Waltham Forest SEND dataIndependent

How SEND services in Waltham Forest are performing. Every figure links to its public source.

Can my child get a special school place?

Short answer. In January 2026, 22% of children and young people with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest were at a special school, against 29% in England. In May 2025, the borough's 4 special schools had 817 pupils for 805 places, and the council forecasts 38% more children needing a specialist place by 2029/30. You can ask for a particular school when you get your child's draft EHC plan. The council must name it unless it is unsuitable for your child, or would be incompatible with other children's education or the efficient use of resources.

DfE figures for January 2026 and May 2025, and the council's forecast. This is not legal advice.

How the school in an EHC plan is decided

Children with an EHC plan don't apply for a school place in the usual way. The school is named in section I of the plan.

  1. You get a draft plan. It doesn't name a school yet. You have at least 15 days to comment on it and to ask for a particular school or college to be named (Children and Families Act 2014, section 38(2) and (5); SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 13(1)). This can be a mainstream school, a special school, an academy or free school, a college, or an independent special school approved by the government.
  2. The council consults the school you asked for, and any other school it is thinking of naming (Children and Families Act 2014, section 39(2)).
  3. The council must name the school you asked for unless it is unsuitable for your child's age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs, or your child going there would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children or the efficient use of resources (Children and Families Act 2014, section 39(3) and (4)).
  4. If it can't name your choice, it names a school or type of school it thinks is right. That must be a mainstream school unless this goes against your wishes or the efficient education of other children (Children and Families Act 2014, section 39(5); Children and Families Act 2014, section 33(2)).

The same steps apply when a plan is changed after an annual review, including before your child moves school. See the deadlines for changing school.

Visit the schools you are thinking of and ask whether they can meet your child's needs. SEND in each school lists every school in the borough with the ages and needs each specialist setting takes.

Specialist places in Waltham Forest

In May 2025, the borough's 4 special schools had 817 pupils for 805 places. Mainstream schools had another 174 places in resourced provision, where a mainstream school has a specialist base (94 primary and 80 secondary).

Special schools in Waltham Forest, May 2025
SchoolPlacesPupils on roll
Whitefield School355368
Lime Academy Hornbeam285295
Joseph Clarke School100109
Belmont Park School6545

Source: DfE, School capacity: Special school capacity - school (downloaded 2026-10-25); DfE, School capacity: Specialist provision capacity in mainstream schools - national, regional, local authority (downloaded 2026-10-25)

The council's SEND Sufficiency Plan says its special schools are full, and that 14% of their places are taken by children from other boroughs (London Borough of Waltham Forest, SEND Sufficiency Plan 2025-30 (in the Schools Forum pack, 10 December 2025) (December 2025), p. 58). In September 2026, Lime Academy Hornbeam opened a new site at Chapel End in Walthamstow, with "specialist primary provision for Autism" (Lime Academy Hornbeam, Welcome (About us) (June 2026)). It took its first 40 pupils (Lime Academy Hornbeam, Weekly newsletter, 9 September (September 2026), p. 3). See new places at Chapel End.

Where children with EHC plans go to school

In Waltham Forest, a larger share of children and young people with a plan are in mainstream schools, and a smaller share in special schools, than in London or England.

Where children and young people with EHC plans are placed, Jan 2026
SettingWaltham ForestLondonEngland
Mainstream school59.6%51.8%45.5%
Special school22.3%26.6%29.4%
Of which independent special1.4%4.4%4.9%
Further education9.2%13.0%14.0%
Alternative provision / PRU0.4%0.8%0.8%
Educated elsewhere8.3%6.9%8.7%

Source: DfE, Education, health and care plans: Education, health and care plans as at January each year (downloaded 2026-10-25). Share of all EHC plans, ages 0 to 25, in January 2026.

The council says 12% of children and young people with a plan are placed outside the borough (London Borough of Waltham Forest, SEND Sufficiency Plan 2025-30 (in the Schools Forum pack, 10 December 2025) (December 2025), p. 28). For more, see EHC plans.

Demand is forecast to grow

The council forecasts 1,025 children living in the borough needing a specialist place in 2025/26, rising to 1,418 by 2029/30. That is growth of 38.3%, against 26.7% across London (DfE, School capacity: Local authority specialist provision pupil forecasts - national, regional, local authority (downloaded 2026-10-25)).

In May 2026, the council said 272 children and young people with an EHC plan had no school or college named. It said it doesn't record what type of place each child is waiting for (London Borough of Waltham Forest, FOI response: children with EHC plans and no named placement (council ref. 11912797) (May 2026), p. 1). See children with no school named.

If you disagree with the school named

You can appeal to the SEND Tribunal against the school or type of school named in the plan, or against no school being named (Children and Families Act 2014, section 51(2)(c)). If your appeal is only about the school, you don't need a mediation certificate first (Children and Families Act 2014, section 55(2)). See how to appeal. For free advice, contact IPSEA or Waltham Forest SENDIASS.

What these figures don't tell you