Special schools, settings and provisions

On this page you will find information about some different education options for children with SEND.

To be offered a place at a specialist provision, a child must have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This is because they fall outside of the usual admissions protocol.

Types of specialist settings in Leeds

We recommend visiting potential schools and settings to see if you think they are suitable. We can help you prepare to make a school visit.

Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres (SILCs)

The main site of a SILC will provide teaching to children and young people who have severe and complex difficulties, meaning they can’t go to mainstream school.                                

SILCS are also able to provide access to mainstream, please see partnerships below.                                

There are five SILC’s across each of the five areas of Leeds.

Social Emotional and Mental Health provision

Leeds offers city wide specialist provisions for children and young people with Social Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH).                                                  

Specialist free school

There is one specialist free school in Leeds for young people aged 11 to 19 who have an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or related communication disorders.                                                  

This school is funded by the government, but ran independently (meaning they have more control over how they do things).                                                  

Partnership provisions

Partnership provisions are for children and young people who are working at a higher level and are able to go to some mainstream lessons, but also need specialised support in some areas.                                          

There are mainstream schools that have an agreement with their local SILC to provide additional specialist trained staff and resources. The children are on the roll of the SILC but often wear the uniform and follow the daily routines of the host mainstream school.                                                  

Resourced provisions

A resourced provision is a mainstream school that has additional resources in a specialist area. These include resource provisions for children with:                                                  

  • hearing and visual impairments (secondary only)
  • physical and medical difficulties
  • complex communication disorders (primary only)
  • specific learning difficulties (secondary only)
  • general learning difficulties

Children are on the roll of and are fully included in the mainstream school, whilst receiving the specialist interventions they need for their individual needs.                                                  

Post 16 Specialist Provision

There are citywide foundation learning and supported courses in Leeds, designed to meet the needs of young people aged 16 to 24 who have SEND.                                                  

Searching for specialist provision

  • You can view our specialist provision list that includes Leeds based, out of authority and post 16 provisions.
  • You can use a search tool provided by GOV.UK to find and compare specialist schools and provisions for your young person.
  • You can look at the John Catts guide of independent and non-maintained schools and colleges of further education in Britain.
  • You can look a list of Section 41 schools.  These are independent special schools have been approved by the Secretary of State, under section 41 of the Children and Families Act (2014), and can be requested to be named in an EHCP plan in the same way that maintained schools can.

Contact us for a copy of our Animal therapy and courses list.