We hope that you find this page helpful. If you have any questions, you can get in touch and we will try to answer them for you.
Your rights
Schools and colleges have a responsibility to work with young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) to help them achieve their goals.
The law says that you have a right to be educated in a mainstream school if this is your choice and they can meet your needs.
If you cannot attend a mainstream school because you need more support with your learning, then you would need an EHCP and could apply for a place at a specialist school or setting.
You can read more about what the law says on the your rights page.
You can read more how your school or college can support you on the support in your school or college.
What types of schools and settings are there
There are different types of specialist schools and settings that you could attend these are:
Mainstream schools
These are the schools that most children and young people will be expected to attend.
They are typically able to support young people with mild to moderate SEND, by following what is known as the 'graduated approach'. Each school must have a qualified SENCO who coordinates support for students with additional needs across the school
You can read more about this on the support in your school or college page.
Enhanced resource bases
These are bases in mainstream schools with additional resources for particular children with an EHCP where there is more specialist support and staff. Students are not generally taught separately and are included in the mainstream classes.
Special schools
You need to have an EHCP to attend this type of school. Special schools provide for students whose degree of disability requires a more comprehensive specialist approach than a mainstream school or enhanced resource school can provide. Leicestershire County Council arranges the admission to these types of schools. The ‘Find a school’ tool on the local authority website can also be used by searching by need.
Specialist Independent schools
These are approved educational settings that offer a comprehensive specialist approach. Some of these settings will require that you have an EHCP or a certain type of need. Leicestershire County Council arranges the admission to these types of schools.
Post 16 options- Further Education (FE)
You can legally leave school at the end of the year that you turn 16, but you must remain in some kind of education or training until you turn 18. This is known as Further Education (FE).
After the age of 18, you would not remain at the current school or setting as you would now be classed as an adult learner. Some specialist settings offer education for 19-25 year olds, or you might want to consider university. This is known as Higher Education (HE).
You should receive information and advice about suitable options and courses in good time to make the right decision. It is important to choose somewhere that you will feel comfortable and be able to work towards and achieve your goals.
As well as getting information from your school or setting, you can also check the Leicestershire County Council Local Offer site to see what is available in or visit the National Careers Service website.
You can choose from:
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Sixth form at your currents school or setting if they have one
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Sixth form at a new school or setting
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A further education (FE) college
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A specialist FE college - If you have an EHC Plan
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A traineeship
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An apprenticeship
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A supported internship - if you have an EHC Plan
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Studying part-time
You can find out more about these options on our preparing for adulthood page.
There are many foundation learning and supported courses in Leicestershire designed to meet the needs of young people aged 16 to 24 who have SEND.
Leicestershire County Council has a information that can help you choose and apply, it might help you decide what school might be best for you;
More about Higher Education (HE)
If you chose to go to university, then your EHCP will automatically come to an end. This does not mean that extra support is not available, as universities also have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students.
This could include support such as flexible seminar times, support for study skills or access to specialist computer software.
You may also be able to apply for a Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) to help fund specialist support or equipment that you need.
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is an independent charity, and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education and has lots of really helpful information and advice, they also have a webpage specifically for SEND students.
Visiting a school, college or setting
It is a good idea to go and visit any school or setting that you are thinking of attending. This would give you the chance to look at the environment and meet the staff.
You could also look at the school or setting's website to see what they offer and read about the way that they run things. This might help you with your decision making.
When making a visit, it can be helpful to take down some notes about what you think or of any questions that come up, to then ask at the end of the visit. It is also helpful to visit a few settings so that you can compare them and see which one feels best for you.
Things to ask or think about:
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What SEND support can they offer you?
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How does the learning space feel to you?
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Do you think you will be able to move around independently?
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Is anything worrying you?
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How is the teaching organised?
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What are the class sizes?
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Do they have any students with similar needs to you?
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If they run any clubs or groups that might interest you?
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How would you get there?
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How do they track progress?
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How do they communicate with home?
Disclaimer
Whilst we hope that you find these resources helpful, the information in this section is not endorsed by Leicestershire SENDIASS and we're not responsible for the content of sites or services offered by third parties.