Specialist educational provision

Children and young people requiring a higher level of support at school may be eligible to access specialist educational provision in Gateshead. This could include a placement in a special school, access to additionally resourced provision or educational support through the Council's Special Educational Needs Improvement Team.

Special Schools in Gateshead

There are six special schools in Gateshead, each one specialising in various learning need areas.

School	Learning need	Age range
Eslington Primary School, Hazel Road, Gateshead NE8 2EP	Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH)	Early Years, Key stages 1 and 2 (2-11 years)
Furrowfield School, Whitehill Drive, Gateshead, NE10 9RZ	Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH)	Key Stages 3 and 4 (11-16 years)
Gibside School, Burnthouse Lane, Whickham, NE16 5AT	General Learning Difficulties, including Autism Spectrum Disorder	Key Stages 1 and 2 (5-11 years)
The Cedars Academy, Ivy Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 6QD	Physical Disabilities and/or Communication Difficulties	Early Years and Key Stages 1- 4 (2/3 to 16 years)
Dryden School, Shotley Gardens, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5UR	Severe and Profound Learning Difficulties	Key Stages 3 and 4 and post-16 (11-19 years)
Hill Top School, Wealcroft, Leam Lane Estate, Gateshead NE10 8LT	Moderate Learning Difficulties, including Autism Spectrum Disorder	Key Stages 3 and 4 (11-16 years)

Special schools receive £10,000 for each pupil placed in the school which is the equivalent of Element 1 and Element 2 funding. Special schools can then apply for further Element 3 funding for pupils who require more resources.

Additionally Resourced Mainstream Schools (ARMS)

ARMS are schools which specialise in a particular area of learning need. Children in ARMS usually have an Education, Health and Care Plan and are generally taught in smaller classes with a higher level of support than a normal mainstream school but will have opportunities to mix with children in the mainstream school. The ARMS in Gateshead are as follows:

School	Learning need	Age range
Bede Primary School	Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs	Key Stage 1 (age 5-7 years)
Brandling Primary School Brandling ARMS Entry - Exit Criteria (PDF) [76KB]	Speech, Language and Communication needs	Key Stages 1 and 2 (age 5-11 years)
Eslington School	Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs	Key Stage 2 (age 7-11 years)
High Spen Community Primary School	Hearing Impairment	Early Years, Key Stages 1 and 2 (age 2/3-11 years)
Rowlands Gill Community Primary School	Complex Learning Needs	Key stage 2 (age 7-11 years)
Swalwell Community Primary School	Physical Difficulties	Early Years, Key Stages 1 and 2 (age 2/3-11 years)
Thorp Academy	Moderate Learning Difficulties	Key Stages 3 and 4 (age 11-16 years)
Whickham School	Autism Spectrum Disorder	Key Stages 3 and 4 (age 11-16 years)

The Local Authority commissions ARMS placements from schools, and they receive funding as above.

The SEND Code of Practice places a duty on all schools to provide detailed information how they provide support for children and young people with SEND which you will be able to find by looking on their website or by requesting this from the school directly.

Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)

Gateshead's Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is part of the Council's Behaviour Support Service and provides places for pupils with extremely challenging behaviour or who have been permanently excluded and is based at the Millway Centre at Sheriff Hill. For more information about referral and eligibility for a placement at the PRU contact 0191 420 0606.

Independent and non-maintained special schools and colleges

You can find the independent schools that are accessed by children and young people in Gateshead by searching for 'Independent and Specialist Schools and Colleges' in the Education section of our Local Offer directory (opens new window).

View the full Section 41 list of all independent and non-maintained special schools in England (opens new window) and the Natspec directory of post-16 independent colleges (opens new window).

Home Education

View our Home Education webpage

Early Years Assessment and Intervention Team (EYAIT)

Our Early Years Assessment and Intervention Team is a commissioned service which provides specialist assessment and intervention for pre-school children aged 0-4 in Gateshead identified as having additional needs.

Special Educational Needs Improvement Team (SENIT)

Our Special Educational Needs Improvement Team (SENIT) is a commissioned service which provides specialist educational and teaching support to school-aged pupils identified as requiring extra support at school in Gateshead.

SENIT consists of two teams: