Parents and Carers
- SEN Support in Mainstream Schools
- SEN Support in School Meetings
- Choosing a School or College
- Education Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessments, Plans and Reviews
- Appeals and Mediation
- Attendance and Exclusions
- Transitioning Between Schools or Settings
- Early Years
- SEND Funding
- Transport to School and College
- Preparing For Adulthood (PfA)
- Making a Complaint
- Health Needs and Education
- Elective Home Education (EHE)
- School Admissions
- Disability Discrimination
- Children's Disability Register
School Admissions
Parents and carers of children and young people with SEND have additional concerns when trying to find a school place for their child.
As well as the actual application process, they need to ensure that any school they make an application to, can meet their child’s particular needs.
Arranging to talk to relevant school staff, e.g. the Headteacher or Senco, can be quite time-consuming and parents should start considering their child’s school place well before the date by which they need to make their application.
Children with an EHC Plan have different arrangements for admission to school, and parents do not apply through the usual admission process.
Within the autumn term of the final year of their current school placement, an early annual review should be arranged to support the transfer to a new phase of education. The LA have a duty to name the new school in Section I of the EHC Plan by 15th February of the following year, ready for September entry. For children transferring between school and post-16 education, the LA has a responsibility to name the post-16 educational placement in Section I of the EHC Plan by 31st March.
Any school (mainstream or specialist) under consideration will be formally consulted with, by the LA, to ask if they can meet the child’s needs as set out in the EHC Plan. There may be some discussion about additional resources or funding before agreement can be reached over a school place.
Once the Local Authority is satisfied that a school can offer the child a suitable education and environment, the name of the school is written in Section I of the EHC Plan.
Parents and carers have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal if the LA refuse to name a particular school at phase transfer (Please see Appeal Section).
If your child has SEND but does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), then you should follow the usual admissions process.
If you are going through the EHC needs assessment process, then you should still follow the usual admissions process alongside this in case a plan is not agreed.
If your child is at a school, but you wish to change schools, you will need to apply for a school transfer. Information for moving schools can be found on the links below, for each Local Authority.
School places are offered according to the admission criteria listed in the school’s admission policy, which can be found on the school’s website. Across Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire there are lots of different admissions policies, so you will need to check the school’s policy to see what their criteria are.
All admissions authorities must determine admissions arrangements each year, even if they have not changed from previous years.
The Local Authority is responsible for many school’s admissions. However, not all schools use this process, so please check the school’s admission policy, on the website.
Nottingham City Council Admissions arrangements can be found here
Nottinghamshire County Council Admissions arrangements can be found here
If you are unsure whether you live in the area covered by Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, or a different Local Authority, you can use the 'Find your local council search' on the Government website.
For admissions made through the Local Authority’s Admission process, you can apply online or ask for a paper form. Only the child’s parent (or person with parental responsibility) can apply.
For applications to secondary school, applications are usually open from early August to late October (please check exact dates at the links above). National Offer Day, where you will be notified of which school your child has been offered a place at, is usually at the beginning of March.
For applications to Infant and Junior schools, applications are usually open from early November to mid-January (please check exact dates at the links above). National Offer Day, where you will be notified of which school your child has been offered a place at, is usually mid-April.
If your application is late, this will reduce your chances of getting a place at your preferred school, especially if it is popular.
You can read about late applications on the Local Authorities Admission link (in the ‘When to apply for a school place’ section).
With Local Authority admission processes, they will ask you to list four preference schools. You are advised to list 4 preferences on your application. Schools will not know where they fall within your list, nor which other schools are on your list. You will be offered the school which both has a place available and is highest on your list. It does not increase your chance of getting a place at the school you really want if you only list that one.
Parents of children with SEND will want to visit schools and speak to the Senco about their child’s needs. If you feel that only one particular school can meet your child’s needs, you should ask for written supporting evidence from one of the professionals involved with your child and submit that with your application.
It is the parent’s responsibility to get their child to school on time every day. Children living more than three miles from the school may get travel assistance. Parents of children who have a special transport need, due to the child’s disability, should apply for special transport assistance. Information about school transport is often only given to parents quite late in the summer term.
Parents of children with SEND may want to have some discussion in the second half of Year 5 and again during the autumn term, about which schools might be considered.
During the final year within the current school placement there should be some discussion about how to make the transition to secondary as smooth as possible.
Once the school place is known, parents can request to meet with staff at the school to discuss their child’s transition into school.
If your child has been previously educated outside of their normal age group, it will be your responsibility to request admission out of the normal age group again, when the child transfers to the next school.
This request should be submitted in writing to the school admissions team at the point where the transfer round opens for your child’s normal age group. It is also possible for parents to seek a place for their child outside of the normal age group, for example, if the child is gifted and talented, or has experienced problems such as ill health. It will be for the admission authority of the preferred school to decide whether to admit the child outside of the normal age group. The admission authority will make a decision based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned.
Parent and carers have the right to appeal.
With the information about the school place you have been allocated, you should receive details of how to appeal if you do not want to accept the school place. Please check the details on the appeals notice, as there will be a deadline.
If your child is not allocated a place at the school you prefer you have the right to appeal. The letter you receive telling you that the admission has been refused will contain some information on how to appeal.
For community and voluntary controlled schools the responsibility for appeals rests with Nottinghamshire County Council or Nottingham City Council (the Admission Authority for whichever area the school is in).
For indepenedent schools, voluntary aided schools, foundation schools, free schools and academies, the responsibility for appeal arrangements rests with the school, because they are their own admission authority. You will need to contact the school directly for details of how to appeal.
However, please note that both Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council also administer appeals for a number of own admission authority schools. Details of how to appeal will be available from the school.
Acceptance of a place at a school does not affect your right to appeal for a place at another school. However, if you decide to appeal for any of your preferences, it is wise to secure a place for your child at an alternative school in case your appeal is unsuccessful.
Appeal for more than one placement
You may appeal for more than one school, although this will mean you will have to attend one or more appeal hearings on different days. Please submit a separate appeal form for each school you are appealing for.
The hearing
Many appeals are received across the county and city. Appeals are processed as quickly as possible within the legal deadlines set down in the School Admission Appeals Code.
Appeals are heard by an independent panel. A decision by an appeal panel is binding on the admissions authority, i.e. a place must be given if an appeal is successful.
Notice of the hearing
You will be sent notification of the hearing at least 10 school days in advance (unless you have agreed to a shorter period than this).
If you lodge appeals for more than one school, you will get a separate date for each appeal, which could be some weeks apart.
Submitting additional information
If you wish to submit any further information over and above what was included with your appeal form, it must be sent to us at least 5 days prior to the hearing. This is to enable circulation of the additional information in advance of your hearing, giving the Panel and the authority the opportunity to consider the information in advance. If significant information is received after this deadline the hearing may have to be held on a later date.

SEND Local Offer
The Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council SEND Local Offers are a great resource for finding events, support and activities in your area.
City Council County Council