Researching schools for adopted children

[Adele19764840]

hi,
does anyone have any advice on researching suitable schools for adopted children. what to look for etc. specifically, anyone in the Mansfield area. thanks for reading

Hi. Unless there is an ehc, I would say to prioritise their emotional well being support, sports facilities and outdoor spaces, experience with looked after children etc rather than academic excellence.

I would try for very local schools too. It can be handy to be nearby in case you are needed and you are more part of the local community.

@Adele19764840
I'd agree with @Arran2024

My son went to a less than average primary but they knew what they were doing with kids like him.
He's at university now.
Ethos and pastoral care over ofsted ratings every time

I absolutely agree with others here.

Tour schools, ask pupils (if allowed, some schools encourage it, others don't) about how staff respond to behaviour and safety etc. Get a proper feel for it. Take others views with a pinch of salt unless they have adopted/care experienced children, even if they have children with SEND. Be cautious that professionals often can't give you their honest opinion, my LA has two special schools that my youngest could have gone to, one was the much more obvious choice and on paper a much better fit but I didn't get a good vibe so requested the other one which we got a place at. It was only after it was confirmed that the nursery SENCO, her teacher for the blind and family worker said so thank goodness it's much more caring and will be better for her, they often can't give advice so do your homework and trust your gut.

Everyone was shocked at my choice for my oldest, I could have sent her anywhere to the most oversubscribed school. But choose one others avoid like the plague in a really deprived area. But its brilliant with trauma and behaviour. The family worker grew up in care. They really support families and celebrate children.

Agree with all the above. Also listen to how they talk about their pupils, are they positive about kids who have challenges. How do staff interact with the kids (arrive 5 minutes early for your look round and just observe. Do staff know the kids by name, are they friendly towards them, do the kids seem relaxed in the school environment. You’re looking for staff talking about being flexible and creative to meet kids needs. And ask about their understanding of early trauma, if they say they’ve had specific training ask for concrete examples of how they’ve changed their practice as a result.

I’d generally avoid the small, friendly village type schools unless they have a proven track record of supporting kids with complex needs. I chose a school that had a very mixed catchment but a good reputation for pastoral care - it helped that the HT had been in my adoption group and had just returned from adoption leave so I knew she got it.

Just to add, big schools have more of everything and that includes additional help. My girls both went to different junior schools. One was tiny, the other was huge. The huge school had an asd unit and, although my daughter wasn't in it, I felt that the head had some understanding of additional needs and wasnt hostile to the concept.

It had a wide variety of staff too, including several men. It had youth workers to work in the playground at break time. Emotional support teachers. A swimming pool!

Small school had none of this. It suited my elder daughter, who needed the calmness of the small school. She had an ehc plan and a 1 to 1 TA.

But my younger daughter wouldn't have coped with it.

This is a list of questions that was posted in the AUK forum. I hope it is okay that I post it here, since the AUK forum no longer exists.

• ask about relevant training (trauma, attachment, FASD, etc.) and whether all staff have accessed training or just key staff (with the caveat I mentioned above that training on trauma/attachment does not necessarily lead to a trauma/attachment aware setting!)
• if in England, ask about how the school uses PP+ and how they differentiate their use of PP+ from that of PP. Find out who you will be able to talk to about use of PP+ in relation to your child (it would usually be the Designated Teacher)
• again, in England, ask about the school's relationship with the Virtual School team - has the school received training/advice/guidance from the VS on previously looked-after children and how closely do they work together
• ask about transitions to the school - what are the arrangements for transitions from primary to secondary, and what, if any, programmes do they have in place for children who might need extra transition support
• have a look at the school's behaviour policy before you visit (it should be available on their website) - if you see it's called something like 'Relationship and Support Policy' you might be on to a winner! Ask what 'reasonable adjustments' they can make to the policy for children with additional needs, including needs arising from trauma/attachment and SEMH needs. You are looking for a school that prioritises support to meet expectations over punishments for failing to meet them. I wouldn't expect to find a high school free of 'consequence' systems or similar, but there should be an associated programme for teaching expected standards explicitly, and providing strategies and support for those who may struggle.
• find out about the procedures they have in place for maintaining home-school communications. Good communications will be the bedrock of your relationship with school and can prevent things spiraling out of control.
• find out about how the school rewards children. Sometimes this can be an indicator of the school's ethos. While public reward systems (wall charts with house points, or reward assemblies etc.) can motivate some, there will be children who always have the fewest points, or never get included in reward assemblies, and that is just as de-motivating for them as the common systems of traffic light or sunshine/cloud wall displays for behaviour in primaries. As with consequences, I'd expect the vast majority of schools to have some system for rewards, so ask about what rewards are given for and how they are given, and what adjustments can be made for those who may find a public fuss intolerable.
• most schools will have a programme of pastoral support of some kind, so ask about that, nurture provision, support with peer relationships, support with unstructured times (lunch, breaks etc.)
• how they will deal with certain scenarios such as school refusal, running away, fighting etc; what they know if fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses and how they adapt their responses according to these needs; what their view on homework is;what specialist support they offer both with and without ehcp; how they will spend the pupil premium....
• Drill down into the specifics of what is offered / what has been offered in the past children who have delays to learning and struggle with managing emotions and behaviours. If you get vague waffle about it being a school that personalises support to the individual needs of the child chances are there’s no provision in place. How do they measure the effectiveness of what they are offering. How do they involve parents and the kids themselves n this evaluation.
• Focus on transition to school - how do they support, but don’t just focus on that. I wished we’d asked questions about how they’d support our son throughout his school journey - as the difficulties he has faced has he has got older have increased significantly!
• See if via your adoption support team or other people you know, friends of friends etc you can get feedback from parents of children who have SEN. What’s their experience of a school. Rate this experience far higher than anything you hear from parents of children without SEN, even if your children don’t have SEN.
• Don’t get hung up on Ofsted /performance data. As a parent of a child at an Ofsted outstanding school I’ve leant they maintain high standards re performance data by focusing support away from individuals who, even with significant support, may not convert into a statistical success.. Data that is useful is the indicators of how much progress children who attract pupil premium / pupil premium plus make in the school. Ask how the measure and whether you can see this data. If they are vague about it being confidential chances are they don’t effectively measure!
• Ask about Pupil Premium Plus to gauge whether they understand that you are not asking about free school dinners!!

• Secondary schools: Consider a school further away from home. On reflection, a city school with experience of children with SEN, specialist teachers and proven experience in supporting around emotional and behaviour difficulties might be a better option that a school in an affluent area where the majority of children thrive.
• Read between the lines with policies - for example if you ask about bullying (as it’s common) ask how do they pick it up and monitor for it - particular times / places / issues - rather than how do they deal with it (ie once reported). Often they prefer not to see it.
• Its a good idea to speak to the SENCO if you can if there’s any possibility your child might come under their remit - which there probably is - as what they say varies so greatly and tells you so much about the school
• Try to find a school that is similar in size, intake and feel to your primary school (if your child likes his primary) if at all possible - even if your child is flexible and adjusts easily
• find out about how the school prevents and monitors bullying, eg if the school has large grounds, how to they handle that? Break times?
• Do they have any social and emotional learning programmes all children or certain year groups take part in?
• Try to find out what the common issues are at the school, eg. are many children selfharming? How does the school handle those issues? Are they being proactive or are they hiding it?
• Many adopters recommend bigger schools, because these schools tend to have more resources, but some children cannot not handle that. Think about how your child will handle the size of the school. Does your child need a calm environment? Does your child need to be noticed to feel held?
• what support is available and for whom? What about children with low or mid-level needs, what support is available for them?
• Will there be children your child knows and gets along with? How will they fit in?

thanks all for your advice:)
very much appreciated

📚 Choosing a Suitable School for Adopted Children – Mansfield Area, UK
✅ What to Look for in a School:

1. Trauma-Informed Approach
2. Staff trained in trauma and attachment awareness
3. Restorative discipline over punishment
4. Strong Pastoral Support
5. Access to counselling or mentoring
6. A caring, nurturing environment
7. Flexibility
8. Willingness to adjust expectations (e.g., homework, transitions)
9. Use of Pupil Premium Plus
10. Ask how the school uses this funding to support adopted children
11. Good Communication with Parents
12. Schools that listen and work collaboratively
13. Positive Peer Environment
14. Smaller classes, inclusive values, and emotional safety

🏫 Suggested Schools in the Mansfield Area ▪️ Queen Elizabeth’s Academy (11–18)

• Secondary with a Christian ethos, supportive structure

▪️ Meden School (Warsop)

• Part of Nova Education Trust, active in inclusion support

▪️ Joseph Whitaker School (Rainworth)

• Strong academic and pastoral blend

▪️ Yeoman Park Academy

• For children with complex learning needs (ages 3–19)

▪️ New SEND School – Ravensdale (opening soon)

• For children with social, emotional, and mental health needs (ages 7–19)

📞 Contact for Local Advice Nottinghamshire Virtual School

• Phone: 0115 804 4677
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: nottinghamshire.gov.uk

They can guide you to the best-fit schools and support services. 🛠️ Next Steps

• Reach out to the Virtual School for support
• Visit schools and meet their SENCO or pastoral team
• Ask about trauma training and behaviour policies
• Join parent groups like Adoption UK or local Facebook forums