How to apply for a school place if your child has SEND
Find out how to apply for school in Brighton & Hove and what to do if your child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
How to apply for school
If your child has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and does not have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, you can apply for a place at any mainstream school in Brighton & Hove.
The SEN team will contact you if your child may need to attend a special school or a specialist unit at a mainstream school.
How to tell us which school you would like your child to go to if they have an EHC plan
If your child has SEND and they have (or are about to have) an EHC plan, you can say which school you would like them to attend.
How to ask for an EHC assessment
- 01273 293552 (weekdays between 9:30am and 1:30pm)
- SEN Team, Hove Town Hall, Norton Road
The SEN Team manages the processes around Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments and plans.
You cannot ask for an assessment over the phone. Please write to us and give some examples of your child's needs. Your child doesn’t need to have a diagnosis.
Parent carers can use the template letter on the Amaze website to request an EHC assessment.
We’ll send a copy of the EHC plan to your child's school, so the school can decide if they can meet your child’s needs.
We’ll listen to what the school has to say when deciding which school is best for your child to attend.
We'll agree with your preferred school, unless:
- it wouldn't be suitable for the child's age, ability, skills or their SEN
- it would negatively affect the education of the other children at the school too much
- it doesn't give the council value for money in spending its budget