Finding schools for special educational needs and disability
Finding the right school for your child is enough of a minefield, but what if it’s obvious that the school isn’t doing enough for them? Time and time again, we come across parents at their wits’ end, unable to track down the best school for their child with additional needs such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD or autism – but Talk Education is here to help. Armed with expert guidance from our partners at specialist SEND educational consultancy Acorn to Oak Education, it’s our job to help parents find the right support and provision for children with special education needs and disabilities. From our in-depth reviews of the UK’s top SEND schools to our honest, insider advice penned by market-leading specialists, we will steer you through the process and do everything we can to help you give your child the best possible start in life.
Founded by a crack team of SEND specialists and parents of SEND learners, Acorn to Oak has a strong track record in supporting families through the specialist-school search, helping to identify the schools that meet your child’s needs, draw up shortlists and assist with the all-important application. Using their in-depth SEND expertise and a highly personalised approach, the team at Acorn to Oak can also help with everything from Education and Health Care Plans (ECHPs) to accessing the right therapy and mental-health support.
We have given our SEND seal of approval to any schools featured on the site (both mainstream and specialist) that we feel stand out from the crowd when it comes to exceptional SEND support. Sign up today to access our unbiased reviews, and look out for the SEND badge around the site to help you find the perfect school for your child.
Types of special education
schools
There
are a variety of
different types of schools and educational settings for SEND students to attend, but it can
overwhelming trying to understand the differences between them. Mainstream
schools often cater to children with special educational needs and can sometimes provide
special units or resource bases to aid learning. Children can be taught
separately in the special units or assigned a dedicated SEND staff member to
provide support in the same classes as other pupils.
Special schools are
specifically designed around educating children with learning difficulties. These can be split into three types: authority or community-maintained schools,
charity-run schools, and independent schools. Special schools teaching
secondary school-aged students can opt to specialise in one of the four main
areas of special education:
- Cognition and learning -
emotional, intellectual, and social understanding
- Communication and interaction
- Sensory and physical needs
- Social and emotional mental
health
Some schools also specialise further – so it is essential to understand the full offering
in order to compare and review schools and choose the most suitable option
for your child.
Things to think about when
choosing a SEN school
It’s
never easy making that final decision on which SEND school to send your child
to. However, here at Talk Education, we want to help you feel confident in your next steps. But where to start?
Most parents
are looking for schools that will most effectively aid their child’s special
educational needs or disabilities while allowing them to still participate in
all the same activities as other children. Whilst all our reviews will give you
an insight into the SEND support offered at each school, the schools themselves
host frequent open days that will take prospective parents and their children
through the offerings in detail, answering any questions you may have.
To find out more about how we can help, whether for a detailed SEND consultation or a school or college search:
Find out more
If you have any questions about SEND or how we can help, please
contact us. We are here to talk.