Who are we?

Co-op Academy Southfield is a special school which provides 360 places for children with an Education Health and Care Plan, in the age range 11-19. Our designation is for students with Severe Learning Difficulties, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Our class sizes range from 6 to 12 students, dependent on need, and our staff specialise in working with students with these primary needs. Following an increase to our PAN, we are now able to accommodate 360 pupils following building works being completed this year. We are a large special school, co-located with Co-op Academy Grange, a mainstream secondary for students 11-16.

We highly recommend you come and look round, see our facilities and ask any questions you may have, whilst you are deciding on where you would like your child to attend secondary school. There is information about our curriculum here.

Admissions to the School

As a special school, our admission arrangements are handled through the local authority. The local authority will then consult with us to see if we can meet that child's need. The majority of our students come from special primary schools in Bradford. 

We will always comply with the SEN Code of Practice; we will take into account our ability to take all reasonable steps to meet individual needs whilst at the same time considering the compatibility of education of others.

We recognise the high levels of specialist support that students’ with SEMH needs require; whilst this designation would not mean that we would automatically decline a place, we would always have to act in the interests of the vulnerable and fragile students within our care; and whether we can effectively meet the needs of a young person with SEMH within our environment.

For a child to be admitted, the school must be named, by a local authority, in the child’s education health and care plan (‘EHCP’).

Parents wishing their children to benefit from our provision should ask their local authority to name our school in their child’s EHCP.

A local authority can also refer a child to the school to be assessed for an EHCP plan or following a change in the child’s circumstances for his or her needs to be assessed or reassessed. Any assessment should be completed within the 20 weeks set out in the SEND Code. We treat this admission in the same way as a student with an EHCP.

Children being assessed for an EHCP will be dual registered and return, full time, to their mainstream school if the LA decides not to issue an EHCP.

For further information on our school, and the process for obtaining a place here contact Bradford's SEN Team on 01274 435750.