22/08/2026
ššHello from the EHCP Team.šThis week has been about Back to SchoolšļøšIs this planned for in your childās EHCPāLetās look at why this is so important:
Are you longing for the routine of school life again , even with the challenges this can bring?
Are you dreading school starting again - because of the challenges that this will inevitably bring?
Are you a conflicted mix of both?
Itās hard as a parent to manage this time. Juggling the back to school prep along with the thought of how this next year will be for our SEND children and young people.
We can do as much as possible, for example:
Gradually tweaking bed time routines to mirror that when back at school. Getting that sleep hygiene back for bedtime before school starts can make a huge difference. If our children/young people have been getting up later - we can start to get them used to waking up earlier.
Start to get a few āschoolā related items prepared, just bringing the upcoming return into conversations without a focus just on this.
If you are starting at a new school, taking a walk past this every so often, or doing a school run drive to work out timings - bearing in mind the additional traffic on a school day.
The end of the school summer holidays can be a real low point for many - and although we may be less than keen to be looking at what is on the horizon (Iām talking the C word here - the one that we try not to think about - šš
š¼ along with other festivals and celebrations š) these special occasions do provide punctuation points for the next few months. Something to be looking forward to and planning for.
As parents itās important to keep our own expectations realistic. We mustnāt expect too much too soon, even with an excellent EHCP things take time.
Just as we know that getting back into the world of work after a holiday or break can be a bit of a slog, our children will feel similarly about going back to school. Even those who love school.
For those who find this difficult, their anxiety will be heightened now on this run up.
So will ours.
Donāt feel guilty about this. This is completely to be expected, as parents we feel this strongly because we know what is coming.
Planning for transition back to school must be a collaborative process with the school.
This must be included in Section F of your EHCP.
This will include, for example:
A soft start for at least the first few weeks (for some children and young people this can be for the first term as a minimum)
The provision of a designated member of staff who starts to build a relationship of trust with the child before school starts - by contacting the child in the latter weeks of the school holidays, meeting with the child and their family before they return to school full time.
Social Stories to help with expectations
Visuals and prompts to help a child or young person to ask for help or support
Increased communication between school and home to ensure that any difficulties are addressed quickly
A flexible approach to the school day, coming into school later, leaving earlier, just joining for lunch for the first few days.
Uniform flexibility is also important for those with sensory needs, if school refusal starts with not feeling comfortable in the school uniform, this must be addressed.
If this support isnāt in Section F for needs in Section B you must make sure that this is included at your next Annual Review.
If you feel that the current school just canāt meet need, and this is contributing significantly to difficulties with attendance, this must be addressed at your Annual Review.
A parent can request an early Annual Review, do this via your SENDCo. If they are unwilling to do so, go directly to your caseworker.
If you need support with Annual Reviews, or with an EHCP implementation meeting with your school this is a bespoke service that we at Empowering Families of Children with SEND Ltd provide.
We also have a 0% payment plan for all Annual Reviews that are booked in advance.
[email protected]
We also have a Back to School FREE Drop In on September 8th. Please do join us at 19:00 via Teams to talk through any difficulties you have with returning to school after holidays or illness, and how to navigate this - including how to ensure that changes happen at Annual Review.
Tickets for this free event are available via our page.
The following links may be helpful for those returning to school. (Not an endorsement)
https://direct.asda.com/george/clothing/10,default,sc.html?q=easy%20on
For easy on school uniform - Asda
https://www.marksandspencer.com/is/l/kids-and-baby/school-uniform-shop/easy-dressing-school-uniform/?extid=ps_ps-bg_ggl_mw_ch_allcategories_-_UK_-_-_modernsearch&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=22933324953&cq_con=184672996499&cq_term=&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22933324953&gbraid=0AAAAAD7g6bQlOxndJ5uu-ZU1i_spQBtXT&gclid=CjwKCAjw7p_UBhBlEiwAhpIs73m8-yZN5O1Uc9NjIKfU4f6geoVlUwqw3057gY-g-x4i3KPuzFyLgRoC-TsQAvD_BwE
Easy dressing school uniform - M&S
https://amzn.eu/d/0fXeMxKM
Adaptive keyboard - Amazon for those who need to use technology, but find typing tricky
Next are some apps that will help access to education:
https://nessy.com/en-gb/
Nessy have a huge selection of apps and their Nessy Fingers typing program is also fun.
https://pecstalk.com
PECs communication app
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/makaton/id6743707836
Makaton app
If a hand held visual is preferred for your child, we highly recommend the following:
https://www.fledglings.org.uk/products/i-need-fan
For children with continence difficulties the following will be helpful for discrete clothing storage:
https://www.fledglings.org.uk/products/care-designs-wet-dry-bag-black
If you are looking for Social Stories the following will be helpful:
https://amzn.eu/d/05PkoPK9
https://carolgraysocialstories.com
We are always available to provide you with our support over on our Facebook group, as well as via our bespoke services.
Have a great weekend
EHCP Team
Sarah and Louise
