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SEND Services in City of London

LondonLondon Borough
Council website

In the heart of London's bustling financial district, SEND support in City of London offers tailored help for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, drawing on partnerships with neighbouring Tower Hamlets for shared resources like the Tower Hamlets and City of London SENDIASS, which provides free, impartial advice to ease your journey. As a compact urban authority serving just a few thousand pupils amid towering offices and historic sites, it navigates rising national SEND demands - now affecting over 267,000 London pupils - with focused mainstream provisions rather than standalone specialist schools. Recent government reforms, including extra funding from the 2025 Spending Review, aim to strengthen these services across the capital, helping families like yours access timely EHCP assessments within statutory timelines despite broader system pressures.

In the City of London's compact setting, where timely EHCP assessments can feel like a race against system pressures, JakTrack empowers you to feel prepared and in control from day one. As you log daily moments like sleep, meals, and behaviours, the app quietly builds a rich evidence trail over time, revealing patterns through gentle AI insights that make you feel truly supported ahead of appointments or reviews. Starting early transforms that journey into one where you're confidently steering, not just keeping up. see how JakTrack can help

Schools & SEND Provision

6

Schools

0

Specialist

0

SEN Units & Resource Bases

3,000

Total Pupils

13.9%receive SEN Support

417 pupils

0.4%have an EHCP

12 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 City of London's Local Offer

IASS

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

Tower Hamlets and City of London SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

020 7364 6489towerhamlets&[email protected]Website

Parent Carer Forum

City Parent Carer Forum

A friendly support network of parents for parents of children and young people with SEND in the City of London

07840 570 311[email protected]Website
Facebook page

EHCP

SEND Team

Tower Hamlets & City SENDIASS

020 7364 6489[email protected]Website

Portage

Educational Psychology

Occupational Therapy

Speech and Language Therapy

City and Hackney Speech and Language Therapy

[email protected]

Social Care

Children's Social Care and Early Help

020 7332 3621[email protected]

Emergency out of hours: 020 8356 2710

Other Services

Early Help / Family Support

020 7332 3621[email protected]

Personal Budgets / Direct Payments

[email protected]

Mediation / Disagreement Resolution

Preparing for Adulthood / Transition team

Autism Pathway / Autism Assessment

New EHCPs by Primary Need

Schools

years old

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 City of London.

To request a statutory EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) assessment in the City of London, contact the local authority via their Family Information Service at www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/send-local-offer or speak to your child's school, who can make a referral on your behalf. You can also get free, impartial advice from the Tower Hamlets and City of London SENDIASS by calling 020 7364 6489 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) or emailing towerhamlets&[email protected] to guide you through the process.
The Tower Hamlets and City of London SENDIASS offers free and impartial advice to parents and young people with SEND living in the City of London, covering education, health, and social care issues like EHCPs, school admissions, exclusions, and transitions. They provide telephone support (020 7364 6489, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), workshops, caseworkers for complex cases, support groups, and monthly Educational Psychologist surgeries.
The City of London has no specialist SEND schools, no SEN units, and no resource bases across its 6 schools serving around 3,000 pupils. Support for the 12 pupils with EHCPs (0.4%) and 417 on SEN Support (13.9%) is provided within mainstream schools; check the Local Offer for details on available provisions.
The Local Offer is a guide to all SEND services for children and young people aged 0-25 in the City of London, including education, health, and social care support. Find it at https://www.fis.cityoflondon.gov.uk/send-local-offer, where you can browse by age group or category, and it links to the SEND Directory for local organisations.
The standard EHCP process in the City of London follows national timelines: up to 6 weeks for the local authority to decide on an assessment, 16 weeks to complete it if approved, and 20 weeks total to issue the final EHCP. For help tracking your case or understanding delays, contact SENDIASS at 020 7364 6489.

Navigating SEND in City of London?

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

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