All Local Authorities

SEND Services in York

Yorkshire and The HumberUnitary Authority
Council website

In York, a compact unitary authority blending urban and rural communities, SEND support is shaped by its smaller scale, which can mean more personalised access to services compared to larger city regions, while families benefit from Yorkshire and Humber's strong school preference success rates above the national average. Like many areas, York faces national pressures on EHCP timelines, with only 46.4% of new plans issued within the 20-week limit in 2025, but ongoing government investments in mainstream specialist capacity aim to ease this. York SENDIASS offers impartial guidance to help you navigate these challenges, and with a supportive Parent Carer Forum, you're not alone in securing the right help for your child.

With York's personalised services and York SENDIASS by your side, JakTrack steps in as your quiet companion, helping you feel prepared and in control as you log daily moments like sleep and behaviour that build a powerful evidence base over time - starting early means you're ready for those EHCP timelines without the stress. Families tell us it brings a sense of support, turning vague worries into clear patterns and confident steps forward, so you can focus on what matters most: your child. see how JakTrack can help

Schools & SEND Provision

70

Schools

4

Specialist

8

SEN Unit & Resource Bases

27,772

Total Pupils

11.6%receive SEN Support

3,214 pupils

4.6%have an EHCP

1,269 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 York's Local Offer

IASS

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

York SENDIASS

Parent Carer Forum

York Parent Carer Forum

SEND Team

City of York Council SEND Team

Occupational Therapy

York NHS Children's Occupational Therapy (via GP/health visitor referral)

Speech and Language Therapy

York NHS Speech and Language Therapy (via GP referral; contact SENDIASS for details)

Other Services

York Family Information Service

Local Area Coordinators

Adult Social Care Community Team

West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

Early Years and Childcare Service

Early Talk for York

Healthy Child Service

New EHCPs by Primary Need

Schools

years old

Applefields School

Special
Ages 11-19Capacity: 224YO31 0LW
Specific LearningVisualOtherHearingSpeech & LanguageAutismSocial & EmotionalMulti-SensoryPhysicalModerate LearningSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

Hob Moor Oaks Academy

Special
Ages 3-11YO24 4PS
Specific LearningVisualOtherSpeech & LanguageAutismSocial & EmotionalPhysicalModerate LearningSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

Inspire Academy

Special
Ages 11-16Capacity: 40YO24 3WZ

Lord Gowthorpe's Independent School

Special
Ages 11-16Capacity: 25YO19 5PA

Fulford School

SecondaryOutstanding
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1899YO10 4FY
Autism
Resource base: 10 places

Haxby Road Primary Academy

Primary
Ages 2-11Capacity: 225YO31 8JN
Speech & LanguageAutism
SEN unit: 26 places

Huntington School

Secondary
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1545YO32 9WT
Speech & LanguageAutism
SEN unit: 14 places

Joseph Rowntree School

Secondary
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1328YO32 4BZ
Autism
Resource base: 10 places

St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Primary
Ages 4-11Capacity: 315YO10 4LX
Specific Learning
Resource base: 10 places

St Paul's Nursery School

Nursery
Ages 2-5YO30 6JA
VisualHearingSpeech & LanguageAutismSocial & EmotionalPhysicalModerate LearningSevere Learning

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 York.

To request an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in York, start with support through the school's graduated approach like Assess, Plan, Do, Review (MSP) for at least two cycles, then submit a Request for Statutory Assessment (RSA) form along with the reviewed MSP and evidence to [email protected]. The local authority will quality assure the evidence and consider it at the EHCP panel within six weeks to decide if an assessment is needed. If approved, the full process aims to issue a final EHCP within 20 weeks.
York SENDIASS provides free, impartial information, advice, and support to children, young people, and parents on special educational needs and disabilities, including the EHCP process. You can contact them by phone at 01904 554312 or email [email protected] for help with understanding assessments, plans, and your rights. They guide you through legal processes like appealing decisions without taking sides.
York has 4 specialist schools for children with SEND, plus 1 school with an SEN unit and 7 schools with resource bases to provide additional support. These provisions help meet the needs of the 1,269 pupils with EHCPs and 3,214 on SEN Support out of 27,772 total pupils. Details on specific schools can be found on York's Local Offer website.
The Local Offer is a guide from City of York Council listing all services, support, and provisions available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in York. It covers education, health, and care options to help families find what they need. Access it at yor-ok.org.uk/families/Local Offer/sendlocaloffer.
In York, the local authority has 6 weeks from receiving your request to decide whether to carry out an EHCP assessment. If approved, the full assessment should be completed within 20 weeks, with a decision on issuing the EHCP by week 16. Timelines follow national statutory guidance, though high demand may cause some delays.

Navigating SEND in York?

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