Special schools provide education for children with multiple and/or complex needs, and, except in exceptional circumstances, they will have an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

Special schools (especially for non-ambulant pupils) often cater for all ages. 

Primary schools for pupils with behavioural difficulties are unusual and usually cater for Key Stage 2 only. 

Special schools vary widely in the curriculum and programmes of study that they offer, in some the curriculum is mainstream while in others it can be quite different. Life skills and developing personal independence plays a big part in them all.

Worcestershire has nine special schools

Complex physical and learning needs:

• Chadsgrove School

Range of special educational needs:

• Fort Royal Community Primary School
• Pitcheroak School
• Regency High School
• Rigby Hall School
• The Vale of Evesham School
• Wyre Forest Special School

Social, emotional and mental health:

• Kingfisher School
• Riversides School

Some mainstream schools have specially resourced provision, which are units or bases attached to the mainstream school. These units or bases are specialist provision within the school and offer pupils with SEN more support and pupils may be taught within separate classes for at least some of the time.

These units:

• are designated by the local authority specifically for making SEN provision, and sometimes accommodate pupils registered at other schools on a part-time basis
• receive additional funding for costs to support individual pupils
• cater for a specific type or types of SEN
• are usually for pupils with an EHC plan (but may also provide support for pupils with SEN support)

Worcestershire has a number of these units or bases catering for children with autism.

Mainstream Autism Bases (MAB) and Enhanced Mainstream Autism Bases (EMAB) are for pupils whose academic needs are best matched to a mainstream school but require some specialised autism provision to help and support them to achieve to their full potential.

The bases provide calm, structured and predictable environments which pupils can access depending on their individual need. MAB/EMAB pupils will have varying needs, which can sometimes change within the course of a term or a week or a year, so the bases are flexible and adaptable. 

All pupils who access a MAB/EMAB will have an ASD diagnosis with an EHCP or will have an ASD diagnosis with an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment in progress AND cannot access mainstream education without specialist support. 

The main difference between the two is:

• MAB’s are for pupils who can attend main school and take part in school life some or most of the time BUT when overwhelmed and dysregulated either in lessons or at other times can access the base
• EMAB’s are for pupils who require greater more individual support and a more consistent timetable in the base with opportunities to attend mainstream lessons

In Worcestershire we have fourteen mainstream schools with an autism base, three of which are EMABs.

MABs:

• Beaconside Primary School, Bromsgrove (Rubery)
• Waseley Hills High School, Bromsgrove (Rubery)
• Meadows First School/Parkside Middle School, Bromsgrove
• North Bromsgrove High School
• Dyson Perrins C of E Academy (Secondary), Malvern
• Walkwood Middle School, Redditch
• Tudor Grange Academy High School, Redditch
• Oldbury Park Primary School, Worcester
• Abbey Park Primary School, Pershore
• Pershore High School
• King Charles High School, Wyre Forest

EMABs:

• Tudor Grange Academy High School, Redditch
• Christopher Whitehead Language College, Worcester
• Chaddesley Corbett Primary School, Wyre Forest

You can use the school search function to find them, using the Mainstream schools with an autism base filter on school type: School Search.

Some mainstream schools have specially resourced provision, which are units or bases attached to the mainstream school. These units or bases are specialist provision within the school and offer pupils with SEN more support and pupils may be taught within separate classes for at least some of the time.

These units:

• are designated by the local authority specifically for making SEN provision, and sometimes accommodate pupils registered at other schools on a part-time basis
• receive additional funding for costs to support individual pupils
• cater for a specific type or types of SEN
• are usually for pupils with an EHC plan (but may also provide support for pupils with SEN support)

Worcestershire has a number of these units catering for children with a significant specific Speech Language and/or Communication need.

School Age Language Units (SALU) are for pupils who have cognitive skills within the average range expected for children of their age, and have significant specific speech, language and/or communication needs. The units deliver targeted intervention to meet high level needs, and usually the placement is initially for one year, which is reviewed after the first term to establish it is the appropriate provision for the pupil and they are making progress.

Speech and Language Therapists support pupils with targeted interventions. 

Children are usually referred based on a recommendation from their Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT). The child will have speech and language as a primary concern and SaLT will be of the view that, despite direct intervention sessions and implementation of the Graduated Response from school, the pupil requires the support and direct work that the SALU can provide to make progress.

There are five units in Worcestershire:

• Burlish Park Primary School
• Lickey Hills Primary School
• Matchborough First School
• Sutton Park Primary School
• King Charles 1 High School

Some alternative provision is put in place for pupils who cannot attend mainstream school for a variety of reasons including:

• exclusion
• health difficulties

This type of alternative provision is often on a temporary basis, until a pupil can return to school or move to a special school. Some pupils can stay in alternative provision longer.

Sometimes, pupils could attend alternative provision part time – spending the rest of their time at another school, college or other education provider. 

Short term alternative provision settings in Worcestershire

The below settings are registered alternative provision that support pupils with behavioural, emotional or social difficulties who may have been excluded from their mainstream school:

• ContinU Plus Academy
• Newbridge School
• Perryfields Primary PRU
• The Aspire Academy
• The Beacon PRU
• The Forge Secondary PRU
• Unity Academy - Home (unityacademyap.co.uk)

There are other alternative provision settings that children and young people could attend, if they are not able to attend school full-time. These could include things like care farms, online learning and outdoor education. 

Unregistered alternative provision cannot be named in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

How can my child attend alternative provision?

All alternative provision, either short term or unregistered, is arranged by a child’s school or through Worcestershire County Council – either through the Children Missing Education Team or through the EHCP Coordinator if your child has an EHCP. 

Parents can not apply directly to attend short stay alternative provision.

Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014 allows the Secretary of State to publish a searchable list of approved independent educational institutions for children and young people with SEND. This list includes independent schools and colleges and non-maintained special schools. Institutions cannot be included without their consent and enables them to be the subject of a request for it to be named in an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP).

You can view the list of approved independent educational institutions, independent special schools and post-16 institutions on the Government website Independent special schools and colleges - GOV.UK. 

There are three independent education establishments in Worcestershire on the list:

• Cambian New Elizabethan School
• Norton College
• Sunfield Children’s Homes Limited
   

Some mainstream schools have specially resourced provision, which are units or bases attached to the mainstream school. These units or bases are specialist provision within the school and offer pupils with SEN more support and pupils may be taught within separate classes for at least some of the time.

These units:

• are designated by the local authority specifically for making SEN provision
• receive additional funding for costs to support individual pupils
• cater for a specific type or types of SEN
• are usually for pupils with an EHC plan (but may also provide support for pupils with SEN support)

Worcestershire’s First and Primary school SEN Units are for pupils who have identified Communication and Interaction needs, but who are able to access a mainstream curriculum with appropriate and reasonable adjustments and enhanced support. Pupils will spend at least half of their teaching time in the SEN Unit, but may join mainstream classes for some subjects, where appropriate

There are currently two First and Primary school SEN Units in Worcestershire, with a third due to open in February 2026:

• Honeywell Primary School, Worcester
• Matchborough First School, Redditch
• St John’s CofE Primary School, Kidderminster (opening February 2026)

We are working with other First and Primary schools across the county, to identify potential settings for further SEN Units to open in the 2026 to 2027 academic year.

The Medication Education Team (MET) supports pupils with a wide range of physical, emotional and psychological health needs. 

The team have classrooms specifically to teach pupils when their health needs stop them from attending school. 

There are three units in Worcestershire:

• Midland Road, Worcester
• Easemore Road, Redditch
• Lea Street, Kidderminster 

While a pupil attends the MET, they remain on their school’s roll. The MET will work with the pupil and the school to plan their return to school when their health allows.

How can my child attend MET provision?

Home schools directly refer to the Medical Education Team with a supporting recommendation from a consultant level practitioner.  If there is no medical evidence as a result of awaiting medical and clinical input, the Children who Cannot Attend School (CCAS) panel may recommend a place at the MET after consulting with health partners. 

Find out more about the Medical Education Team

The Council regularly reviews schools across the county to assess how accessible they are for pupils with physical disabilities. 

Schools in Worcestershire have different levels of accessibility, and each school is placed into a category to reflect this. 

Category A schools have reasonable access to the curriculum and supporting facilities, including a fully functioning Bathroom Management Area (BMA)

Category B schools have more limited access and require additional work to better support pupils with physical disabilities; these schools do not have a BMA. 

Category C schools currently have building work planned or underway, which may include improvements to accessibility. Once these works are completed, the schools will be reassessed and placed into either Category A or B. 

Category D schools have significant accessibility challenges or have not yet been assessed in detail, and may require additional resources to enable pupils with physical disabilities to access the curriculum and facilities, or may not be able to be fully adapted.

Find the full document, which lists all schools and their accessibility categories, here:

• Worcestershire Mainstream School Accessibility (PDF)