Choosing a school

Most children and young people with SEND can be supported to achieve their potential in mainstream schools in Devon. We expect all our schools to be inclusive and supportive places where all children and young people can learn, build relationships and be part of the community.

  • There are more than 360 schools in Devon. Choosing a school can be a really big decision, especially if a child or young person has special educational needs. We expect all our schools to be inclusive and supportive places for children with SEND to achieve their potential, so we would expect most children and young people with SEND to go to one of their local schools. Here are some ideas to help you choose a school:

    • Use the school directory to see what schools are available in your area.
    • Visit schools to look at the facilities and talk to staff.
    • Think about how your child will travel to school – check whether they are eligible for school transport.
    • Discuss your child’s needs with the school SENCo.
    • Look at the school’s website and read their SEN information report. This explains how they use their funding to support children with SEND.
    • Look at the national website Compare School Performance to see schools’ results.

  • To find information about mainstream schools, please use the school directory.

  • To attend a special school a child needs to have an education, health and care (EHC) Plan. If you would like your child to attend a special school, please discuss your options with the SEN 0-25 Team.

    Complex, mild and severe needs

    Professional advice, usually from Educational Psychologists, describes a child or young person’s needs. Children have ‘complex needs’ when an assessment states they have needs which fall into more than one of the four areas of need:

    • cognition and learning;
    • social, emotional and mental health;
    • communication and interaction;
    • physical/sensory impairments.

    A child may also be described as having ‘mild’ or ‘severe’ learning difficulties depending on the degree of their needs and the impact these needs have on their lives.

    Moderate, severe, profound and multiple needs

    • Pupils with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) may need extra support in some areas of the curriculum.
    • Those with severe learning difficulties (SLD) are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and have associated difficulties with mobility and communication.
    • Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment.

    Special schools in Devon

    Transport

    Some children have to travel a significant distance in order to attend a special school. Before applying for a special school, you should consider how your child will get to the school and who will pay for transport as this may not be provided by the County Council. There is no automatic entitlement to free school transport for young people aged over 16. Please see Transport for children with special educational needs for more information.

  • To attend a specialist centre or resource base a child needs to have an education, health and care (EHC) Plan. If you would like your child to attend one of these units, please discuss your options with the SEN 0-25 Team.

    In line with the findings from the SEND Strategic Review 2017, there are recommendations to make changes to some of these centres – please contact sendlocaloffer@devon.gov.uk for more information.

    Specialist centres and resource bases support children and young people who have difficulties related to specific areas of SEND. Devon County Council funds these small bases, which are attached to mainstream schools. These specialist bases can take up to eight children and also provide outreach support for other schools so that expertise can be shared.

    Communication and Interaction Resource Bases (CAIRB)

    What is a CAIRB?

    Hearing support centres

    These are based in mainstream schools which provide an environment where communication, sign language, and positive deaf identity is promoted. The centres are staffed by ‘teachers of the deaf’, supported by specialist teaching assistants. They work collaboratively with the Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team, specialist speech and language therapists, audiologists and social care staff. They also provide outreach to deaf and hearing-impaired students in other mainstream schools. Hearing support centres are based in:

    The Devon Dyslexia Service teaches students from across Devon previously identified with severe SpLD (dyslexia) who cannot be supported in their local secondary school. It also offers outreach support for schools that have pupils with dyslexia. It is run from the specific learning difficulties support centre at Queen Elizabeth’s School, Crediton.

    Children with physical disabilities receive support from advisory teachers working in mainstream schools, along with a range of support from health services. There are also specialist mainstream school centres at:

    • Brunel Centre for pupils with physical difficulties at St Luke’s (C of E) Science and Sports College in Exeter for young people aged 11 to 16 with severe physical difficulties
    • Pilton Community College in North Devon for young people aged 11 to 16 with severe physical difficulties.

  • Independent schools

    Devon County Council will only place children and young people in the independent sector when they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). We will endeavour to keep children and young people as close to home and in their own local community as is possible. All places in the independent sector need to be commissioned through the SEN 0-25 Team, and if your child has an EHCP you should speak to the Local Authority before taking a place at an independent school.

    “The local authority is relieved of its duty to secure the special educational provision in the EHC plan, including securing a place in a school or college named in the plan, if the child’s parent or the young person has made suitable alternative arrangements for special educational provision to be made, say in an independent school or college or at home.” SEND Code of Practice 9.132

    Placements outside Devon

    In very rare cases, a child may not be able to have their needs met by any school or college in Devon. For these pupils, Devon County Council will sometimes organise and fund independent special schools or services outside of Devon. This may include residential schools or settings. These decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis, based on whether the placement is:

    • suitable for the age, ability or aptitude of the child or young person;
    • compatible with the efficient education of others;
    • an efficient use of public resources.

    These settings would only be appropriate for children and young people with an EHCP.

    In line with the findings and recommendations from national government guidelines and recommendations, we know that children and young people benefit most from being part of their community and close to their family. There are fewer issues with transferring their independence skills when they can learn and develop their skills in the locality where they are likely to live.

    “The presumption of mainstream education is supported by provisions safeguarding the interests of all children and young people and ensuring that the preferences of the child’s parents or the young person for where they should be educated are met wherever possible.” SEND Code of Practice 1.36

    We will consider, wherever possible, suitable provision that will be named in an Education, health and care plan on a ‘local first’ basis.

    1. We will consider local mainstream provision first, whenever appropriate, before considering a specialist provision or a residential option.
    2.  And in line with the recommendations in the SEND Code of Practice, we will consider independent placements with the providers who have been approved by the Secretary of State, who are described as ‘Section 41 providers’ by the Education and Skills Funding Agency if the child or young person’s needs cannot be met within a mainstream provision.
    3.  We will not consider placements in the wider independent sector unless there are exceptional circumstances.

    More details about approved independent special schools can be found at GOV.UK, where the secretary of state approved list (Section 41) is regularly updated. To find the approved schools in Devon, you need to open the document, then select ‘Devon’ as the Local Authority. You could also select neighbouring counties like Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

    Placements outside of Devon may be at a specialist college which offers courses and support tailored for people with similar needs. You can find information on specialist colleges from the association of national specialist colleges (NATSPEC).

  • The Devon Hospitals Short Stay School provides education for children whose medical needs mean they have a long stay in hospital in Devon. The school teaches on two sites:

    • Bramble Unit at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter
    • Caroline Thorpe Ward at the North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple.

    This school aims to provide continuity of education and works with children, families, medical professionals and schools to do this. Specialist teachers will work with children and young people to create an individual learning plan.

    The government provides guidance about education for children with health needs who cannot attend school.

 

Updated 29/10/2018    sendlocaloffer@devon.gov.uk
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