Special School Admissions

The Local Authority (LA) makes arrangements for the identification and assessment of children who have Special Educational Needs. Parents have an important role in this assessment process.

The needs of pupils with and without statements are largely met within mainstream schools or special provision maintained by the LA in liaison with school governing bodies. All mainstream schools, including grant maintained and voluntary aided ones, have a special needs department. They are required by law to accommodate the expected range of special educational needs of pupils.

In some cases, it may be appropriate to provide education in schools outside Waltham Forest, some of which are maintained by other authorities and some of which may be independent schools.

Further information is available on request from the SEN Team of the Education Department and also at schools and public libraries.

Assessment Places

Children who are being educated in special schools must have a statement of special educational needs. It is inappropriate, therefore, for special and mainstream schools to make informal arrangements for transferring pupils from mainstream to special schools either between themselves or directly with parents. In exceptional emergency cases, the LA may agree to an “assessment place”. This is time-limited and requires the agreement of parents.