Finding a special needs school
Trying to find the right school for your child who has special needs? There are a several websites and organisations that might be able to help you:
CAMBIAN EDUCATION SERVICES - runs seven residential schools and colleges for children, young people and adults with autism, Asperger Syndrome and related disorders, or complex and severe learning difficulties including autism. Contact OAASIS on 0800 902 0732 for any enquiries, advice, prospectuses, lists of other independent special schools etc., or you can email your enquiry to oaasis@cambianeducation.com
GABBITAS Educational Consultancy publish the annual Gabbitas Guide to Schools for Special Needs, and can give independent personal guidance on all aspects of education (for a fee). They can be contacted via their website at www.gabbitas.co.uk., email: admin@gabbitas.co.uk Tel: 020 7734 0161. (There's a small Post 16 section too.) You can make an individualised search for a school at www.gabbitas.net. (until approx June 06, then use their main site). The Gabbitas Guide costs £23.99 incl p&p and is published by Kogan Page, 120 Pentonville Road, London NI 9JN. Website: www.kogan-page.co.uk Tel: 020 7278 0433
DYSLEXIA - if your child has dyslexia, visit www.crested.org.uk for the list of schools that help children with this problem.
Which School Ltd has a website at www.isbi.com through which parents and professionals can conduct a search to find the ideal school, including those offering special needs, for their child. They also produce a CDRom twice a year with this information. For OAASIS members there is a 50% discount for the CDRom, making the total price £9.00 (includes VAT and p&p). Tel: 01980 620575. Fax: 01980 621090.
THE NAS produces a book Schools, Units and Classes for children with autism and Asperger Syndrome. Revised 2004, it costs £8.00 + £3.95 p&p. See the NAS Website: www.autism.org.uk HO Publications Dept. Tel: 0207 903 3595. NAS books are ordered via Centre Books Ltd Tel: 0845 458 9911 Email nas@centrebooks.com You can also call the NAS general Helpline on 0845 070 4004, their Parent-to-Parent Helpline on 0800 952 0520 and their Education Advocacy Line or Tribunal Support Scheme on 0845 070 4002.
THE DfES EduBase helpdesk offers parents and professionals a free search through their own vast database (they maintain a list of all schools in the country). Helpdesk Tel: 0870 120 2527. Website: www.edubase.gov.uk.
The Special Education Directory is published annually by the School Government Publishing Co Ltd. It lists 1500 special schools and 3000 mainstream schools with designated special units; LE and SS depts.; EP services; Portage services and 300 support organisations. At £63.00 an issue this is somewhat expensive, but your library should be able to get you a copy to refer to. Your local LEA placements or education welfare officer may also have access to a copy. ISBN 0 900 640 782. Information from 01737 642223. Email: info@schoolgovernment.co.uk. Website www.schoolgovernment.co.uk.
Special Schools In Britain, published annually by Ascent Publishing, now also has a website at www.specialneedsuk.org where you can conduct your own search through their database and join a parents' or a professionals' forum. Special Schools in Britain costs £10.00. Sales Hotline: 01527 834473.
Which School? For Special Needs is published each year by John Catt Educational. It costs £19.95 + p&p from 01728 663666. You can link directly to their www.schoolsearch.co.uk site where you can search through their database - but only a limited number of special needs are listed (sensory/physical impairment; learning difficulties; EBD; mainstream independent offering learning support).
The Independent Schools Council website is at www.isc.co.uk . You can search for a school and link into the regional ISCis information services to find local contacts. Tel: 0207 766 7070
Youthinmind has a free online directory and school-finder www.findaspecialschool.net. This is run and edited by Professor Robert Goodman a doctor (and parent of a child who attended a special school) who has worked for over 20 years with children with SEN.
Other options: if your child is out of school because of illness, or has been excluded for a long time, or a suitable special school cannot be found which will meet his or her very individual needs, why not consider --
HOME LEARNING:
Clonlara School
An American High School offering home education over the Internet
Website: www.clonlara.org/
Education Otherwise
HelplineTel: 0845 478 6345
Education Otherwise Association Limited, PO Box 325, St Germans, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3XW
Website: www.education-otherwise.org/
A UK based membership organisation, which provides support and information for families whose children are educated outside school. Enclose SAE with enquiry.
Email: enquiries@education-otherwise.org
The NISAI Virtual Academy
Tel: 020 8424 8475
NISAI Education, Milton Road, Harrow HA1 1XB.
Website: www.nisaieducation.com
Offers distance learning with daily live virtual lessons following the UK National Curriculum for children aged 5-18 who are, for one reason or another, at home and not at school, including those who are ill, have been injured, have special needs, etc. Fees can be paid by LEAs, parents or schools.
The Student Support Centre
Tel: 0800 132277
The largest supplier of home-based learning materials specialising in home-based tuition in mathematics, English and reading. Website has Kids’ Pages, Parents’ Corner, Pass Masters.
Website: www.student-support.co.uk/
Home Education Advisory Service
Tel: 01707 371854
Po Box 98, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 6AN
Website: www.heas.org.uk/
Set up in 1995 by a group of experienced home educators to provide good quality legal and practical information. Offers advice and practical support for families who wish to educate children at home.
If your child is over 16:
COPE is a directory of post 16 residential education and training for young people with special needs. It is published every other year. The current edition, 2004, is the tenth and costs £31.95 + p&p. Available from Orca Book Services on 01202 665432
NATSPEC - The Association of National Specialist Colleges produces an annual publication of its member and associate colleges. The NATSPEC Directory is available FREE from Janice Biggs, NATSPEC Administrator 020 8471 3284; Queen Alexandra College 0121 428 5050; Portland College 01623 499111; Derwen College 01691 661234.
Other:
View the lists of special needs that a school or college can meet with a certain amount of scepticism: make sure the school addresses the difficulties of the conditions, and doesn't just contain them - or think they can cope as “we had a student with this diagnosis a year or so back”.
Check that staff receives training in their students' particular difficulties. Go for a school or college which offers the right range of special needs; be wary of those which profess to cover many. Nothing is as important as making a personal visit, on a normal working day, to a short-list of several schools.
Do not take your child with you on these preliminary informal trips - they may become excited, confused and agitated, especially if they visit several in a short space of time.
See the OAASIS Information Sheet Independent Special Schools for a list of the sorts of questions to be asking yourself while visiting schools or colleges.
Cambian Education Services run seven residential special schools and colleges for young people with autistic spectrum disorders, Asperger Syndrome/HFA, severe learning difficulties. OAASIS can give you advice on the schools and send you their prospectuses.
OAASIS also has lists of independent special schools/colleges that mention ADHD, ASP/HFA, AUT, BESD, CP, DYSP, TOU, again please contact us.
OAASIS produces 8 chargeable publications entitled ‘First Guide to…’; wallet sized cards explaining 9 learning disabilities and a wide range of free Information Sheets. Please contact OAASIS for the full list, or view them on the website at www.oaasis.co.uk. All the information sheets are checked annually; please ensure you have the current version.
© OAASIS (Office for Advice Assistance Support and Information on Special needs) This article can be freely reproduced with due attribution of authorship.