School provision for SEN and disabilities

Information about all nursery, primary and secondary schools, including academies and free schools, and special schools is available on the Local Offer please click: schools

1. SEN Provision for Sefton's Primary Schools

2. SEN Provision in Sefton's Secondary Schools

3. Specialist provision for pupils with complex needs

Sefton has a range of specialist provision for those with the most complex needs. Sefton has some enhanced provision in mainstream school schools; often called resourced provision or units. There are also five special schools. You can view/download the range of provision below:
Specialist education for complex needs

These settings are supported by the Complex Needs Team at Sefton's SEN and Inclusion Service, to find out more about this service please click: Sefton SEN and Inclusion Service

4. Pupil Referral Units

Sefton has two Pupil Referral Units (PRU) , which provide education for children unable to attend a mainstream school. One for primary aged children, which is known as Jigsaw and one for secondary aged children, known as IMPACT.
Click on this link for information about IMPACT.

Click on this link for information on Jigsaw.

5. Independent and non-maintained special schools


The majority of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) have their needs met through mainstream education providers and will not need the authority to provide additional support. Where the special educational provision required to meet their needs cannot reasonably be provided from within the resources normally available to mainstream early years providers, schools and post 16 institutions, the authority may seek to carry out a statutory assessment. This process is determined by the statutory guidance provided in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2014), which is available in the DfE website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

For a very small proportion of pupils the outcome of statutory assessment is that their special educational needs are too severe and complex to be met within the provision currently maintained by the authority. In partnership with families, a suitable placement will therefore be sought at an independent or non-maintained special school. The Secretary of State approved list of such schools which is available on their website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/section-41-secretary-of-state-approved-list

For new placements from 1st September 2014, Sefton Council has established a Framework Contract with 18 preferred providers from this list. The providers concerned were identified through an open tender process conducted through ‘The Chest’. Only schools with ‘good or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings for both educational and residential services, where applicable, were eligible to apply for the tender. The applications were then evaluated for quality and value for money by officers from the authority’s commissioning and finance teams and the SEN and Inclusion Service.

For details of the schools which satisfied this rigorous selection process please click for a list of Sefton's Preferred Providers - Independent and Non Maintained Special Schools


Last Updated

Last updated: 08/12/2023

Skip back to top of page