Choosing a School for a Child or Young Person with SEND

Make a checklist of all the things that are important to you and your child. This will help you to ask the right questions.  

Have a look at the SEN information report, SEN policy & behaviour policy (which should be on the school’s own website).

Before or during a visit you can ask the school for;

• the school prospectus;
• the Governors’ Annual Report to parents;
• the school’s SEND Information Report and SEN policy;
• behaviour and anti‑bullying policies;
• the most recent Ofsted inspection report.

During visits, it can be helpful to speak with the Headteacher and/or Special Educational Needs Co‑ordinator (SENCo) about how the school supports children with SEND. 

It’s a good idea to visit schools so you can have a look at the environment and meet the staff.  Most offer open evenings or afternoons, where the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator) is often available.  We would suggest you visit at least two schools so you can make comparisons. 

Take any relevant information about your child, such as their EHC plan or any specialist reports. If you are going to an open evening, it may not be possible to have an in-depth discussion, so you may want to make an appointment with the SENCO.

You can also request a separate visit and meeting with the SENCO, where you can discuss your child’s individual needs in more detail.  

Look at the schools’ websites to view their SEN information report & related policies as this may help you think about what you want to ask. Some aspects to consider:

• How SEN provision is organised in the school;
• How teaching is organised, class sizes, teaching assistants, group or individual work;
• Whether the school have any experience of children with similar needs and how they were supported;
• The support you could expect for your child (share previous examples or how you help your child at home);
• How the school communicates progress to parents;
• What processes are in place between teachers and the SENCO to track individual pupil progress.

Not all the questions below will be appropriate so pick the ones that apply to you. 

General questions:

• How will you measure my child’s progress and keep me up to date with how they are getting on?
• Who should I talk to if I have any concerns?
• Do you have regular parents evenings? When would the first one be?
• How many children will be in my child’s class?
• What are the arrangements for my child and I to meet with the class teacher before they start at the school?
• How does the teacher manage the different needs of all the individual children?
• If my child has several different teachers, how will they all know what his/her special needs are and how to help?
• Do you operate a Home to School diary system?

Helping children who have similar difficulties:

• How do you welcome children with difficulties like those of my child?
• Do you have other children in your school with similar difficulties?
• If so, what kind of help have you been able to give?
• Have any of the staff received specific training to meet the needs of my child or children that have similar difficulties?
• Have any of the staff got specific knowledge and skills about my child’s needs or children with similar needs?

Helping my child:

• What help will my child receive?
• If my child needs any group support or specialised resources/equipment to help them for all or some of the time in school, how will you organise this before he/she starts at the school?
• Will we be able to meet any staff supporting my child beforehand?
• Will they have received any specific training?
• If they won’t have received any specific training, how will you provide for my child in the meantime?
• If my child has physical/personal hygiene/therapies/medication, how will the school cater for this?

Homework:

• Will my child have homework?
• Will they have to do the same homework as everyone else?
• Will he/she get help in making sure they have it written down properly and understand what is required?
• What will happen if they are unable to complete the homework that has been set?

Children in my child’s class:

• How are children encouraged to help each other here?
• What will you do to ensure that my child feels that they belong here and are fully involved in the school community?
• How will you ensure my child will be able to take part in all activities?
• How do you make children feel good about themselves and build their confidence?
• What if my child is bullied/bullies others?
• If my child finds it difficult to make friends, how will you help them with this?
• Do you have a friendship scheme in school such as a ‘buddy bus stop’?
• Do older children in the school act as mentors for the younger children?

Break and lunchtimes:

• Are hot meals available, or do all children bring a packed lunch?
• What happens at break and lunchtimes – do children go out/stay in/play games?
• What if my child cannot cope with this?
• Will my child get help to manage break and lunchtimes?  How will you do this?
• Is there a safe place for my child to go if they become upset or distressed during these times?

The start and end of the day:

• Where do I drop off my child in the morning?
• Will this be different on the first day?
• Can you make special arrangements for a child if they find this particularly difficult?
• What happens if my child is late to school because their special educational needs mean that we are sometimes late?
• What happens at the end of the day?
• Will someone speak to me about my child’s day?

If your child has attended an early years setting and received SEN support, information should be shared with the new school before they start. This helps staff plan appropriate support from the outset.

If your child has not attended an early years setting, it is important to share any reports or relevant information with the school directly.

Once your child is attending school, you should be kept informed about progress and involved in decisions about support and targets. Any concerns should be discussed with your child’s class teacher or SENCo.

Read more about Starting a New School

When a child moves to a new school, the support they receive may change as expectations for independence increase with age. However, support should remain appropriate to the child’s needs, and schools should provide additional help where SEND makes transitions more difficult. It is important to share your child’s SEND information and any relevant reports with the SENCo, and to arrange a meeting to discuss the support they will need.

Read about our Transition Tips

All mainstream schools receive delegated funding to support pupils with SEND. Schools are responsible for deciding how this funding is used and for ensuring that reasonable adjustments and SEN Support are provided. Many children’s needs can be met successfully in this way, without an EHCP.

Find out more about SEN Support in Education Settings

Find out more about SEN funding in mainstream schools/settings