Provision hours for 1:1 support

Parent question:

Please could you advise how many hours 1:1 support you would expect a child with a statement, 22.5 hours to get. My son currently gets 15 hours 1:1 with an LSA, the rest I am told is for resources and small group work.

This seems a little unreasonable to me.

IPEA Answers:

The devil is in the detail!

In these situations, it is very important to check the exact wording in section F of the EHC plan and understand how specific and quantified the hours are. Too often, EHC plans will have wording such as “22.5 hours of individual, small group and whole class support”. This is not the same as “22.5 hours of individual 1:1 support from his own Learning Support Assistant”. 

If the wording in your son’s EHC plan says something like the first and you feel that he needs more individual support then talk to the school, look at the evidence you have as to what progress he is making and request an early review to ask for the wording to be more clear. You can find more information about requesting an early review on IPSEA’s website, including a template letter. 

Remember that EHC plans are based on evidence, so you should try to obtain advice from school and other professionals, if possible, to show that your son needs 22.5 hours of 1:1 support, not just general support. It is important that section F of an EHC plan which sets out the special educational provision needed is as specific as possible and as specific as necessary for your child so that it is clear exactly what provision must be made. You can find more information about the law around specificity of EHC plans on the IPSEA website:    

Last updated: 23/12/25