Supporting Parents to choose the right school placement

Supporting Parents to choose the right school placement

A practical guide for SENCOs working with neurodivergent learners and their families.

My name is Katie Fletcher and I am an associate specialist teacher for Reachout ASC.  As a qualified SENCO, I know the pivotal role in guiding families through one of the most significant decisions in a child’s educational journey: choosing the right placement at key transitions.

For parents of neurodivergent children, this process can feel complex, emotional, and high stakes. Your support can make the difference between families feeling overwhelmed and feeling informed, empowered, and heard.

Framing the process for Parents

When discussing key transitions, it can help to clearly explain that this is not simply a school move; it can be a legal process tied to a child’s EHCP.

Key points to reinforce with families:

• The annual review in the Summer term of Year 5 or Year 6 Autumn term is critical for transition planning.
• The local authority must issue a final EHCP naming a placement by 15 February (or 31 March for post-16).
• Parents have a legal right to request a school placement.

Encouraging early engagement helps reduce last-minute pressure and supports more thoughtful decision-making.

Embedding a Neuro-affirming Approach

Families often receive mixed messages about what type of provision is “best.” As a SENCO, you can reframe this by focusing on fit rather than hierarchy.

Support parents to consider:

• where their child feels safe and regulated.
• environments that value difference rather than mask it.
• provision that aligns with their child’s communication, sensory, and learning profile.

A neuro-affirming lens moves the conversation away from “can they cope in mainstream?” to “what environment enables them to thrive?”

 Supporting Parents to use the Local Offer

Many parents are unaware of how to navigate local authority resources. You can guide them to your Local Authority’s Local Offer:

Encourage parents to:

• explore different types of provision (mainstream, units, special schools).
• note which settings align with their child’s primary areas of need.
• build an initial shortlist before visits.

You may also want to contextualise this information with your professional insight into local settings.

Helping Parents compare Mainstream and Specialist Provision

Parents can feel pressure—either toward mainstream inclusion or specialist provision. You can support balanced, needs-led decision-making.

Mainstream settings

Discuss:

• Quality of SEN support and adaptability.
• Peer environment and inclusion culture.
• Capacity to deliver EHCP provision.

Specialist settings

Explore:

• Level of specialism and therapeutic input.
• Structure, predictability, and staffing ratios.
• Peer group and communication compatibility.

Framing both options neutrally helps families feel less judged and more confident in their decision.

Preparing Parents for School visits

You can add significant value by helping parents go into visits with a clear lens.

Encourage them to look beyond surface impressions and consider:

• Interactions between staff and pupils.
• How distress and dysregulation are understood and supported.
• Whether the environment feels calm, flexible, and respectful.

Where possible, offer to:

• Suggest schools based on your knowledge, but don’t share unreliable opinions based on hearsay.
• Support with arranging visits and making a bullet point plan of things to remember to look at or ask about.
• Help interpret what parents observe.  This is best if you have visited some different provisions yourself, but again be neutral in your opinions.

Signposting to Support

Remind families they are not alone in this process. Key sources of support include:

• Yourself as SENCO (ongoing guidance and interpretation).
• Advice given by Reachout ASC as Specialist Teachers (evidence based understanding and knowledge).
• Local SEND Team (placement decisions).
• Local SENDIASS teams (independent advice and advocacy).
• External professionals (EPs, SALT, OTs).

Clear signposting can reduce anxiety and improve engagement.

Key questions you can share with Parents

Providing parents with structured questions can build confidence and ensure visits are purposeful.

• How does the school take a neuro-affirming approach?
• How are individual differences recognised and supported?
• What is the staff-to-pupil ratio?
• How is EHCP provision delivered and monitored?
• How are sensory needs supported?
• What happens when a child becomes overwhelmed?
• How does the school communicate with families?
• How are pupils supported to express their needs?
• What transition support is offered?
• How do children normally travel to the setting?
• Can this be personalised?

 ✨ Top Tips for SENCOs to Share with Parents

• Start early – early conversations lead to better outcomes.
• Encourage record-keeping – notes from visits and meetings are invaluable.
• Centre the child’s voice – in whatever form that takes.
• Focus on needs, not type of school.
• Visit multiple settings to enable meaningful comparison.
• Promote support services like SENDIASS.
• Reinforce legal rights around school preference and appeals.
• Encourage parental confidence – they know their child best.

By offering clear information, a neuro-affirming perspective, and practical tools, SENCOs can empower families to make informed, confident decisions about school placement—ensuring each child moves into a setting where they are understood, supported, and able to thrive.

Katie Flectcher is one of our associate specialist teachers at Reachout ASC and supports Schools, SENCOs and pupils with all aspects of SEND support. Contact her via office@reachoutasc.com