What types of primary schools are there for children with additional needs?

We recently wrote an article sharing our top tips, on what to consider when choosing a school for a child with additional needs. Have a read before you start your visits to help you to think about what factors are important to you and your child. Following on from those tips, we are keen that parents understand the types of school options which may be available to them.

At primary school level there tend to be three types of school settings available for children with special educational needs; mainstream primary schools, schools with specialist classes/units and specialist schools. Choosing which type of school is most suitable for your child can feel a little pressurised. Here is a little run down of what the different types of schools offer and the advantages of each.

Mainstream Primary Schools

Many parents like the idea of sending children to a local primary school. The advantages of this are shorter travel times, the possibility of transitioning with friends from preschool and the opportunity to learn and play with some children who have age appropriate social and language skills. Plus for some, the added bonus of attending with a sibling. All primary schools in England will have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) who oversees the provision for children with SEN in their school. The SENCO can help class teachers to consider how to adapt their daily lessons and resources to cater for children with additional needs.

Schools with specialist classes/units

These schools are mainstream primary schools which have some extra resources to support children with additional needs. Units will vary from county to county, with places usually allocated through a separate application process. They often cater for children with a specific category of need e.g speech and language needs, Autism Spectrum Condition or physical and sensory needs. Usually the school will offer some small class teaching with approx. 10 children in the class taught by a teacher who has some additional training or experience. The amount of time children spend in the smaller class will vary from school to school with some children spending a large part of their timetable in the small class and others only a couple of hours a week. Some units also have additional speech and language /occupational therapists working onsite for part of the week, to offer a higher level of specialist input. When these units have specialist teachers or therapists, these specialists can offer training and advice to class teachers to help them in meeting the needs of children with additional needs during the time they spend in the mainstream class.

Special Schools

Special schools are designed specifically for children with additional needs. This means that the learning environment, curriculum, teaching methods and class structure are adapted to meet the needs of the children placed there. Class sizes tend to be small with a high ratio of adults to support the children. Everything is focussed on overcoming barriers to learning and therefore staff expertise and training will be tailored to this too. When new staff join the school, they will have lots of role models to learn from too. There are different types of special schools and (as with all educational provision) they tend to vary from area to area. Some special schools will cater for a wide range of needs whilst others will support children with a specific type of need e.g. dyslexia or speech and language. There are local authority run schools and non-maintained/independent special schools. Often parents are discouraged from looking at independent schools as the fees seem prohibitive, however, the fees of most of the children in these schools are paid for by the local authority. Getting a place isn’t always easy but it can be possible, so be careful not to automatically discount schools on that basis. Special schools tend to be excellent at breaking learning down into small steps and helping children to make progress not only through the curriculum but with their communication, social skills, independence and life skills.

How do I know which type of school I should be looking for my child?

-  It is a good idea to visit different types of schools to get a feel for what they offer. Even if you feel fairly certain that a particular school type isn’t going to suit your child, it can still be helpful to see how they work and to know what you are potentially steering away from. An informed choice is important. Visiting also provides an opportunity to get ideas for things you could try with your child too. You really can’t tell if a school is suitable based on its website or reputation.

- Speak to the professionals that support your child and ask for their opinion on what type of school they feel is appropriate for your child and which schools are worth visiting.

- Look at recommendations in professional reports. Some of the provisions required to support your child might only be available in some settings. E.g. small class size, signing, access to a sensory room.

Subscribe to download our FREE Choosing a School Tool . Use our tool to help you to:
* Identify what is going to be most important for your child at school
* Compare what schools are offering to help you to make a decision

To make an appointment to discuss choosing a school for your child email sarah@confidentkids.co

We can help you to:

- Create a list of exactly what you are looking for based on your own preferences and priorities as well as recommendations from professionals working with your child

- Identify which schools are likely to be most useful to visit

- Consider what questions to ask schools you visit

- Navigate the application processes