The law says a child or young person with an EHCP must be educated in a mainstream school or post-16 institution unless:

• parent or young person does not wish it, or
• it would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education of other children and no reasonable steps can be taken to prevent this.

s.33(2) C&FA 2014

This means that a mainstream school cannot say the child/young person’s needs are too great to be included in mainstream. Mainstream is or can and must be made suitable for all children unless that results in incompatibility with the education of others.