1. Children with an EHC Plan
Looking for a school
It is a good idea to keep an open mind and look at several schools before making your final decision. You will have a good idea as to which school suits your child’s needs best. Looking at several schools allows you to compare the provision they make for children with special educational needs (SEN).
You should always look at the nearest mainstream school to your home, but a place cannot be guaranteed at this school even if you live in the local area. See also the leaflet ‘Checklist for visiting Schools’ for ideas on what to look for on your visit to a school.
Your rights
The law says that children with special educational needs and disabilities should be educated within a mainstream school wherever possible, but all parents have the right to inform their Local Authority (LA) which school they would like their child to attend. Only children with an EHC Plan* can attend a special school, but most children with EHC Plans attend mainstream schools.
* Education, Health and Care Plan
About the school in general
Mainstream school
Nursery, infant, junior, primary or secondary school which most children attend. Additional support and equipment will be provided for your child to meet their needs. All mainstream schools have experience of working with children with SEN.
Academies
Mainstream schools not run by the local authority but by an Academy Trust. They must offer the same access to SEN support for children who need that. Academy Special Schools can only admit children with an EHC Plan.
Free schools
Generally smaller than other schools and may cater for very specific groups of children, but similar to academies in the way they admit children and provide for SEN.
Focused provision (Nottingham City)
A unit based within mainstream schools, for a small number of children with social and interaction needs. Places are only allocated to children after consultation with educational professionals.
Special units within mainstream schools
These each have a particular area of specialism; eg for hearing impaired children at Firbeck Primary (Nottingham).
Children without an EHC Plan
In most cases, your child will be given a place at the school you want. However, your child may not get a place if all places in that year-group have already been given eg if you are transferring from another school in the middle of the school year, or if you return your application form for primary or secondary school entry after the deadline. Faith schools and academies may have additional admission criteria for applicants.
Children with an EHC Plan
When your child receives a draft EHC Plan you will be asked to name the school you would like them to attend. The LA must consider this and will consult with the school to see if it can meet your child’s needs as laid out in the Plan. The LA will often agree with you about which school is best but, if not, you will need to discuss your preference with them. The LA has a duty under law to consider whether:
the school is suitable for your child’s needs
your child’s attendance there would be compatible with providing an efficient education for other children at the school
it is an efficient use of resources (people, buildings and money)
NB. Even if all these apply, your child may still not be allocated a place eg if the appropriate year-group is full. .

2. needs and disabilities
If you feel a special school would be best for your child and the LA agrees, you may need to look first at the nearest one unless your child has particular needs that require specific support; eg Fountaindale School in Nottinghamshire supports children whose primary disability is physical. The LA needs only to consider whether a school can appropriately meet your child’s needs, so that if you prefer another school you must demonstrate that it can meet your child’s needs a great deal better without significant additional cost.
Transport between home and school
There is a statutory walking distance calculated between home and school which depends on the age of the child. Generally, transport is not provided for children who live closer to school than the statutory walking distance. Children whose SEN or disabilities mean that they cannot walk safely to school may be provided with transport to and from school even if they live within the walking distance.
For further information on travelling to school for children with SEN or disabilities contact : Nottingham City Nottinghamshire Other leaflets you may find useful: Checklist for Visiting Schools Primary to Secondary transfer (for pupils with significant needs transferring to secondary school). Transition to Primary School (for Early Years children) Ask Us Nottinghamshire 57 Maid Marion Way Nottingham NG1 6GE Phone:
Which School?
Some notes for parents and carers
of children with
special educational needs
This leaflet may help you consider which school, or type of school, would be most suitable for your child.
Children with
special education
needs and disabilities