The majority of children and young people with Special Educational Needs will have their needs met within a mainstream school or college setting.
The SEND Code of Practice 2014 says that it expects that children and young people will be in a mainstream setting, and that parents and young people have the right to express the choice to be in a mainstream setting.
However, a minority of children and young people will need a more specialised curriculum to support their needs. This is delivered in a specialist setting.
Parents and carers can express a preference for a specific school to be named within a child or young person's Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The Local Authority has a duty to name this choice unless:
Efficient education means providing each child or young person with:
Only children and young people with complex needs which cannot be met within mainstream would require a specialist setting.
Therefore, to be considered for a specialist setting a child or young person will need to have an Education, Health and Care Plan where the setting would be named in Section I.
The SEN Code of Practice 2014 section 9.80 outlines when a Local Authority would name a specialist setting:
The local authority must consult the governing body, principal or proprietor of the school or college concerned and consider their comments very carefully before deciding whether to name it in the child or young person’s EHC plan, sending the school or college a copy of the draft plan. If another local authority maintains the school, they too must be consulted.
For more information, please email the Coventry City Council SEN Team