Admissions Process
We wish to ensure that:
- Parents/carers are happy with the choice of placement
- The children’s introduction to school is positive
- The school feels confident in its capacity to meet the child’s needs.
Students will be admitted:
a) If they have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and they have been referred to the school by their Local Authority.
b) If the school feels it is able to meet the child’s learning and additional needs.
c) If their needs have been identified as those that can be appropriately met in a learning & additional needs (LAN) school. Typically, our student have:
- Moderate learning difficulties (operating approximately 4 to 6 years behind age related expectations on entry)
- Social communication and interaction difficulties that impact on their ability to access the curriculum
- Speech and language difficulties
- Socially vulnerable (unlikely to thrive in a mainstream setting)
- Other additional needs
Our school does not cater for children whose primary need is their emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEMH). Neither are we a specifically ASD specialist provision.
d) With due regard to our legal responsibilities, the SEN Code of Practice, data protection and the constraints set out by the Local Authority (e.g. Admissions Criteria and County Transport Policy).
e) After due consideration of the referral papers by the Headteacher, Senior Leaders and, where appropriate, Trustees and if there are places available within the agreed place number or physical capacity set by the Local Authority.
The admission process will:
- be clearly outlined to prospective parents/carers which may include making opportunities for parents/carers to visit to help them make an informed decision.
- be handled as sensitively as possible taking into account both the needs of the pupil and their family.
- May enable a member of staff to visit the child in their current setting to ensure suitability of placement and to establish links in order to achieve a successful transition.
- begin to establish the partnership with parents/carers and clarify expectations.
- facilitate the exchange of information and ideas between home and school through pre-admission meetings
- enable parents/carers to become confident partners in their child’s education.
- be sensitive to the needs of other students and the resources available.
- include close liaison with other schools, where appropriate.