SEND education options and admissions

All children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can go to a mainstream education provider.

Parents and carers can also consider home education.

If a child or young person does not have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, follow the normal school admissions process when applying for a school place.

Read about school admissions on the Buckinghamshire Council website, including how to:

• apply for a school place
• find a school place
• appeal a school admission decision

If a child or young person has an EHC plan, parents, carers and the young person themselves can say which education provider they would like to go to.

They can do this when a new EHC plan is in draft form, or as part of an EHC plan annual review.

The council must consult with education providers before naming them in an EHC plan.

We will name the parents’, carers’ or young person’s preferred education provider in their EHC plan, unless:

• the education provider is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person
• the attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient education of others – and there are no reasonable steps the council can take to avoid this – or the efficient use of council resources (paragraph 9.79, SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years)

If you need to make an in-year application for your child or young person with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, use the contact the iSEND Service form.