ROSELYN HOUSE SCHOOL

Admissions Policy

Roselyn House School is a Section 41 Approved School which means parents have the right to request that the the school is named in section I of their child’s EHCP. It is owned by KS Education Limited and the proprietors are the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. However, this should be done in consultation between the Local Authority and Roselyn House School. If a place is available then the EHCP must specify the parent or young person’s preference unless it would not be suitable for the child’s age, ability, aptitude or special educational need; or it would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children; or it would not be an efficient use of resources.

This Policy works within the following guidance:

• The Education Act 2002.
• The Education (Student Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.
• School Admissions Code (December 2014, updated September 2015).
• The School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012.
• Prevent Duty Guidance – Published 2015, Updated April 2021.
• Keeping Children Safe in Education: Statutory Guidance for Schools and Colleges, September 2021 (September 2023 & September 2024).
• The School Admissions (England) Regulations 2012.
• Section 41 listing.
• Working together to improve school attendance. (February 2024).

Procedure

Any enquiry regarding placement for a student at Roselyn House School will require a copy of the individual student’s Education and Health Care Plan/ referral notes, together with relevant current assessments.

Once this is received, the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher will make relevant notes regarding each student’s individual requirements. If the school is able to meet needs, the School Business Manager gives confirmation by completing a consultation form.

This will then be discussed internally between the Headteacher, Miss Damerall (Who is also one of the Proprietors) and Deputy Head, Mr Jack Birkenhead and the Business Manager, Mrs Rachel Smith. Following this, the Headteacher and/ or the Business Manager will contact the relevant Education Authority and where necessary, discuss the student with their placement officer.

Any referrals sent will be recorded in a database so that at any time information should be available for inspection.Once satisfied the school will organise a non-prejudicial visit (NPV); where prospective students, parents/ carers, social workers and educational welfare officers/family support workers will be invited to attend.

Students and visiting parties will be shown around and offered a full introduction to the facilities, procedures and curriculum on offer; taking into account specific individual needs. At the end of the visit, all will meet with the Headteacher/ Business Manager / Deputy Head Teacher (s)/ Co-ordinator for a feedback session.

After this visit, further visits can be arranged to discuss any additional matters. A discussion will take place as to whether school or an outreach programme is the most appropriate placement, whether a transition period will be appropriate, nurture provision or initial reduced timetable.

Meetings are able to take place face to face but preferably out of school hours at the end of the school day. In addition to this, meetings are also available online or outside of school and there is also a video on the school website.

Once the student and their parent/carer is satisfied then a discussion between the Headteacher/Deputy Head/Business Manager will take place in order to arrange a starting date. An offer of a place is not an agreement. Before a pupil can be registered at a school the parent (or prospective pupil) must have accepted the offer, either by agreeing the starting day in advance or the pupil attending the school on that day (Lancashire only).

Depending on the individual circumstances, this is encouraged to begin quickly on agreement so as to reintegrate the individual back into education as soon as possible.

The student and their family will be given details of ‘induction’ together with a prospectus and consent forms. Depending on individual circumstances and arrangements with the LEA. The student will be collected each day from home and transported to school. See Transport Policy. Roselyn House School will develop strong links between school and home and issues arising from individual behaviour will be honest and open for discussion at any time with the relevant staff.

Admissions

Roselyn House School is a school which caters for the needs of individual students who demonstrate a range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties. However, this school reserves the right to refuse admission to students who demonstrate extreme behaviours, where Roselyn House School feels it cannot meet those specific requirements.

Students who may require one to one or two to one supervision will be considered so as to ensure an adequate staff supervision ratio. Due regard will be made to the appointment of appropriate staff or use of external agencies/therapists.

A student may also be placed on a permanent or temporary outreach timetable, which is bespoke to their needs and agreed with the placing authority, parents and young person. This may consist of reduced hours, as this has been agreed by all parties, to be more beneficial at the current time for the student. Students on a outreach programme will have Roselyn House School named on their EHCP.

Individuals who have a history of misuse of illegal substance, violence involving a weapon and arson may not be considered for admission.

Admissions will also be accepted on a short-term assessment basis where the future of the student would be determined on a one to one assessment programme of learning support.

Procedures following Admission

• Roselyn House School will ensure that the special educational needs outlined in the young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan or other records can be met within the school or on a outreach programme.
• Additional resources/agencies will be utilised as and when required.
• Post admission placement meetings are informed by up to date detailed assessment and information.
• An Initial Assessment may take place within eight weeks of admission. This meeting should endorse the placement and agree the details to inform individual support plans. All stakeholders should be invited to participate in this meeting. If a meeting does not go ahead, baseline assessments will be collated and communicated between all stakeholders.
• Individual risk assessments are conducted before admission and are reviewed as part of the post admission reporting or as and when required.
• Have in place a systematic approach for keeping admission records, in line with current legislation.
• Ensure that all relevant documentation (contracts, permissions etc.) have been signed by the appropriate Local Authority personnel/parent/guardian prior to admission of the young person.
• Ensure in admitting a young person that prior to the end of the post admission period (usually up to 8 weeks) they have identified and completed.
• Contractual arrangements between the school and the placing Authority through completed National Schools Contracts and funding agreement letter are completed.
• Base line information and assessment details to be presented in advance of post admission review.
• Information stating what needs to be in place before a new child/young person can be admitted.
• An induction process for a new child/young person.
• A system that identifies the resources and expertise required to meet the child/young person’s individual needs (IEP’s).

Admissions Register

The school keeps an admission register which contains an index in alphabetical order of all the students at the school and the following information about each student. A student cannot be added to the register unless consent of placement is agreed by parents, carers or guardians (Lancashire September 2024):

• Student number (UPNs).
• Name in full.
• Gender.
• The name and address of every person known to the school to be a parent of the student and, against the entry on the register of the particulars of any parent with whom the student normally resides, an indication of that fact and an emergency telephone number.
• Day, month and year of birth.
• Day, month and year of admission or re-admission to the school.
• Name and address of the school last attended, if any
• Leave date when applicable
• Leaving destination 
• That when a leaving student’s destination is given as another school, the school has verified this new school as a legally registered provider
• That where the leaving student’s educational destination is unknown, or is not given as a legally registered school, this has been reported to the local authority in a timely manner.

The admission register will be kept on the school database and a printout is made at least once a year.

We will inform the relevant local authority of any student who is going to be removed from the admission register where they: 

• Have been taken out of school by their parents and are being educated outside the school system e.g. home education.
• Have ceased to attend school.
• Have been certified by the school medical personnel as unlikely to be in a fit state of health to attend school before ceasing to be of compulsory school age.
• Are in custody for a period of more than four months due to a final court order and the proprietor does not reasonably believe they will be returning to the school at the end of that period.
• The school can longer meet their needs and it has been agreed by the placing authority to remove them. 

In order to promote safeguarding with our young people it is important for us to keep in direct communication with the placing authority and inform them when a student has gone off roll. This allows the authority to identify students who are missing education and be able to track those who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. If a student hasn’t attended school for up to 10 consecutive days, the authority will be informed and school will contact relevant people in order to ascertain the whereabouts of the student. (See Safeguarding Policy).

S. Damerall

Reviewed: June 2024