Choosing a school

Whether or not your child has a statement of special educational needs, you have the right to express a preference for a school for your child. You will probably find it helpful to visit several schools and speak to teachers and parents about their experiences. If the school has policies on medical conditions, disability, inclusion or special educational needs, you can ask for copies of these. This type of information may help you decide how well the school will support your child. An officer from the authority should be available to speak with you about choosing a school, and may be able to visit the school with you, if you want. You may also wish to seek help and advice from a friend, relative, or a voluntary organisation such as the SEN advice centre (SENAC): their contact details are in the directory at the end of this guide.

If your child has a statement of special educational needs, part 4 will be left blank on the proposed statement to allow you to suggest a choice of school. If you wish your child to be placed in a mainstream school, the authority must abide by this as long as the placement is:

• appropriate for your child’s needs;
• compatible with the interests of other children already at the school; and
• compatible with the efficient use of the authority’s resources.

If the authority decides not to name your first choice of school, it should explain its decision in writing. If the authority decides not to name your choice of school because they believe the placement does not fulfil the statutory conditions (above), then it should consult you about any other schools you would like to suggest. The authority may propose an alternative school: it may recommend a school nearer to where you live, if it believes that school meets your child’s needs. The authority must consult the governors at the school they plan to name, and send them a copy of the proposed statement, before naming it in the final statement.

If you wish your child to be placed in a school that is not a grant-aided school in Northern Ireland (for example a fee paying school, or a school outside Northern Ireland), you should make a written representation to the authority. This must be done within 15 days of receiving the proposed statement, and the school you propose may be able to help you with your representation. If the authority decides not to accept your representation, it should inform you before naming a school in the final statement so that you have a chance to reconsider the choice of school.

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