Your child at school
View all schools in Plymouth. Find out all about them and how to get in touch.
Find out how to apply for a Plymouth school place and ensure your child goes to your preferred school.
For many reasons, including the disruption to a child's education, it is better that children do not move school other than for normal primary/secondary transfers.
School SEN information reports
All schools must publish a SEN Information Report on their school website. The report should be easy to find, put together in a way that families can understand and reviewed, with families, each year.
How are special educational needs identified by schools
Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has special educational needs.
Where pupils experience difficulties with handwriting, schools are expected to take a graduated approach to meeting their needs
School Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)
Each school has a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). The SENCO is responsible for the progress of all children with special educational needs regardless of whether they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
What are schools expected to provide?
The majority of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities attend mainstream schools.
Dyslexia best practice guidance
The Council and schools have worked together to produce guidance on supporting children and young people with dyslexia and literacy difficulties.
As a parent, it's your responsibility to make sure your child gets to and from school, however, in some cases, we can assist with transport.
An annual review helps to make sure a child, with special educational needs, is getting the right help and support.
This guidance is written for schools, however, families may also find many aspects of it useful.
Every school has young carers although many are hidden for various reasons. Currently there are over 900 young carers in Plymouth with many more that have still to be identified.
Independent specialist education provision, known as 'List 41'
Independent schools for pupils with special educational needs, including those approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act.
The primary audience for this page is schools and education establishments.
Alternative education provision
A key principle is that any pupil considered for alternative provision should be supported by a comprehensive plan. This plan should be person-centred, multi-agency and be underpinned by the assess, plan, do and review process.
How do schools support students through transitions?
In Plymouth, we have worked with schools to produce a framework to support children who are making the transition between primary and secondary school it is called the 'Plymouth Enhanced Transitions Framework'.
The School Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) Guide
Plymouth's 'SENCO Guide' offers information, resources and signposting for SENCOS and other professionals to support with Special Educational Needs and disabilities(SEND) policy and practice.
Where pupils experience difficulties with handwriting, schools are expected to take a graduated approach to meeting their needs. This would begin with support in the classroom, for example, being provided with a writing grip or being supported with the gradient that a pupil writes at.

Plymouth Early Help and SEND Advice Line (formerly known as the Plymouth Children's Gateway)
