SEND advice and guidance

Visiting a school (a guide for parents)

A guide for parents and carers

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities

When deciding about your child or young person’s education you might want to visit a number of schools before you express any preference. Each school will have different arrangements for parents/carers to visit the school and you should contact the school initially.


You may wish to consider the points below to help you get the most from your visit. They are only suggestions and it is important that you add your own questions or points that you think are particularly relevant, for you and your child or young person. It may be a good idea to write down the questions you want answered and take them with you. Also make sure that you have enough time available and that you are given enough time in school to look around and ask questions.

Before you visit a school

  • Read the school’s online information carefully, e.g. SEN information, SEN policy
  • Think about what you would like to find out, the questions to ask and the people you would like to meet.

Visiting a school

  • Arrange the visit during the school day. This will help create a realistic impression of the setting.
  • First impressions are important but you should base any decision on a range of responses, experiences and the information you gather
  • Arrange an initial visit to the school without your child or young person – you can always return with your child or young person later
  • You may want to visit the school with a friend or relative with whom you can discuss important issues later on
  • Think about how your child or young person will travel to and from the school
  • Consider the actual travelling time involved and the daily arrangements you will need to make
  • Try, if possible, to meet the staff who could be involved with your child or young person– the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) is a good person to start with
  • You may wish to make another appointment to talk further with the head teacher or to discuss your child or young person with the staff, especially if you feel that there are queries you still need to clarify. You may be able to do this over the telephone, or maybe by email

In the classroom

It may be helpful to explore:

  • how the structure and timetable of the day and the teaching and learning in class will meet your child or young person’s needs
  • how is the teaching organised? Whole class, small groups or 1:1
  • what is the classroom like, open plan or individual classrooms,
  • how are children grouped e.g. by ability or age
  • does the school capture a child or young person’s strengths and use this information to build self esteem and aspirations
  • how the individual needs of children and young people are met throughout the school day, e.g. lunch and breaks
  • whether there are particular areas of expertise/provision in school, e.g. social communication groups, literacy support etc.
  • how frequently would your child or young person’s progress be reviewed and monitored and how can you be involved with this.
  • who might your child or young person be able to go to for help
  • homework expectations
  • if applicable, how would the setting accommodate time for your child or young person to work with any visiting professionals e.g. teacher of the deaf, advisory teacher for vision impairment, qualified teacher of multi-sensory impairment or physical difficulties team.

The school in general

It may be helpful to explore:

  • what Ordinarily, Available and Inclusive Provision (OAIP) is in place and what extra support is available for your child or young person
  • the range of subjects that are offered
  • any special adaptations and equipment your child or young person may need
  • what is the uniform policy? Can any adjustments be made if needed
  • how would school support personal hygiene or feeding
  • what support is available at break times including lunch
  • whether any extra activities are available after school
  • whether there are opportunities to meet with parents of other children at school, perhaps through organised meetings, e.g. PTA
  • whether you will have to provide anything for your child or young person , e.g. uniform/stationery or if you will be asked to contribute towards the cost of anything else, e.g. books, organised trips, extra equipment
  • the range and condition of equipment/resources in classrooms or workshops
  • what the ICT (information and communication technology) facilities are like
  • ask the school what their expectations are of their children and parents
  • how would school communicate with you
  • it may be helpful to explore the school’s behaviour and anti-bullying policies. Do they match your expectations of your child or young person?
  • if the school is a special school does it have links with other schools? If so what opportunities does this provide for children or young people?
  • if the school is a mainstream school are there opportunities to access outreach support from a special school?

School atmosphere – Overall impressions

  • does the school feel welcoming?
  • try to imagine whether your child or young person would be happy in the school
  • do children or young people seem happy and engaged with their learning?
  • how do staff interact with children and young people – is it positive?
  • if there is anything you do not understand, don’t be afraid to ask or speak about it there and then.

After the visit

  • discuss your thoughts and feelings about the school with the person you went with, or with your partner, a relative or friend
  • telephone or visit the school again if you want more information, perhaps with your child or young person this time
  • if your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or is undergoing an EHC needs assessment, please feedback your views to the professionals involved.
  • it is important that you are happy with the educational arrangements for your child or young person and that you are confident that the school can meet their needs.

Special schools:

In addition to the advice above, you may wish to consider the following:

  • What is the specialism of the school? Is it set up for particular types of SEND?
  • Find out about your child or young person’s likely peer group. This is important in terms of social interaction
  • Is the curriculum at the right level? Can young people gain qualifications?
  • Types of communication methods used
  • Are there opportunities for practical and vocational learning?
  • What therapies and medical support is available at the school?
  • Sensory needs (hearing and vision) – is the environment suitable? Are there specialist teachers at the school?
  • Transport

Residential Schools

Additional points to think about and questions to ask:

  • find out what links there will be between the school and you, such as home visits or letters/emails
  • find out how and when you will be contacted about your child or young person’s progress
  • find out how and when you will be contacted if there is a problem
  • ask if it would be possible for you to contact other parents of children at the school
  • arrange to meet the person who will be responsible for the overall care of your child or young person out of school hours
  • visit the dormitory or bedroom your child or young person will use
  • what privacy will your child or young person have?
  • will your child or young person know who to go to if they are worried or have a problem?
  • what arrangements are there for your child or young person to telephone home or receive telephone calls?
  • what arrangements are there if a child or young person needs attention or is ill during the night?
  • what are the bathroom facilities and routines?
  • what arrangements are there for medical care?
  • what opportunities will there be for your child to join out of school activities, for example Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts and youth groups?
  • will your child or young person get the same opportunities to shop, cook, clean and play as they would at home?
  • if it is proposed that your child or young person remains at school over the weekend, what would be the range and programme of activities?
  • it is important that you are happy with the residential arrangements for your child or young person and that you are confident that the school can meet your child or young person’s needs

For further support

Devon, Information, Advice & Support (DIAS) can help. They have impartial information about choosing a school:

Finding and choosing a school – Devon Information Advice and Support

Top tips for finding, visiting and choosing a school – Devon Information Advice and Support


This team easily accessible impartial information and advice, to support children and young people aged 0 – 25 years, with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers.

They can be contacted at:
Devon Information, Advice and Support Service,
Great Moor House,
Bittern Road,
Sowton,
Exeter
EX2 7NL
Tel: 01392 383080
Email:devonias@devon.gov.uk
www.devonias.org.uk

How to find information about schools

GOV.UK – this website provides a helpful starting point. To identify schools local to your home, visit https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/  and for general information about education, visit www.gov.uk/browse/education.


Devon County Council website – you can visit https://www.devon.gov.uk/schools/school/ to access an A-Z of all Devon maintained schools. For each school, there are contact details, a location map, and a catchment area map, and links to the school’s website, the school’s latest Ofsted report, the school’s admission arrangements and the names of the school governors.


Devon’s Local Offer website: https://www.devon.gov.uk/education-and-families/send-local-offer/


The school’s own website – is a very useful source of information, and would usually include a statement about ethos and values, the school’s admission policy, the school’s special educational needs policy, links to Ofsted reports and details of the school’s latest Key Stage 2 or 4 attainment and progress measures. Secondary schools also include information about examination results and where young people go after they leave school.


The school prospectus – this will contain a range of information about the school. You can request a copy from the school.

The school Ofsted report – this is a detailed report from the Office for Standards in Education. They also produce summaries which give a useful overall picture of a school. You can access the latest Ofsted report from the school’s website or from the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.

Government performance tables for primary and secondary schools -these are published by the Department for Education (DfE) and are available on the DfE website at https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/