Feature in Education Choices Magazine: Tips when looking for the right school for your neurodivergent child
For most parents choosing a school for their child, the decision can be daunting enough, but it usually comes down to proximity, perhaps inspection reports and the feel and feedback you get from your child about the sort of environment that would suit them. When you’re trying to make that decision for a child with special educational needs (SEN), as a parent you feel the stakes are higher, and are faced with an almost overwhelming combination of variables that can make you wonder what to do or where to turn.
Natalie Verbo, Director of Firefly Education London, helps guide parents of SEND pupils through school searches and finds specialist one-to-one teachers, teaching assistants and nannies to work with their children. As a mother of an Autistic daughter, she has also been through the process herself.
There are a few things to consider when you have a child with a Special Educational Need that require some extra fact-finding and questioning.
If you have a diagnosis and/or EHCP, draw up questions about how the school would support. Relate your questions to how they would support your child’s interests, how open they are to outside therapists, such as speech or occupational therapists coming into school, and how they communicate with parents.
We recommend shortlisting through a mixture of school website research, asking questions of the admissions team on email (not all schools will be able to help your child or even want to) then visiting two or three schools to meet the SENCO for a meeting and tour. That will give you a good feel for how they’d work with you and your child (because you must work WITH your child’s school) and you’ll get to observe them in action, and to see their classrooms and facilities, such as sensory rooms, communication boards and quiet environments.
It’s also possible that you might explore an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for your child and need to enter a tribunal process. Speaking honestly with a SENCO about how they can support that and hearing their answers, will help you to get the best learning environment for your child. Meeting an individual teacher or SENCO for a private discussion will always give you a more honest answer than an official school prospectus, so getting that meeting is probably the single most important thing.
Positive signs when visiting SEN schools for your child
I visit lots of schools with parents, and it’s important to take note of the things you see and hear, and to not be afraid to ask for clarification. A school that’s welcoming and going to be well-equipped to help your child will demonstrate this in lots of ways:
· Having symbols around the school to aid in communication
· They are proud of having a flexible learning approach to suit the needs of each child.
· They have a flexible policy around uniform to be suitable to sensory needs
· They have dedicated break-out or “chill-out spaces” where children can have movement breaks or combine learning with physical exertion
· They’re respectful of their pupils’ privacy and individuality. Once I visited a school who pointed out children with EHCPs to me; a huge GDPR and privacy violation
· Is there space on the playground for those who aren’t as active? Perhaps board games. Conversely, are there enough physical outlets for the child? Climbing wall/ frame, enough space to run and jump
· They are truly SEN-focused across all pupils, and all children have access to a variety of learning methods
· Other children have 1:1 support in the classroom and the school are supportive of parents who want a 1:1 to help their child
If you are looking for guidance on the school search process, or are looking for a one-to-one teacher or assistant for your child, we can help guide you through to multitude of options, but hopefully some of the tips we’ve mentioned here can be a useful starting point for you, whatever your current situation.
natalie@fireflyeducation.co.uk
Instagram: @fireflyeducationlondon