Schools Advice Service
Help to find the right school for children with special educational needs
Services
We help parents to find the schools which will be the best fit for their child with SEND. We cover mainstream schools, special schools, and units attached to mainstream; state and independent schools; and both day and boarding schools. We also cover special needs colleges for students aged 16-25.
School searches are bespoke, tailored to your child’s specific needs and your family’s individual circumstances – for example taking into account your commuting journey, school runs for siblings, and children living between two homes.
We work across the whole of England, so your search can be focused either on your immediate area, or to find options across a wider region if you are considering relocating or boarding schools.
Our school recommendations are strictly impartial. Unlike some education consultants, we do not take any commission from schools when placing children, meaning you can be assured that we will always, and only, be selecting schools based on your child's best interests.
Our modular service enables you to purchase as much or as little help as you need.
1. The initial consultation
All packages begin with an initial consultation.
This comprises up to three hours’ document reading and preparation (actual reading, because an AI scan misses important nuance and context), and then a video call of up to one hour.
Following the paperwork review, we will be able to guide you on the most appropriate school sectors for your child; advise whether any further or updated assessments are recommended for your school search; highlight any content in your paperwork which may be misleading and so will lead to unnecessary school rejections; and answer questions such as whether a mainstream independent school is a realistic option.
The one-hour call is entirely tailored to your needs and questions arising from your individual situation, so it can additionally include information on the EHCP process, guidance on what assessments will be needed and where to source these, and signposting to services such as legal help, SEN tutoring, family support, and so on.
For some parents, this will be enough to set you on track to carry out your own schools research, but if you would like assistance with school finding, we can discuss a brief during the call and we will then provide a bespoke quote for this service.
The initial consultation costs £210 (inclusive). If you upgrade to a school search service, this sum will be deducted from your package fee.
“I would never have thought of some of the schools you proposed.” AW
“The direction that you gave us removed much of the stress from the process and helped us zone in quickly on the best options. Superstar service." CD
“You have definitely found more than I was able to with my Google search.” HW
“It has proved a worthwhile investment as we would not have considered [school] … [which was] the only truly suitable school for J." JB
2. The School Search
This service comprises research into suitable schools in your chosen geographic areas and school sectors, a written report, and a one hour follow up call.
We will check all schools within a daily travel radius (or boarding distance/possible relocation areas, according to your brief), and for any new school openings on the horizon, to ensure that no stone has been left unturned.
We then hone this longlist through in-depth research into the schools’ inspection reports, SEND statements, reviews, DFE data, conversations with schools, information from parent moles and so on, to produce a shortlist of the most appropriate schools.
We provide you with a written report which will include details of the pupil profiles at the school, curriculum offer, therapy provision, Ofsted ratings and links, and any particular strengths or weaknesses of the school, along with details of how you can get to visit the school and key contacts.
School search package prices are based on the scale of your search, for example whether you are looking at both mainstream and special schools, or one sector only; how wide a geographic area you wish to consider; and the complexity of your child’s needs. An exact quote will be provided following the initial consultation.
3. The Advice Call
A follow up one hour advice call is included in your package with a school search, or can be booked on an ad hoc basis following an initial consultation.
This is tailored entirely to what you need to know. So it may be to discuss schools on the list or those you have seen, to help you decide on the best option, or to seek help when you are encountering stumbling blocks with visiting schools or other parts of the process.
Advice calls are priced at £130 inclusive, and are only available when we have previously held an initial consultation and seen your paperwork in order that we can advise you correctly. You can book further advice calls as and when you need them.
4. Add-on Services
We can offer additional services such as accompanied school visits, help with contacting schools, assistance with arranging visits, and wider help for parents living overseas. Further details can be discussed during your initial consultation or advice call.
For any queries, or to book an initial consultation, complete the form here or contact us
“Your services have been invaluable and given us options that we didn’t consider.” GH