Visits to SEN schools; what questions to ask during visits?

[1995SENNDMUM]

Visiting first sen school for DS tomorrow, LA has EP report for EHCNA but awaiting agreement to issue and then draft to be produced.

A couple of local schools have agreed to allow visits without a draft, I plan to take a list of provision along that was recommended by the EP, but any particular things parents would recommend to ask SEN schools when visiting?

Which class would DC be in?
What are class sizes and staff ratios?
What professionals do you have on-site? If the professionals such as SALT and OT aren’t on site, how often do they visit and how many DC do they see?
Where do your pupils move on to?
Do you have a sensory room? If so (and they don’t show you), can you see it?
How do you manage dysregulated behaviour?

Then, depending on DC’s needs:
How does the school reduce/prevent sensory overwhelm?
What qualifications do you/can you offer?
Is the site secure?
Do they have the equipment/facilities necessary, e.g. do they have a care suite/changing table if necessary?
What qualifications and experience do staff have?
How does the school support/accommodate food/eating difficulties? Can they provide an adjusted lunch?

If it is wholly independent, what is the availability of places currently?
If an independent/NMSS, does your LA fund any pupils currently there? (An answer of no doesn’t mean it can be funded, but an answer of yes will however prevent the LA lying to you by saying ‘we don’t fund that school’.)
If wholly independent, if you have to appeal, how long would they hold the place for?

I agree with everything BrightYellowTrain said.

This won’t work for every child, but I found sitting down with my child, working out what they wanted to know about potential schools, writing this down and then getting them to ask the school what they wanted to know when we were on the visit quite insightful. Some were enthusiastic, some not so much, some talked down to her, some tried to ignore awkward questions when they came from my child, some pitched it perfectly and explained everything truthfully but in a developmentally appropriate way.