Special (SEND) Schools / West Midlands
Special (SEND) Schools in West Midlands
Find and compare 91 special (SEND) schools in West Midlands - Ofsted ratings, specialisms, needs catered for and how to get a place.
91 special (send) schools in West Midlands
Longwill A Primary School for Deaf Children
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
The Hive College
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Aurora Cedars School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Aurora Wilden View School
Kidderminster · Special · Mixed
Bescot Hall
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Broadmeadow Special School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Cherry Oak School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Cherry Trees School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Compass Community School Victoria Park
Tipton · Special · Mixed
Hallmoor School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Heart of Birmingham Vocational College
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
High Point Academy
Wednesbury · Special · Mixed
INNOV4TE Independent School
Dudley · Special · Mixed
Jane Lane School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Maple House School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Park View
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Penn Fields School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Phoenix Academy
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Queen Alexandra College
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Queensbury School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Rosewood School
Bilston · Special · Boys
R.Y.A.N Education Academy
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Springfield House Community Special School
Solihull · Special · Mixed
Spring Hill High School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Sunfield Garden School and Children's Home
Stourbridge · Special · Mixed
Trident Alternative Provision Ltd
Solihull · Special · Mixed
Victoria College
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Victoria School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Woodfield
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Castle Wood Special School
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Mayfield School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Baginton Fields Academy
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Baskerville School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Beaufort School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Braidwood School for the Deaf
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Brays School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Calthorpe Academy
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Castle School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Castlewood School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Cherry Tree School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Coombswood Special School
Halesowen · Special · Mixed
Corley Academy
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Elmwood School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Forest Oak School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Fox Hollies School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Glasshouse College
Stourbridge · Special · Mixed
Green Park School
Bilston · Special · Mixed
Halesbury School
Halesowen · Special · Mixed
Hamilton School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Hazel Oak School
Solihull · Special · Mixed
James Brindley School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Kingsbury Academy
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Kitts Green Academy
Birmingham · Special · Boys
Langley School
Sutton Coldfield · Special · Mixed
Lindsworth School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Merstone School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Oakwood School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Old Hall School
Walsall · Special · Mixed
Oscott Manor School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Penn Hall School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Pens Meadow School
Pensnett · Special · Mixed
Pine Green Academy
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Priestley Smith School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Red Boots School (National Institute of Conductive Education)
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Reynalds Cross School
Solihull · Special · Mixed
Riverbank School
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Selly Oak Trust School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Sherbourne Fields School
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Sunny Hill School
Dudley · Special
Sutton School
Dudley · Special · Mixed
Tettenhall Wood School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
The Bridge School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
The Brier School
Kingswinford · Special · Mixed
The Dame Ellen Pinsent School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
The Meadows School
Oldbury · Special · Mixed
The Old Park School
Brierley Hill · Special · Mixed
The Orchard School
Oldbury · Special · Mixed
The Pines Special School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
The Rowan School
West Midlands · Special · Mixed
The Warwickshire Academy
Coventry · Special · Mixed
The Wenlock School
West Midlands · Special · Mixed
Tipton Green College
Tipton · Special · Mixed
Tiverton School
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Trinity Specialist College
Sutton Coldfield · Special · Mixed
Waterside School
Coventry · Special · Mixed
Westcroft School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Wightwick Hall School
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Wilson Stuart School
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Wolverhampton Vocational Training Centre
Wolverhampton · Special · Mixed
Woodlands
Birmingham · Special · Mixed
Woodsetton School
Dudley · Special · Mixed
About special (SEND) schools in West Midlands
Special (SEND) schools in West Midlands educate children with complex special educational needs and disabilities - most of them with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that sets out the support they are legally entitled to receive. Provision is designed around specific types of need: schools in West Midlands may specialise in autism (ASC), moderate or severe learning difficulties, speech and language needs, physical disability, or sensory impairment, so it is important to check which needs each school is actually resourced to support. Staff ratios are far higher than in mainstream, and most special schools have therapists - speech and language, occupational therapy or physiotherapy - working on site. A place is arranged through the local authority as part of the EHCP process: parents have the right to name a school, and the authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable or would be an inefficient use of resources.
When comparing special schools in West Midlands, start with the type of need each school is designed for and the age range it covers - many are specific to a phase or to a particular area of need. Ofsted inspects special schools under the same framework as mainstream and ratings are a useful starting point, but read the SEND information report each school is required to publish, check what therapies are available on site, and ask how much experience staff have with your child's specific diagnosis. Visiting is important - the atmosphere, the way staff communicate with pupils and the physical environment can tell you more than any inspection report. If you are earlier in the process, your local SENDIASS (SEND information and advice service) offers free, impartial guidance on the EHCP process and your rights.
Choosing a school in West Midlands
Whether or not West Midlands has schools of a particular type, the same fundamentals help you compare your options. Ofsted judgements - Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate - summarise the quality of education, behaviour, personal development and leadership. A rating is a useful starting point, but bear in mind that some schools have not been inspected for several years and that a single word cannot capture everything about a school.
For secondary schools, Progress 8 is often more revealing than raw results. It measures how much pupils improve between the end of primary school and their GCSEs, so a school serving a less advantaged community can still post strong progress. Attainment 8 shows average achievement across eight GCSEs, and the percentage of pupils reaching grade 5 or above in English and maths is a useful benchmark. For 16-18 study, look at A-Level and applied-course results and where students go next.
Beyond the data, look at how places are allocated when a school is oversubscribed and whether your address is likely to secure one, the range of subjects and activities on offer, the sixth-form provision if you are planning ahead, and travel and transport. Above all, visit. An open day tells you more about a school's atmosphere, pastoral care and whether it will suit your child than any league table can.
Frequently asked questions
How many special (send) schools are there in West Midlands?
There are 91 special (send) schools in West Midlands listed on School Signal, of which 29 are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted.
Which special school in West Midlands has the best Ofsted rating?
Longwill A Primary School for Deaf Children is among the highest rated special (send) schools in West Midlands, judged Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How do I get a place at a special school in West Midlands?
A special school place in West Midlands is arranged through your local authority as part of the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process - you cannot apply to a special school directly. Once your child has an EHCP, you can name the school you want your child to attend, and the local authority must agree unless it can show the school is unsuitable for your child's needs or would be an inefficient use of resources. If you do not yet have an EHCP, you can request an EHC needs assessment by writing to your local authority's SEND team. The statutory process takes up to 20 weeks, and your local SENDIASS service can support you free of charge.