How to choose between a mainstream school and an SEN school

Transitioning from nursery to formal education is a pivotal time for all children and choosing a school is a huge decision for every family. You want somewhere where your child will be happy, supported and encouraged to reach their full potential. But if your child needs additional support, the decision can be even more daunting.

Special educational needs (SEN) support ensures all children receive the care and education they are entitled to. It provides the foundations for them to be successful and confident learners. 

What’s the difference between a mainstream and an SEN school?

If your child has additional needs, it’s possible for them to be catered for in either a mainstream or an SEN school. But what exactly is the difference?

Put simply, SEN schools are designed specifically to tailor for children with additional needs. Whereas mainstream schools will make amendments to provide additional support where necessary. This is referred to as special educational needs and support. SEN schools usually follow the national curriculum in the same way as mainstream schools, but may make adjustments if necessary. 

Generally speaking, SEN schools will have a smaller intake than most mainstream schools. They offer smaller classes and a lower pupil to teacher ratio as well as specialist staff, such as occupational therapists, who support development and wellbeing. The environment will also be set up to cater for the different needs of children. This could cover learning disabilities and physical disabilities as well as general support needs.  

Eligibility for an SEN school

To be eligible to attend an SEN school, it must be shown that a child requires more support than can be offered through special educational needs and support in a mainstream school. To do this, your local authority will carry out an assessment. If it decided that your child would benefit from attending an SEN school, an education, health and care plan (EHCP) will be devised for them. This will then make them eligible for a placement. In Wales and Northern Ireland this plan is called a statement of special educational needs. For Scotland it’s known as a coordinated support plan (CSP). In 2021/22 over 350,000 pupils in England had an EHCP. 

You can find out more about education, health and care plans and the assessment process here. 

It’s important to note that the law requires all children to be accepted into a mainstream school if the parent(s) wants them to attend (i.e., you will have the choice between mainstream and SEN settings), apart from in special circumstances.

This includes if:

• A mainstream school won’t be able to offer the support the child needs.
• The education of the other children at the school would be affected.
• The placement would be too expensive. 

These guidelines are in place to ensure all children receive the support they need.

Choosing the right school for you 

If you are wondering whether your child would benefit from more support than a mainstream school offers, choosing the right setting can be a minefield, but there are some steps you can take to make the process easier. 

Make a list of your priorities

When deciding on the best school for your child, it’s unlikely that you’re going to find somewhere that ticks every box. There may be some compromises to make. 

To help you narrow down your search, it’s a good idea to think about what matters to you the most. 

This might include: 

• The size of the school – smaller schools are often able to offer more personalised, one-to-one support.
• What facilities are available – many SEN schools will be more equipped to cater for a range of needs and requirements.
• Distance from home – there will likely be fewer options for SEN schools compared to mainstream schools in your local area, so it might be necessary to travel a little further afield. In some cases, transport will be provided by your local council, find out more here.
• Budget – many SEN schools are independent and may charge attendance fees. If this is something you’re considering, it will be worth planning a budget for however long you would like your child to attend the school.

Your priorities will be completely individual to you, your child and your life as a family, so take time to think about what is really important to each aspect of your family unit as well as your hopes for your child’s education and development. 

Visit different schools

As with most things, seeing things for yourself is often the best way to make a judgement. Most schools offer open days but will also be open to visits by appointment at other times of the year too. 

When visiting a school, try to:

• Speak to staff, parents and pupils if possible to get different perspectives.
• Look at the physical accessibility of the school – the size of the classrooms and entry ways, if there are multiple floors or if everything is on one level, whether there are ramps or stairlifts in place.
• Observe classes in action to get as realistic an insight as possible.
• Take note of the facilities on offer – for example, disabled toilets, alternative or additional equipment for PE or other sports or adjustable desks.
• Plan your questions in advance to help maximise your time. 

Accessibility Plans

Across the UK, all schools are required to have an Accessibility Plan in place. An Accessibility Plan should outline how a school will cater for children with additional needs and disabilities now and in the future.

Specifically, this will include:

• The supply of information to parents of disabled children and young people.
• Physical access to the school and its facilities.
• Teaching and assessment to meet individual need.

When you visit a school, they should be willing to share their Accessibility Plan with you, outlining what they currently have in place, and what they would put in place, to ensure your child has full and equal access to the facilities and the curriculum.

Meet the SENCO

Every school in the UK will have a Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator ( SENCO. They may be known under a different title in different areas. In England and Northern Ireland they are generally referred to as Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators. In Wales they tend to be called an Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (ANCO). Meanwhile in Scotland they are known as an Additional Support or Learning Assistant (ASL). It can be a stand-alone role or part of a separate role, such as a teacher or headteacher. 

A SENCO is essentially responsible for arranging whatever children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) need. This could include adjustments, equipment or resources or additional support from teaching staff, for example. In some cases, they may take on additional responsibilities, but this will depend on their role within the individual setting. 

The SENCO within a school will be able to answer any questions you have about the support your child will receive and what kind of experience they will have at that particular setting. 

If possible, it may be a good idea to plan a meeting with the SENCO when your child isn’t with you. 

On their website, Scope offers a list of questions you might want to ask when visiting a school.

Ask other parents

Schools across the UK offer high quality care and education, but it’s not likely that every setting will be able to meet your needs 100%. First-hand experience will be a really useful tool when choosing which school is right for your child. 

If you know parents whose children share similar needs, this will be perfect. Even if not, finding out about their general experience at a mainstream or SEN setting should help to give you an insight into what day to day life would be like for your child. 

Consider dual registration

In some cases, children are able to attend a mainstream and an SEN school. Known as dual registration, they will spend their time between both settings, benefiting from what each has to offer on a temporary or long-term basis. 

When a child has dual registration, they will usually have one school listed as their main setting and the other as a subsidiary school. Typically, the main setting will be the mainstream school with alternative provision being provided by a specialist setting. 

Dual registration is a really good way for children to experience the best of both worlds if you are unsure of which option will be better for them in the long run. They will receive the additional support they need whilst being able to socialise and be included in a mainstream setting. Once they’re settled, you might find that they enjoy or thrive within one of the settings more than the other, or that they’re happy splitting their time between the two. 

Additional help and support

Remember that mainstream settings have an obligation to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs. Every child deserves the opportunity to be accepted, included and supported in whichever setting they attend. 

For guidance on finding a school across the UK, take a look at the following resources:

• Finding a school in England
• Finding a school in Scotland
• Finding a school in Wales
• Finding a school in Northern Ireland