Specialist Insurance for SEN and SEND Schools
Insurance designed around the needs of specialist education providers, their pupils, staff, governors and premises.
SRS Insurance arranges specialist insurance for SEN schools, SEND schools, independent special schools, alternative provision, therapeutic education providers and organisations supporting children with additional or complex needs.
We understand that a specialist school cannot always be insured in the same way as a conventional school. Pupils’ needs, safeguarding responsibilities, staffing, personal care, medication, behaviour support, therapies and use of the premises can all affect the cover required.
Our role is to understand how your school operates, explain the risk properly to suitable insurers and help you compare the quality of cover rather than looking at premium alone.
Who we can help
- Independent SEN and SEND schools
- Small and newly established special schools
- Schools preparing to open or awaiting registration
- Alternative provision and pupil referral services
- Therapeutic education providers
- Schools supporting autistic children and young people
- Schools supporting pupils with learning disabilities
- Social, emotional and mental health provision
- Residential special schools
- Education and care organisations
- Academy trusts and charitable providers
- Multi-site specialist school groups
Insurance for new and growing SEN and SEND schools
There are increasing numbers of smaller providers opening specialist schools or moving from tutoring, alternative provision or care into regulated education. We can help new providers understand what insurers are likely to request before the school opens.
Insurance may be arranged around the proposed opening date, subject to satisfactory information and insurer approval. A new provider may be asked for:
- Business plan and proposed opening date
- Intended pupil numbers and age range
- Description of pupils’ needs and likely placements
- Experience of the proprietor, directors and leadership team
- Headteacher and safeguarding-lead qualifications
- Staffing, recruitment checks and training
- Safeguarding, behaviour and physical-intervention procedures
- Medication, first-aid and personal-care procedures
- Premises, fire safety, security and building information
- Registration, inspection or local-authority documentation
- Previous trading, claims, incidents or regulatory history
Why specialist insurance matters
A standard commercial policy may not adequately recognise the responsibilities involved in supporting children with additional, complex or behavioural needs. Depending on the school, exposures can include:
- Abuse, neglect or inappropriate-conduct allegations
- Failure to safeguard a child
- Breach of professional duty
- Medication errors or medical-support incidents
- Personal care
- Challenging or distressed behaviour
- Restraint or physical intervention
- Pupil absconding
- Injury to pupils, staff or visitors
- Accidental or deliberate damage
- Transport, trips and community activities
- Loss of sensitive pupil or medical information
- Employment disputes and regulatory investigations
- Closure following serious property damage
What Isn’t Covered
Public and products liability
Claims involving injury to pupils, parents, visitors or other third parties. Specialist policies may also provide cover relating to certain abuse allegations, subject to wording, limits and exclusions.
Employers’ liability
Claims where an employee suffers injury or illness arising from work, including environments involving challenging behaviour, mobility support or complex care.
Professional liability
Claims alleging failure in educational support, assessments, care planning, safeguarding decisions, therapy, counselling, medication, medical support or advice.
Abuse and safeguarding allegations
The cover, limit, defence-cost basis, insured persons and historical-allegation restrictions should be checked carefully.
Property damage
Buildings, contents, sensory rooms, therapy equipment, IT, outdoor learning facilities, specialist adaptations and tenants’ improvements.
Accidental and malicious damage
Check specifically whether damage caused by pupils is covered and whether a separate excess or conditions apply.
Business interruption
Loss of income and reasonable additional costs following insured damage, potentially including temporary premises, subject to the selected indemnity period.
Management, trustees’ and governors’ liability
Protection for directors, trustees, governors and senior managers against certain claims and investigations arising from their duties.
Cyber and data protection
Assistance following data breaches, ransomware, loss of confidential information, system interruption, privacy claims and regulatory investigations.
Legal expenses and employment protection
Depending on the policy, assistance with employment disputes, disciplinary procedures, contract disputes, health and safety matters and certain regulatory issues.
Personal accident and school activities
Cover may be arranged for pupils, staff, volunteers, trips and declared activities.
Supporting pupils with different needs
SEN and SEND cover a wide range of needs. The insurer should receive an accurate description of the pupils supported, including where relevant:
- Autism spectrum conditions
- Learning disabilities
- Communication difficulties
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory impairments
- Social, emotional and mental health needs
- ADHD
- Epilepsy and other medical conditions
- Challenging or distressed behaviour
- Mobility and personal-care needs
- Multiple or complex needs
Information insurers may require
- Pupil numbers, ages and needs
- Day or residential status
- Staff-to-pupil ratios
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Staff qualifications and training
- Ofsted or registration information
- Restraint and physical-intervention details
- Medication and personal-care procedures
- Claims and incident history
- Buildings, security and fire protection
- Transport and off-site activities
- Previous insurer requirements
Why choose SRS Insurance?
SRS Insurance is an independent, FCA-authorised commercial insurance broker with experience in care, education, property and organisations supporting vulnerable children and adults.
- Dedicated insurance adviser
- Access to specialist care and education insurers
- Review of policy wording and exclusions
- Help completing proposal forms
- Clear presentation of complex risks to underwriters
- Claims support and advocacy
- Annual reviews as the school grows or changes
Speak to a specialist broker
Whether you are opening your first specialist school, reviewing an existing policy or expanding to another site, SRS Insurance can help you assess the cover required.
SRS Insurance — Because we care, as if it’s personal.
Frequently asked questions
A school may require employers’ liability, public liability, professional liability, property damage, business interruption, management and governors’ liability, cyber insurance, legal expenses and cover relating to safeguarding or abuse allegations. The precise requirements depend on the pupils, activities, premises and contracts.
Often yes, subject to insurer approval. The insurer may request the business plan, proposed pupil profile, leadership experience, safeguarding arrangements, staffing, premises information and registration progress.
Specialist policies may cover certain allegations, but limits, insured persons, defence costs, exclusions and historical-allegation terms vary. The wording must be reviewed carefully.
Insurance may respond to certain injury or property-damage claims arising from challenging behaviour, subject to disclosure and policy terms. Insurers usually require information on risk assessments, staffing, training and behaviour support.
It may be covered where it is lawfully undertaken by trained staff and declared to the insurer. The school should disclose the techniques, training, recording and review procedures used.
Specialist policies may include professional liability or medical-malpractice protection for declared activities. Procedures, staff competence and the complexity of support must be disclosed.
Yes, cover can be arranged for alternative provision, therapeutic education, pupil referral and similar settings, subject to a clear description of pupils, activities and controls.
Not automatically under every policy. The wording should be checked for pupil-caused damage, deliberate acts, malicious damage, excesses and security or supervision conditions.
Yes, but the insurer will require additional information about accommodation, waking-night staff, personal care, medication, fire safety, safeguarding and the division between education and care.
Every location and activity should be declared. The insurer will need building, occupancy, security, fire and pupil information for each site.
The landlord may insure the building, but the school may still require contents, tenants’ improvements, liabilities, business interruption and contractual cover. The lease and insurance responsibilities should be reviewed.
A specialist broker can explain the school’s activities to suitable insurers, identify restrictive exclusions and compare the substance of cover rather than premium alone.
This depends on the complexity and completeness of the information supplied. Straightforward cases may be dealt with promptly, while new, residential or higher-needs settings may require detailed underwriting.
Disclose the pupils supported, staffing, safeguarding, restraint, medication, personal care, premises, activities, transport, claims, incidents and regulatory history. Material changes should also be reported during the policy period.