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Choosing a school or college

The law recognises the importance of parents or carers and young people being able to choose their educational setting as far as possible. Getting the right setting can be very important for children and young people with special educational needs (“SEN”).

There are a number of different types of school: mainstream and special, and those which are under local authority control and those which are not. If you want a particular school, it is important to know what type it is.

All children and young people with SEN are entitled to a mainstream education, if that is what their parents want – see below for more information.

The process of choosing a school will be different depending on whether the child or young person has an education, health and care (“EHC”) plan or not.

Please click on the following headings for further information:

Types of Schools 

Choosing a school/College without an EHC Plan 

Choosing a school/College with an EHC Plan

The Right to a Mainstream Education

Home Schooling (EHE) and Education Otherwise