SEND IASS - How to choose a school factsheet
Ask questions
You want to find out practical details, like class sizes and arrangements for extra support.
We would advise you pre-prepare some questions that might be relevant to your child specifically e.g. if your child has a physical disability you will probably want to find out about the layout of the building and what reasonable adjustments a school would make to include your child in all parts of school life (including school trips).
You can make notes to compare when choosing a school.
Possible key questions:
- how many pupils are in each class? How many support staff?
- how is the timetable organised?
- what subjects are offered?
- what are the approaches to teaching?
- what transition approaches are offered?
- how do you monitor progress / behaviours / needs?
- what are staff experiences or understanding needs of SEN children?
- what other agencies do you work with?
- do any staff have specialist training?
- how do you communicate with parents?
If considering special schools, you may want to ask:
- what range of difficulty or disability does the school cater for?
- will my child get help with social skills?
- what therapies are available?
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