Special Schools

Organisation/Business Category
Long Organisation/Business Description

Department of Education Approved List of Independent Special Schools and Colleges
Lists of all independent schools and colleges for children with special educational needs or disability (SEND), including:

schools and colleges approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014 in England and Wales
independent special schools in England, including non-maintained special schools (NMSS)

NMSS are schools that the Secretary of State for Education has approved under section 342 of the Education Act 1996.

You can filter the lists by local authority or by type of school.

Read the SEND code of practice for parents to find out how to name one of these schools in a child’s education, health and care (EHC) plan.

Visit the school and college performance tables if you’d like to find out about special schools or colleges maintained by a local authority.

Read the guide for independent special schools and colleges interested in applying for approval under section 41.