Complex Medical
Their health need shouldn't block their education.
📖 Your child's medical story IS their education story
Every medical appointment that steals a school day. Every medication that needs administering. Every therapy session that overlaps with a lesson. These aren't interruptions to education — they ARE the context education must work within. Tell the full story. The plan needs the functional impact, not just the diagnosis.
Section G — health provision (it's the law)
Under s.42 of the Children and Families Act, the health body (CCG/ICB) has an absolute duty to secure the health provision in Section G of a final plan. This is not optional. This is not 'if resources allow.' This is a legal duty.
What must be specifiedThe intervention. How often. How long each session. Who delivers it (qualification). Where. Review date.
What must not be specified'Regular sessions.' 'As required.' 'Access to.' These are not specifications — they are escape hatches.
What to do if it's not deliveredRecord every missed session. Tell the LA in writing. The CCG is in breach of s.42. The LA must find alternative provision.
Hospital education — the s.19 duty
If your child can't attend school because of a medical need, the LA must arrange suitable education from day 1 — not day 15, not 'when they're well enough.' This includes hospital schooling, home tuition, or online learning. Ask the LA: what education is being provided and when will it start?
Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP)
Every child with medical needs in school should have an IHP. It covers: what the condition is, what medication is needed, who administers it, what to do in an emergency, and what adjustments are needed. The school nurse or SENCo writes it with you and the doctor. An EHC plan without an IHP is incomplete — ask for both.