I home educate my child. Can I make a request for an EHC needs assessment?

Yes. Requests for an EHC needs assessment can be made by a child’s parent, by the young person themselves or, if they attend a school or post 16 setting, by a representative from the setting.  Children and young people do not need to attend school or a post 16 setting in order to qualify or be eligible for a request to be made. 

This means that all parents of children are entitled to make a request for an EHC needs assessment, whether their child attends school or not. A parent who home educates their child should send their written request for an EHC needs assessment to their home local authority (“LA”) and can use our template letter, changed to reflect the child’s situation, to help them with this.  A young person could use this letter to ask for an EHC needs assessment too. 

The LA must carry out an EHC needs assessment for a child or young person if they have or may have special education needs, and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for them via an EHC plan. This is the only legal test, it applies to all children and young people and does not vary depending on registration with a school.