SEND Tribunal Support for Education Placement Disputes
One case, led from the stage you have reached.
When a local authority refuses the specialist placement your child needs, names a school that cannot deliver the provision in the EHCP or leaves Section I unresolved, I build and lead the appeal needed to challenge that decision.
You can instruct me when the decision arrives or after the appeal has already been registered. I take responsibility for the agreed strategy, evidence, drafting, correspondence and deadlines while you remain involved in every important decision.
Do these situations look familiar?
I consider placement appeals involving:
A specialist school that the local authority has refused to name
A mainstream or alternative specialist setting that cannot meet your child's needs
A preferred specialist school that has not been properly consulted or considered
Section I left blank, unresolved or naming no workable placement
EOTAS where education in a school would be inappropriate
Post-16 specialist college placement
Residential specialist provision
Related amendments to Sections B and F needed to support the placement case
Start from the stage your case has reached
The final decision has just arrived
I review the decision, final EHCP and evidence, identify what must be appealed and prepare the case from the outset. The first stage is Case Strategy and SEND35.
The appeal is already underway
I review what has already been submitted, the local authority's response, the Working Document and the next deadline. I then tell you what can still be strengthened and which stage applies.
What I will actually do
Identify the placement outcome the evidence can support - not merely everything that has gone wrong
Connect professional evidence to the wording required in Sections B, F and I
Test whether the local authority's proposed placement can deliver the provision your child requires
Identify missing evidence, weak consultations and objections about suitability, availability or comparative cost
Prepare or progress the appeal documents and keep the agreed deadlines under control
Explain the strengths, risks and next decision in plain language
Services and Fees
Case Strategy and SEND35 — £1,495
The foundation of the appeal.
I review the final EHCP, decision letter, professional evidence, school records and relevant correspondence before deciding how the case should be presented.
This stage includes:
A full review of the case documents and evidence
Identification of the decisions and EHCP sections to be challenged
A clear case strategy
Preparation of the grounds of appeal
Completion of the SEND35
Organisation of the evidence required for submission
Submission of the appeal to the SEND Tribunal
The appeal is prepared around the outcome being sought—not simply around everything that has gone wrong.
Suitable when: you have received an appealable decision and need the appeal prepared and lodged properly.
Ongoing Case Leadership - £150 per hour
Billed in blocks agreed with you in advance.
Once an appeal has been registered, there can be several months of correspondence, evidence gathering, Tribunal directions and negotiations before the Working Document or final hearing.
Ongoing case leadership can include:
Correspondence with the local authority and Tribunal
Negotiations intended to resolve the placement dispute
Advice when the local authority changes its position
The amount of work varies considerably between cases, so it is agreed in blocks rather than added to an unlimited fixed fee. No further block of work is undertaken without your agreement.
Working Document — £1,495
The stage where cases are actually won. The Working Document records the changes being sought to the EHCP, the local authority’s response and the matters the Tribunal may ultimately need to decide.
The description of your child’s needs and provision must support the placement being sought.
This stage includes:
A complete review of the current evidence
Preparation of the amendments sought
Clear references to the evidence supporting each amendment
Review of the local authority’s proposed wording
Advice on what can safely be agreed
Identification of the issues that must remain in dispute
Negotiation of the disputed wording
The objective is not to produce the longest document. It is to ensure that the amendments being sought are precise, properly evidenced and capable of supporting the placement case.
Suitable when: your appeal has been registered and the Working Document process is beginning.
Hearing Preparation - £150 per hour
Billed in blocks agreed with you in advance.
If the case does not resolve through negotiation, it must be prepared for the final hearing.
The work required depends on the size of the bundle, the number of disputed issues, the available witnesses and the local authority’s final position. Hearing preparation is therefore agreed according to the needs of the individual case.
It can include:
Review of the final Tribunal bundle
Preparation of the hearing strategy
Identification of the questions the Tribunal is likely to explore
Preparation for the placement evidence and arguments
You will know what remains disputed, what evidence supports your position and what to expect before the hearing begins.
Hearing Attendance - £1,495
Representation at one SEND Tribunal hearing.
I present the case, address the disputed placement issues, question the relevant evidence and ensure that the Tribunal understands precisely what outcome is being sought and why.
You will know what you are paying for before you commit.
Before you instruct me, you receive a written proposal stating the stage your case has reached, the work I recommend, what it includes, the fee and any later stages that may be required. Hourly work is agreed in blocks. No additional work is undertaken and no additional fee is incurred without your written approval. Fees cover my work; independent reports and separately instructed legal advice are not included.
What happens after you enquire
I confirm whether the dispute falls within my placement work and whether I have capacity
I identify the stage your case has reached and the immediate priority
You receive a written proposal and fee before deciding whether to proceed
If you instruct me, I take responsibility for the agreed work and map the next deadlines
No responsible adviser can guarantee a Tribunal outcome. I will give you an honest view of the evidence, the risks and what would need to improve. If I do not believe my involvement can make a material difference, I will tell you.
Guidance for the stage your appeal has reached
A placement appeal rarely turns on the school name alone. The evidence in Sections B and F, the local authority’s stated reasons and the wording negotiated through the Working Document all affect what can ultimately be secured in Section I.
The Wrong School Is Named in My Child’s EHCP – What Can I Do?
What to examine when Section I names a school that cannot realistically deliver the provision your child requires.
Can the Local Authority Refuse My Preferred School Because It Costs More?
How suitability, provision and comparative cost are considered in a specialist-placement dispute.
The Local Authority Has Responded to My SEND Tribunal Appeal – What Happens Next?
How to identify what has been conceded, what remains disputed and what the response reveals about the local authority’s proposed placement.
SEND Tribunal Working Document Help: What Parents Need to Check
How Sections B, F and I are amended, how disputed wording is recorded and why the Working Document can determine the strength of a placement appeal.
A recent placement outcome
A specialist placement agreed within two months
“I can’t praise John-Paul highly enough. He walked me through the steps of taking a case to tribunal. We were hoping for an alternative school placement which was refused on the grounds of inefficient use of funds. Once John-Paul got involved, my arguments were taken much more seriously by the LA and my daughter was given a place at our preferred school within two months.”
Parent, Buckinghamshire
Tell me about the placement decision
You do not need to explain everything perfectly.
The information below allows me to understand the decision, the stage your case has reached and whether a deadline requires immediate attention.
Before you begin
There is no charge to enquire and no telephone call is required. You do not need to upload the full evidence bundle at this stage. If documents are needed, I will request them securely after reviewing your enquiry.
What happens after you submit
I reply personally by email within one working day. My reply will confirm whether the matter falls within my placement work, whether I have capacity, what stage the case has reached and what I recommend as the next paid service. If I cannot help, I will tell you clearly.
Prefer email? hello@johnpaulinglis.co.uk
Documents are handled securely and confidentially.
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