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16 April 2026

Tag: special schools

Ministers asked to ‘guarantee’ SEND rules won’t be relaxed again

Ministers have been asked to “guarantee” laws won’t be relaxed again that “downgrade” support for SEND pupils, as special schools are granted flexibility over provision during the latest lockdown. The Department for Education confirmed to Schools Week that special and alternative provision schools will be closed to all but vulnerable pupils and the children of […]

Special schools demand clarity on vulnerability criteria amid closure warning

Special schools could be at risk of closing completely if government guidance on vulnerable children is not updated urgently, sector leaders are warning. The Department for Education has confirmed to Schools Week that special and alternative provision schools will be closed to all but vulnerable and key worker children. However, any child with an education […]

Head’s ‘fury’ as vulnerable kids miss out due to PPE issues

A headteacher is “furious” after having to tell parents of pupils with complex medical needs that they must stay at home because of a struggle to source appropriate protective equipment.  The Department for Education (DfE) is being urged to clarify arrangements for children who require specialist care, such as those with chronic lung disease, so […]

Coronavirus: Special school leaders should make decision about pupils attending

Heads at special schools should make decisions about whether their pupils should attend school on a “case by case” basis, according to the government. Some of these schools, which have highly vulnerable pupils, were already beginning to close earlier this week after Monday’s guidance around social distancing for the vulnerable and dwindling staff numbers. However, […]

How should progress be measured in a special school?

Special schools aren’t just a watered-down version of mainstream schools, and require progress measures that provide meaningful information for students, parents and the government, argues Sabrina Hobbs As many mainstream schools are still finding their way through life beyond levels, special schools are dealing with a similar scenario of their own. Our old system of […]

Special-school closure will leave pupils with 45-mile commute

Staff and pupils from a special school in Cambridgeshire will have to travel 45 miles to a new location if plans to close their current site are approved. The TBAP multi-academy trust wants to close the Unity Academy – Fenland in Wisbech, which has just 24 pupils, and transfer them to another site it owns […]

Independent special schools are cost effective

It is in everyone’s interests to get SEND support right, says Claire Dorer. For many pupils that means a place in an independent special school It’s rare to see media coverage on special needs provision in non-maintained and independent special schools (NMISS) without cost being mentioned. Generally this is in relation to absolute costs and […]

Special-school recruitment: the crisis no one is talking about

Recruitment for special schools is way tougher than in the mainstream, but there are steps that the government and schools can take, says Marc Rowland. If you have just joined a special school, alternative provision (AP) setting or pupil referral unit (PRU), you are more likely to have a temporary teacher (or no teacher at […]