SEND education options and admissions
Special schools
If a parent or carer feels their child with SEND needs more help than a mainstream school can give them, they can consider a special school.
This also applies to young people with SEND, who feel they need more help than a mainstream school can provide.
There are specific criteria in the SEND Code of Practice that will affect whether a placement at a special school is agreed. These relate to a child or young person’s:
- age
- ability or aptitude
- special educational needs
- the impact on the education of others
- the efficient use of resources
(paragraph 9.79, SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years)
All children and young people who go to special schools in Buckinghamshire have an EHC plan.
Special schools work with the council to help children and young people with SEND who have high-level needs.
Use our directory to see special schools in Buckinghamshire. You can use our helpful drop-down filters to refine your search by age and special educational needs, which will help you with your decision making.
This list includes Buckinghamshire special maintained schools and academies in Buckinghamshire.
Ability range of Buckinghamshire Special Schools
When considering the ability range of the school, the following guidance is useful:
You can use this guide to cross-reference with our school list below, so you are aware of what specialist provision in Buckinghamshire is for.
Average cognition or specific learning difficulties
- Chiltern Way Academy must have a primary need of Social, Emotional and Mental Health or Communication and Interaction (Autism).
Moderate learning difficulties
Severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties.