Transitioning to college with SEND but with no EHCP

The statutory SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years guidance applies to bodies named in the Children and Families Act 2014, including further education institutions.
Summaries of the Code also state that further education and sixth-form colleges must “have regard to” the Code.
There is also a dedicated DfE guide for FE on duties and expectations, focused on helping young people make a good transition to adulthood.

And separately, under the Equality Act 2010, education providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

The statutory SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years guidance applies to bodies named in the Children and Families Act 2014, including further education institutions.
Summaries of the Code also state that further education and sixth-form colleges must “have regard to” the Code.
There is also a dedicated DfE guide for FE on duties and expectations, focused on helping young people make a good transition to adulthood.

And separately, under the Equality Act 2010, education providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Support at college may look different from school, but your child should still receive the help they need to succeed and feel included.

A focus on your child’s future

Colleges should support young people with SEND to work towards positive outcomes in adult life, including:

Employment or further study
Independent living
Good health and wellbeing
Participating in their community

Support should be personalised and based on your child’s aspirations and goals, not just their needs.

Being involved in decisions

Your child (and you, if appropriate) should be involved in:

Talking about their strengths, needs and ambitions
Deciding what support will help them most
Reviewing progress and making changes

Colleges are expected to listen to young people and give them a real voice in their education.

SEN Support (for students without an EHCP)

If your child does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the college must still:

Use its “best endeavours” to put the right support in place
Provide support that is additional to or different from what most students receive

Support should follow a cycle:

Assess needs
Plan support
Do (put support in place)
Review regularly

What support might look like

Support will vary depending on individual need, but may include:

Learning support
In-class support or 1:1 help
Specialist teaching to support learning difficulties
Study skills support
Practical support
Help with organisation or managing coursework
Assistive technology or specialist equipment
Note-takers or communication support
Mentoring or pastoral support
Counselling services
Support with medical needs

Many colleges have a Learning Support Team to coordinate this.

Reasonable adjustments

Colleges must make reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not at a disadvantage.

This could include:

Providing materials in accessible formats
Quiet spaces or adapted environments
Specialist equipment or support staff
Flexible teaching approaches

This is a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010.

If the support isn’t enough

If you feel your child’s needs are not being met speak to the college’s Learning Support Team or SEN lead first and explain your concerns. Follow these steps if informal communication with the college does not resolve the issues:

Find the formal complaints policy on your college's website. This will tell you how to make a complaint.
Submit an official letter or email that clearly states the word "complaint" in the subject line.
Detail the exact support you expected, what you are actually receiving, and the steps you want the college to take to resolve it.

Escalating complaints about colleges

If you are unhappy with the college’s response, you can escalate it:

Complaints at further education colleges can be escalated to the Skills Funding Agency.

Complaints about sixth-form colleges and other Further Education colleges can be taken up with the Department for Education.

Support at college may look different from school, but your child should still receive the help they need to succeed and feel included.

A focus on your child’s future

Colleges should support young people with SEND to work towards positive outcomes in adult life, including:

Employment or further study
Independent living
Good health and wellbeing
Participating in their community

Support should be personalised and based on your child’s aspirations and goals, not just their needs.

Being involved in decisions

Your child (and you, if appropriate) should be involved in:

Talking about their strengths, needs and ambitions
Deciding what support will help them most
Reviewing progress and making changes

Colleges are expected to listen to young people and give them a real voice in their education.

SEN Support (for students without an EHCP)

If your child does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the college must still:

Use its “best endeavours” to put the right support in place
Provide support that is additional to or different from what most students receive

Support should follow a cycle:

Assess needs
Plan support
Do (put support in place)
Review regularly

What support might look like

Support will vary depending on individual need, but may include:

Learning support
In-class support or 1:1 help
Specialist teaching to support learning difficulties
Study skills support
Practical support
Help with organisation or managing coursework
Assistive technology or specialist equipment
Note-takers or communication support
Mentoring or pastoral support
Counselling services
Support with medical needs

Many colleges have a Learning Support Team to coordinate this.

Reasonable adjustments

Colleges must make reasonable adjustments so disabled students are not at a disadvantage.

This could include:

Providing materials in accessible formats
Quiet spaces or adapted environments
Specialist equipment or support staff
Flexible teaching approaches

This is a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010.

If the support isn’t enough

If you feel your child’s needs are not being met speak to the college’s Learning Support Team or SEN lead first and explain your concerns. Follow these steps if informal communication with the college does not resolve the issues:

Find the formal complaints policy on your college's website. This will tell you how to make a complaint.
Submit an official letter or email that clearly states the word "complaint" in the subject line.
Detail the exact support you expected, what you are actually receiving, and the steps you want the college to take to resolve it.

Escalating complaints about colleges

If you are unhappy with the college’s response, you can escalate it:

Complaints at further education colleges can be escalated to the Skills Funding Agency.

Complaints about sixth-form colleges and other Further Education colleges can be taken up with the Department for Education.

Starting early and taking small steps can make a big difference.

1. Talk about strengths, interests and goals

Encourage conversations about what your young person enjoys and what they would like to do in the future.

Vocational profiling can help with this. It’s a simple way of building a picture of:

What your young person is good at
What they enjoy
What support they may need

It is not a test, but a series of conversations that help shape future choices.

2. Explore college options together

Every college is different, so it’s important to find the right fit.

You could:

Look at college websites and support information
Attend open days or transition events
Speak to learning support teams early
Ask what support is available for SEN and mental health

Colleges should be able to explain clearly what help they can offer.

3. Share information about your young person

Colleges rely on information from you and your young person to plan support.

Helpful information might include:

What works well at school
Any learning or wellbeing needs
Strategies that help (for example, routine, quiet spaces, prompts)
Any reports or assessments

This helps the college create the right support plan from the start.

4. Build independence and confidence

College is a step towards adulthood, so building independence gradually is key.

You can support your young person to:

Practise travelling to new places
Manage their time and routines
Speak up about what they need
Make small decisions about their learning

Taking things at a pace that feels right for them is important.

5. Support mental health and wellbeing

Transitions can feel overwhelming, especially for young people with mental health needs.

It may help to:

Talk through worries and expectations early
Visit the college more than once if possible
Find out what wellbeing support is available
Keep communication open with staff

Many colleges offer support services to help students manage anxiety, stress or emotional needs.

More information on planning a successful transition to college

Starting early and taking small steps can make a big difference.

1. Talk about strengths, interests and goals

Encourage conversations about what your young person enjoys and what they would like to do in the future.

Vocational profiling can help with this. It’s a simple way of building a picture of:

What your young person is good at
What they enjoy
What support they may need

It is not a test, but a series of conversations that help shape future choices.

2. Explore college options together

Every college is different, so it’s important to find the right fit.

You could:

Look at college websites and support information
Attend open days or transition events
Speak to learning support teams early
Ask what support is available for SEN and mental health

Colleges should be able to explain clearly what help they can offer.

3. Share information about your young person

Colleges rely on information from you and your young person to plan support.

Helpful information might include:

What works well at school
Any learning or wellbeing needs
Strategies that help (for example, routine, quiet spaces, prompts)
Any reports or assessments

This helps the college create the right support plan from the start.

4. Build independence and confidence

College is a step towards adulthood, so building independence gradually is key.

You can support your young person to:

Practise travelling to new places
Manage their time and routines
Speak up about what they need
Make small decisions about their learning

Taking things at a pace that feels right for them is important.

5. Support mental health and wellbeing

Transitions can feel overwhelming, especially for young people with mental health needs.

It may help to:

Talk through worries and expectations early
Visit the college more than once if possible
Find out what wellbeing support is available
Keep communication open with staff

Many colleges offer support services to help students manage anxiety, stress or emotional needs.

More information on planning a successful transition to college

Transition works best when everyone works together.

This might include:

School staff (such as the SENCo or pastoral team)
College support teams
Careers advisers
Health or mental health professionals

Planning and sharing information early can help make the move smoother and reduce uncertainty.

Transition works best when everyone works together.

This might include:

School staff (such as the SENCo or pastoral team)
College support teams
Careers advisers
Health or mental health professionals

Planning and sharing information early can help make the move smoother and reduce uncertainty.

Schools should let the Education and Participation Team know if your young person does not have a provision to move on to after school so they can be given support.

This team can support your young person from the age of 16 if they do not have an EHCP.

After your young person leaves school, if something goes wrong and they end up out of education, training or employment please let Education and Participation Team know as soon as possible so they can help.

You can contact them on careers.service@hants.gov.uk or telephone 01962 846193.

Schools should let the Education and Participation Team know if your young person does not have a provision to move on to after school so they can be given support.

This team can support your young person from the age of 16 if they do not have an EHCP.

After your young person leaves school, if something goes wrong and they end up out of education, training or employment please let Education and Participation Team know as soon as possible so they can help.

You can contact them on careers.service@hants.gov.uk or telephone 01962 846193.

Transitioning to college with SEND but with no EHCP

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