Admissions
Admissions
Short Stay Assessment and Intervention / PRU Admissions
Pupil placement at The Linden Centre Short Stay (Assessment and Intervention) / PRU is commissioned by the Local Authority. Referrals for the provision are thus Local Authority responsibility with places determined at monthly Fair Access Panel (FAP). The Panel is chaired by a Local Authority (LA) Officers and Headteachers. The panel prioritise offer of places based on presentation by school to the panel and completed referral form.
Referral process
A FAP referral form will need to be completed in full by mainstream school and sent to the FAP administrator with any additional evidence by the monthly date set for each respective area. Parental permission must be obtained before the case is discussed. During the school’s discussion with parent/carers we are happy that an invitation to the parent / carer to visit The Linden Centre/ PRU is extended. We acknowledge that it is important for a parent / carer to visualise what we are able to offer and meet our highly skilled and supportive team before agreeing to a referral. This may be done by parent/carer (or school) contacting The Linden Centre / PRU directly.
Specialist Centre Admissions
Function/Aim:
The Linden Centre Specialist Centres are a maintained day special school for children aged 5-11 and 11-16 years. Children will be provided with an appropriately paced and differentiated curriculum however are fully encouraged to complete the national curriculum.
Size and staffing:
The LA is the admissions authority. The school currently has places for 12 pupils in Primary and 8 pupils in Secondary.
Staffing levels are enhanced so that pupils are taught in classes of up to 4 with a teacher and at least one teaching assistant. Programmes of support for SEMH are also available
Funding:
The school is funded on a place led basis by the LA
Criteria for placement:
All pupils will be under assessment or have a statement of special educational needs.
The pupil’s needs will be complex and significant in at least two areas of need as described in the SEN CoP. These are likely to be in the areas of cognition and learning (moderate learning difficulties), communication and interaction (autistic spectrum disorder and/or speech and language difficulties). The pupil may also have associated behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. In addition pupils may have sensory or physical difficulties.
Referral routes
Pupils may be considered for placements:
- Following a Statutory Assessment
- Following an Annual Review or EHCP review
- On arrival into the LA having previously attended a specialist provision or special school
- Following a parental request
- In exceptional circumstances e.g. sudden trauma, permanent exclusion
- Following a request from another LA
Evidence to support the need for a special school place
Despite high levels of support in a mainstream setting there is evidence that the pupil has made only limited progress. Also, social naivety and/or vulnerability may be a barrier to their successful inclusion in a mainstream setting.
There will be multi-agency agreement that a special school placement is appropriate which will include an educational psychologist’s opinion.
The views of the parent and the child will also be considered.
Prioritising placements
If there are more children who meet the criteria than available places the following priorities apply;
- The child doesn’t have a current school place
- The child is LAC and there is evidence that the placement will be appropriate to meet their needs
- The current placement is no longer successfully meeting the child’s needs
Admission procedures
Once the LA has decided that the referral is appropriate the head teacher will be consulted at either a termly meeting with education officers or by the sending of individual papers. Following the meeting or receipt of papers, the head teacher will have 15 working days to consider the admission. When the admission(s) is agreed the LA will formalise this by notifying parents and the child’s current school so that admission arrangements can be made.
Inclusion opportunities
Through on going planning and review, opportunities for inclusion in other settings will be considered. The school will facilitate inclusion opportunities into mainstream schools. Depending on the needs of the child this may be in either a school local to the child’s home or local to The Linden Centre.
If it is envisaged that the inclusion may lead to transfer to a mainstream school an LA officer must be consulted prior to any arrangements being made.
Monitoring & Review
Every child’s progress will be reviewed at least termly and an Annual Review, EHCP review or EHCP transfer review meeting will be held within 12 months of the current statement/EHCP being issued or the previous review meeting. The child and his/her parents/carers will be involved in all reviews.
These admission arrangements will be reviewed as necessary, via the termly meetings between the head teacher and education officers.
For more information on admissions please contact Telford & Wrekin Council