Admissions

• Admissions Policy
• Criteria for Admission
• Home-School Contract

We accept referrals from Local Authorities (LA).

We are able to give parents information regarding our assessment and admission process.We encourage parents to engage in a dialogue with their local authority and make a joint application.

1. Once a referral has been received from a LA, the paperwork will be read by a senior manager and discussed at the monthly Referrals,Admissions and Assessment meetings. If the pupil does not meet the admission criteria (Appendix 1) or there are no places available, a letter will be sent to the Local Authority to inform them that the referral is not going to be followed up.

2. If theca referral is suitable for assessment, the parent/carer will be invited to visit the school, if they have not already done so.

3. School staff, usually a member of SMT and the Speech & Language Therapist, will arrange to visit the child at school) or elsewhere if not in school) to carry out an initial assessment.

4. The assessment will typically consist of:

   a. Discussions with staff that have contact with/know the child
   b. Observations in class and/or in the playground

5. Once the initial assessment has been completed and all relevant information has been gathered, a brief initial assessment report will be compiled and a decision may be made, at this stage, as to whether Baston House School will be an appropriate placement for the child.

6. The next step will usually be that the child will be invited to attend the school for a brief visit with a parent/carer/member of staff from current school.

7. If the visit has been successful, a further programme of visits, normally without external support, will be arranged. These will be evaluated and a final decision on suitability of placement made by the Principal.

The decision will be made in line with the Code of Practice:

   a. Special Educational Needs – can the school meet the child’s needs?
   b. Resources – would the placement be an inefficient use of resources?
   c. Current pupils – would the placement be incompatible with the efficient education of the        other children with whom the child will be educated?

8. Depending on the source of the referral, the LA and/or parent/carer will be notified in writing of the outcome of the assessment within 10 working days of completion of the assessment process. NB. The process is deemed to be complete when all information has been gathered.

9. If Baston House School is able to meet the child’s special educational needs, an offer of a place, a start date and the proposed fee will be suggested to the LA. When the LA confirms that the offer of a place is going to be taken up, Baston house School will send a letter confirming this to the LA and to the parents.

10. The LA is responsible for making transport arrangements with the parents and will inform the school accordingly.

11. Transition plans will be made with the LA, the current school placement and the parent/carer. Transitions are often difficult for children who have autism. It will be essential to consider mechanisms/strategies that may make the process easier for the child. These may include Social Stories or a Transition Book.

Date of Policy: Autumn 2010
Review Date:Autumn 2011

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