Q. How do I make a referral or general enquiry?
A. Please contact our Central Office Referrals team on 01332 378 840. We’ll be there to take your call Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm. Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form. All enquiries will be handled in confidence. Please do not contact the schools directly.
Q. How does the placement process work?
A. Your child will need to have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place or a draft of an EHCP for us to consider them for a place at our schools.
Asking your Local Authority (LA) placement team to send a formal consultation to us is the fastest way for us to review if we are able to offer your child a place in our schools. Please ask them to email referrals@senadgroup.com (For LA use only).
On receipt of the formal consultation, our assessment team will review your child’s EHCP, and feedback will be given to your LA. If the school feel they may be able to offer a place, they will contact you to arrange for you to visit the school, as part of their assessment.
Note: Alderwasley Hall School
If you are interested in a place at Alderwasley Hall School and your LA has not sent us a formal consultation, our Parent Support Officer will arrange for you to email your child’s EHCP and other reports for the Alderwasley Hall School Assessment team to review, for suitability and capacity.
If they feel at this stage that they may be able to offer a place, the school assessment team will contact you to discuss your child further, speak with the professionals involved and discuss/arrange visits. The school assessment team will update you on the progress of your enquiry and will support you through the process.
Q. Do you charge for assessments?
A. No, our short assessments are free. We may however charge for long residential assessments (i.e. those lasting more than 4 residential days)
Q. Can I view your school on a no obligation basis?
A. Yes. Once our school assessment teams have reviewed information about your child’s needs and feel they may be able to offer a school place, they will invite you to visit the school.
Q. I have looked at a number of your schools on the website and I am not sure which one is most suitable to meet my child’s needs?
A. Contact the central referrals team on Tel: 01332 378 840 or via the online enquiry form, and we will discuss your child’s needs to establish which of our schools may be suitable. If we feel more than one of our schools may be suitable then we are able to arrange joint assessments and from this the most suitable school/home can be quickly identified.
Q. Are you able to take emergency placements
A. We are registered to admit pupils and adults into our homes and schools following an assessment, which can be carried out relatively quickly, depending on the school assessment teams’ availability.
Please note we are not registered for ‘same day’ admissions into our schools or children’s homes.
Q. Although I feel that a residential placement at your school/home would be best for my child I am concerned about them being away from home.
A. We understand that it is only natural for parents to feel anxious about their child moving away from home. Each school offers full support to families, and our staff can talk through any concerns you may have. We operate an open-door policy.
Q. Do you help parents at SENDIST tribunals?
A. Yes. We can advocate for our service if we believe that our school meets your child’s needs. Please note that we will not fund your SENDIST tribunal costs.
Q. How do I raise a concern or make a complaint about your services?
A. Email us at info@senadgroup.com or call us on Tel: 01332 378 840, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. View our complaints policy here.
Can’t find the answer to your question? Please give us a call Tel: 01332 378 840
Schools White Paper & SEND Consultation: What Parents Need to Know
You may have seen news about the Government’s Schools White Paper and the consultation on future SEND support. We know this can feel worrying, so here is a simple overview of what it means for you and your child.
Is anything changing for my child right now?
No. Nothing is changing at this time. Your child’s support, EHCP and school placement all stay exactly the same. The government is only gathering feedback — no decisions have been made.
Are EHCPs being removed?
No. EHCPs are not being removed. Parents’ rights to appeal through the SEND Tribunal also remain. There are no planned changes to EHCP support before September 2029.
Will my child lose their school place?
No. Your child’s place is secure. There are no changes to admissions, funding or the support your child currently receives.
When could any changes happen?
Even if the proposals go ahead, changes would happen slowly over several years. Full implementation is not expected until 2035. Right now, nothing is changing for your child.
What is the proposed 3‑tier support model?
The White Paper suggests three levels of support in the future:
- Targeted
- Targeted Plus
- Specialist (children in this tier would continue to have EHCPs)
This is only a proposal — not a confirmed change.
What is SENAD doing?
- Taking part in the 12‑week consultation to make sure the voices of children, families and staff are heard.
- Representing the needs of children in specialist settings.
- Keeping families fully informed as more details become available.
- Offering support and reassurance throughout this process.
The key message
Nothing is changing for your child right now. Their support, EHCP and placement remain exactly the same, and you will always be kept informed and supported if anything changes in the future.