Can my child attend a mainstream school?
Children with special educational needs have the right to be educated in mainstream schools where parents wish and the interests of the other children can be protected.
The school will be required to inform parents if they are making special educational needs provision for their child.
All schools have a designated member of staff, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), who has responsibility for special educational needs. Schools also have a special educational needs governor who has a particular responsibility for the SEN Policy and ensuring its delivery.
What happens if a mainstream school can't meet my child's needs?
There are a small proportion of pupils whose needs cannot be met by mainstream schools and the support services available to them. These pupils will require an Education, Health and Care Plan and may be placed in either a mainstream or a special school.
Fairness and access to education
Schools and post-16 education providers can not treat disabled pupils less favourably and need to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled pupils are not put at a substantial disadvantage.
They also need to prepare strategies for increasing accessibility over time. See part Part 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) for full details.