Most children with SEND will be able to go to their local mainstream school. They will be taught with children of their own age. They will receive extra help from their class teacher or some other special help provided by the school.
Find a primary school – Torbay Council provides a list and map view of schools in Torbay.
You may find it useful to:
- Make a list of all the schools within a reasonable distance from your home – it will be important for you to be able to easily get your child to and from school.
- Check the school transport policy
- Read TIPS 2 – Primary and secondary school appeals – Torbay Council
- Think about the kind of school site and environment you want – Is a faith school important to you? What kinds of playground space do you think suits your child? Modern or old school buildings? etc.
- Look at school websites for prospectus and policies information and more.
- Look at the each schools SEN Information reports to see what the school says they provide for children with SEN.
- Check the latest school Ofsted report – these should be published on the school websites but they can also be located on Find an Ofsted inspection report.
- Visit at least two schools so that you have something to compare. Go to their open day and don’t be afraid to ask for another opportunity to visit again and speak to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCo).
- When you’re at the open day or on a subsequent visit, make sure to look at all the areas that are important to you and get answers to all your questions. You make find Checklist for Visiting Schools (SEND) useful.
- Consider if the school already have all the things your child needs or they can easily be developed.
- Talk to parents who have children at the schools you’re considering, but be mindful that they can only share their own opinions and experiences
- Try to keep an open mind until you have looked at all the possibilities and spoken to the relevant professionals.
Since Torbay is a small area within Devon, some parents may wish to widen thier search for thier prefered school for their child or young person.
Primary Archives – Schools Information – Education and Families (devon.gov.uk)
Admissions to secondary schools in Devon are managed by the Torbay Local Authority in consultation with Devon County Council.
