February 2024 | Final EHCPs will be issued by 15 February for school age pupils with confirmed placements or type of provision for September 2024, in line with the Code of Practice 2014. Families will also now have the opportunity to apply for travel assistance, should this be required, and if they are eligible. |
March 2024 March 2024 to August 2024 | Final EHCPs will be issued by 31 March for current Year 11 pupils with confirmed placements or type of provision for September 2024, in line with the Code of Practice 2014. For the small number of pupils where SCC have not been able to name a specific school or Post 16 provision, SCC will continue to consult with appropriate provisions and will keep families informed of the progress. |
September 2024 | Key Stage Transfer process for September 2024 complete - Pupils will have a named school/Post 16 provision or education package in place. Key Stage Transfer for September 2025 commences. |
| Key Communication Points |
|
Children with an EHCP on roll at an all-through school
All-through schools are those that combine at least two stages of a child's education – typically primary and secondary, or junior and secondary – in one establishment.
If your child is currently in Year 2 in an all-through primary mainstream or maintained specialist school, then the process outlined above does not apply, and your child will remain at their current school unless a change of placement has been agreed following the most recent annual review.
If your child is in Year 6 and in an all-through maintained specialist school, your child will remain at their current school unless a change of placement has been agreed at the annual review.
Transition to new school placement
If your child's current school does not support the age range your child is moving into, or it has been agreed at an annual review that they require a new school, the transitions review process gives you the opportunity to discuss your aspirations for your child at their transition annual review, and to also consider where your child's needs would be best met for the next key stage of their education. The transition review often happens alongside the annual review or in place of, and your child's current education setting will arrange this.
Mainstream provision
Surrey County Council's (SCC) ambition is for children and young people to have access to a local education setting. SCC is committed to young people attending their local school and being part of their local community. As part of this process, you should identify the nearest school you would want your child to attend. You can search for your closest mainstream school to your home address by using the Surrey School Map.
Specialist provision
For some children and young people, more specialist provision may be better suited, and the type of specialist provision should be discussed at the transition review. An overview of Surrey Mainstream Schools with Specialist Centres attached, or Specialist Schools, can be found using the links below. SCC currently uses its own SEND Designations to describe our specialist settings, further information about these can be found in the following school brochures:
- Finding the right primary school in Surrey
- Finding the right secondary school in Surrey for children with special educational needs and disabilities
You are also able to request a consultation to be sent to another school of your choice, further information about schools can be found in the Additional Information links below.
Additional information
- SEND Admissions arrangements for children and young people with an EHCP
- Post-16 Pathways
- Home to school transport for under 16s.
- You can refer to our guides: Finding the Right Primary School in Surrey and Finding the Right Secondary School in Surrey.
- The Directory of Surrey schools lists maintained schools and academies, including specialist schools and specialist centres.
- The list of independent schools and non-maintained special schools on GOV.UK covers schools in the country that are registered with the Department for Education and charge fees for placements for children with SEND.
- Contact SEND Advice Surrey for impartial advice on submitting a preference for a school place.
- Our Local Offer website provides support and advice for children and young people with SEND.
- Visit our Family Information Service webpages for further information on services available for children with SEND.
Area offices
- South West Area Office covers Guildford and Waverley: Telephone 01483 517890 or email swsen@surreycc.gov.uk
- North West Area Office covers Woking, Runnymede and Surrey Heath: Telephone 01483 518110 or email nwsen@surreycc.gov.uk
- South East Area Office covers Mole Valley, Tandridge, and Reigate and Banstead: Telephone 01737 737990 or email sesen@surreycc.gov.uk
- North East Area Office covers Spelthorne, Elmbridge, and Epsom and Ewell: Telephone 01737 737940 or email nesen@surreycc.gov.uk
Moving into Surrey
When you move, your child's EHCP (along with all other documents relevant to your child's SEND), will be transferred to Surrey County Council from the local education authority where you live. SCC will then become responsible for making sure your child receives the support outlined in the EHCP. We will have six weeks to decide whether to review the EHCP and/or make any new assessment.
It may be that the move means your child is now too far away from the school named in the EHCP to attend it and we will need to name a new school. In this instance, we may need your child to go to a school of our choice temporarily, to allow enough time for you to visit schools and discuss your options.
We will always consult with you over changes to your child's EHCP, and you can express a preference for a school.
