How do I get my child into a special school?

Placement at a special school usually requires a Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The local authority decides placement based on the child's needs, parental preference, and available provision. See our SEND guide for more information.

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Data refreshed 14 Apr 2026

Special Schools & SEND Provision in Plymouth

Q: What special schools are in Plymouth?

Plymouth has 8 special schools and pupil referral units catering to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools are listed with their primary need specialisms and inspection grades.

Special schools in Plymouth for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These include schools for children with autism spectrum disorder, social/emotional/mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, physical disabilities, and other primary needs. Use our SEND school finder for a guided search by your child's specific needs.

Plymouth has 7 special schools providing specialist support for children with additional needs.

How these rankings workShow

Schools are sorted by their most recent Ofsted inspection grade (Outstanding first, then Good, then lower grades). Within each grade, schools are ordered by pupil numbers as a tiebreaker.

This ranking does not directly factor in exam results, parent satisfaction, or admissions difficulty. For exam-based comparisons, use our league tables. For individual school details, visit each school's profile page.

Data sources: Ofsted inspection reports, ISI inspection reports (independent schools), and official school census data. Updated regularly from government publications.

Note: From September 2024, Ofsted no longer awards single-word overall judgements for new inspections. Schools inspected before this date retain their legacy grade.

Rankings reflect publicly available government data and do not constitute a recommendation. The right school depends on your child's individual needs.

8special schools

2Outstanding