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SEND Services in Bury

North WestMetropolitan Borough
Council website

Bury, a metropolitan borough in the North West, offers robust SEND support that stands out with higher numbers of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) per child than neighbouring areas and national averages, alongside a notable rise in new EHCPs for mainstream school pupils in recent years. Educational outcomes for children with SEND here are in line with or better than national levels, even as the council works through its ongoing SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan launched in 2023 to enhance services further. Parents navigating this can turn to Bury SENDiass, run by Barnardo's, for free, impartial advice - it's a reassuring first step in a system committed to timely and effective support for your child's needs.

With Bury's higher EHCP rates and rising support for mainstream pupils, JakTrack empowers you to feel prepared and in control as your child's evidence builds quietly in the background from everyday moments like sleep, meals, and behaviour. Starting early means you'll walk into meetings with Barnardo's SENDiass or EHCP reviews supported by clear AI insights and patterns, turning overwhelm into quiet confidence. It's that steady companion, helping you navigate with the reassurance you deserve. see how JakTrack can help

Schools & SEND Provision

91

Schools

8

Specialist

17

SEN Units & Resource Bases

30,988

Total Pupils

13%receive SEN Support

4,014 pupils

6.4%have an EHCP

1,975 pupils

Services & Contacts

Local Offer

Every Local Authority must publish a "Local Offer" - a directory of all SEND services and provision in their area.

View Bury's Local Offer

IASS

Free, impartial advice about SEND - EHCPs, school issues, exclusions, navigating the system.

Bury SENDiass

Parent Carer Forum

Bury2Gether

Bury's Parent Carer Forum for parents/carers of children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in Bury

SEND Team

SEND Local Offer Team

Portage

Bury Portage Home Teaching Team

Local Authority service for children aged 0-5 years with developmental delays. Provides advice, support and educational activities.

Educational Psychology

Community Educational Psychology Service (CEPS)

Bury CEPS supports the wellbeing, learning, and development of children and young people across the borough

Occupational Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy

Social Care

Children with Disabilities Team

Specialist team working with children and young people with complex health needs. Children and young people must be 17 years or under and ordinarily resident in Bury.

Other Services

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)

Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

Sensory Support Service - Hearing Impairment

Sensory Support Service - Vision Impairment

Home to School Transport

Mediation

Preparing for Adulthood / Transition

Personal Budgets / Direct Payments

Early Help / Family Support

Children's Community Nursing

Children's Learning Disability Team

Cambeck Close Short Break Service

Nutrition and Dietetics

New EHCPs by Primary Need

Schools

years old

Brookhaven School

Special
Ages 11-16Capacity: 80BL9 8LP
Speech & LanguageAutism

Cambian Chesham House School

Special
Ages 10-18Capacity: 20BL9 6JD
Social & EmotionalModerate Learning

Cloughside College

Special
Ages 11-19Capacity: 62M25 3BL
HearingSpeech & LanguageSocial & EmotionalModerate Learning

Elms Bank

SpecialOutstanding
Ages 11-19Capacity: 221M45 8PJ
VisualOtherHearingSpeech & LanguageAutismSocial & EmotionalMulti-SensoryPhysicalModerate LearningSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

Forestwood School

Special
Ages 12-19Capacity: 44BL8 2BS
Social & Emotional

Millwood Primary Special School

Special
Ages 2-11Capacity: 190M26 3BW
Specific LearningVisualOtherHearingSpeech & LanguageAutismSocial & EmotionalMulti-SensoryPhysicalModerate LearningSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

Mill School - Bury

Special
Ages 7-17Capacity: 70BL8 2BD

Woodlands

Special
Ages 6-14Capacity: 9BL0 0QL

East Ward Community Primary School

Primary
Ages 3-11Capacity: 420BL9 7QZ
Autism

Hoyle Nursery School

Nursery
Ages 2-4BL9 6HR
Autism

Peel Brow School

PrimaryRequires Improvement
Ages 3-11Capacity: 210BL0 0BJ
Autism

Unsworth Primary School

Primary
Ages 3-11Capacity: 210BL9 8LY
Speech & LanguageAutism
Resource base: 14 places

Chantlers Primary School

PrimaryNot judged
Ages 3-11Capacity: 310BL8 2SF
Social & Emotional

Higher Lane Primary School

Primary
Ages 3-11Capacity: 420M45 7EX
Social & Emotional
Resource base: 9 places

Mersey Drive Community Primary School

PrimaryGood
Ages 3-11Capacity: 236M45 8LN
Autism
Resource base: 14 places

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury

Primary
Ages 4-11Capacity: 210BL8 1YA
Speech & LanguageAutism

Summerseat Methodist Primary School

PrimaryGood
Ages 3-11Capacity: 105BL9 5NF
AutismModerate Learning

Tottington High School

SecondaryRequires Improvement
Ages 11-16Capacity: 975BL8 3LY
Moderate Learning

Tottington Primary School

Primary
Ages 3-11Capacity: 315BL8 3HR
Physical
Resource base: 10 places

Woodbank Primary School

Primary
Ages 3-11Capacity: 306BL8 1AX
Autism

Woodhey High School

SecondaryNot judged
Ages 11-16Capacity: 1050BL0 9QZ
Autism
Resource base: 15 places

Understanding school SEND provision

Schools in England provide SEND support at different levels. Here's what each type means:

Specialist School

A school that exclusively educates children with SEND. Smaller classes (typically 6-12 pupils), staff trained in specific needs, and environments designed for children who need more support than mainstream can provide. Places are usually named in an EHCP.

SEN Unit

A dedicated unit within a mainstream school, staffed by specialists. Children are on the roll of the unit but may join mainstream classes for some lessons. Offers a middle ground - specialist support with mainstream social opportunities. Usually requires an EHCP.

Resource Base

Extra resourced provision attached to a mainstream school. Children are on the mainstream roll but can access additional support, equipment, and specialist staff. Some resource bases focus on specific needs like autism or speech and language.

SEN Support (Mainstream)

Every mainstream school has a legal duty to identify and support children with SEND. This includes having a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), providing reasonable adjustments, and putting in place SEN Support plans. You don't need an EHCP for SEN Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from families about SEND support in Bury.

To request a statutory assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in Bury, contact your child's school or Bury Council to discuss your concerns and provide evidence of your child's needs. The local authority will decide if an assessment is needed based on the information provided. For free impartial advice on the process, call Bury SENDIASS at 01706 769634 or email [email protected].
Bury SENDIASS, run by Barnardo's, offers free, impartial information, advice, and support to children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND and their parents or carers. They help with SEN systems, EHCP processes, school provision, annual reviews, transitions, transport, and disagreement resolution including appeals. Contact them at 01706 769634 or [email protected], Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, with additional drop-ins available.
Bury has 8 specialist SEND schools, 6 schools with SEN units, and 11 schools with resource bases to support children with special educational needs. These provisions serve the 1,975 pupils with EHCPs and 4,014 on SEN support out of 30,988 total pupils. More details on local provision can be found on Bury's SEND Local Offer.
The SEND Local Offer in Bury is a guide to all the support, services, and activities available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. It includes information on education, health, social care, groups, and clubs. Visit it at www.theburydirectory.co.uk/kb5/bury/directory/localoffer.page or via bury.gov.uk.
The statutory EHCP assessment process in Bury follows national timelines, where the local authority must decide within 6 weeks whether to carry out an assessment, and issue the final EHCP within 20 weeks if approved. Timelines can vary based on individual circumstances and complexity. Contact Bury SENDIASS for specific guidance on your situation.

Navigating SEND in Bury?

JakTrack helps you track evidence, prepare for EHCP reviews, check benefit eligibility, and stay on top of appointments - all in one place.

See How JakTrack Helps