Choosing a school for SEND

Types of school available

You can request your child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan names the following types of school:

a maintained school or nursery (mainstream or special school). These are schools funded by the Council
a non-maintained special school. These are charitable foundations and not for profit schools
an academy or free school (mainstream or special school). These are schools funded by the government
a Section 41 school. This is an independent school or specialist college approved by the government
a further education or sixth form college

Special schools in Barnet

There are a wide range of special schools in Barnet. Including four special schools and several mainstream schools with extra resourced provision.

Section 41 schools

These are independent schools for pupils with SEN. Including those approved under Section 41 of the Children and Family Act.

Tips to help prepare for visiting a school

As a parent or carer of a child with SEN you are likely to need to visit schools.

Before arranging a visit

Ask the school for their school prospectus and read it. Write a list of questions that you would like to ask the school, turn your worries into questions.

Think about:

when would you like to visit? It is best to visit during school hours
will you be taking your child?
do you want someone else to go with you?
is the school easy to get to? How will your child get there? (Think about transport arrangements)
would you like to talk to the SENCo?
do you want a guided tour?
will you be able to meet staff who would work with your child?
will you be able to talk to other parents who have children at the school?

Your child’s EHC plan gives a detailed description of your child’s needs and what the school should provide. Ask the school how they will put the plan in place.

Questions you might want to ask:

what is the general structure and timetable for the school day?
how many children would be in your child’s class?
how many members of staff would be in your child’s class?
how does the school support children with Special Educational Needs?
how does the school feel about providing one to one support?
do the school know anything about your child’s disability?
have the school ever taught any other children with the same disability?
are all areas of the school accessible to your child? Are adaptations required?
how will the school support your child outside lesson time?
how do the school deal with difficult behaviour?
how is bullying dealt with at the school?
how does the school help children mix and make friends?
what extra activities does the school provide at lunchtime and after school?
what will you have to provide for your child? What might this cost? Ask about uniform, stationery, money for trips, events, extra activities
how does the school communicate with parents?
when can parents talk to their child’s teacher?
what arrangements are there for parents to get involved with the school?
what opportunities are there to meet other parents?
is the school flexible and creative in working with SEN children?
will your child be able to access the entire curriculum?
who is the Governor with SEN responsibility?

After the visit

Discuss your thoughts and feelings about the school with someone else:

did you feel welcomed at the school?
did the children seem happy, friendly and helpful?
do you think your child would be happy at that school?
did the school answer all your questions?
have you got any other questions that you would like to ask the school?

Preparing for a meeting with a school

Before the meeting

Make sure you have all the necessary information in advance of the meeting so that you have time to read it.

You can ask your child’s school for a copy of their Educations, Health and Care Plan, reports, SEN Support plans and their SEN Policy.

You can look through your child’s file, but there may be a charge if you want a copy. Barnet SENDIASS can help you by going through the paperwork with you.

Before going to the school meeting you may want to:

check that you have the right date, time and venue
find out who set up the meeting
find out who else will be attending and what their role is
decide if there are other people you would like to attend and ask the person who has set up the meeting to invite them
be sure to complete any paperwork and return it in time. Barnet SENDIASS can help with filling in forms, such as those used for Annual Reviews
think about what the meeting is for and what you hope to get out of it. We have a form for you to print to use to take notes. You should let the person responsible for the meeting know who else will be attending with you.

At the meeting

When you are in the meeting you may want to:

Ask new people when they introduce themselves, to explain what their role is
ask people to explain things, especially if they use jargon or terminology
ask your supporter to make notes so you can concentrate on the discussions
if at any time you feel upset, ask for a break and a drink of water, this will give you time to gather your thoughts
at the end, summarise what people have told you and what actions they have agreed. This is a chance to clear up any misunderstandings and be clear about what you expect to happen next
if there needs to be a further meeting, agree a date and time before this meeting ends.

Applying for a school without an EHC plan

If you are applying for a school and your child or young person does not have an EHC plan, visit our school admissions page.

Elective Home Education

This is when you have decided to educate your child outside of the school system.

More information is available on the Elective Home Education Barnet website.