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Admission Guidance Descriptors

Croydon Council is preparing for admission to Special Schools and Enhanced Learning Provisions for those children due to start school in September 2021.  

 

During the second half of the autumn term and early January, all parents of children with children who are due to start school in September 2021 (regardless of SEN) will be asked to make an application through General Admissions for a mainstream school place. For those children who have SEN and whose settings are in receipt of Personalised Inclusion Funding, or whose settings are gathering evidence to make an application for Personalised Inclusion Funding, parents may express a preference for a Specialist placement.  Please note that children do not need an EHC Plan or to be under-going EHC needs assessment for consideration to be given to specialist education placement in Croydon.  Placements made for children whose EY setting are in receipt of Personalised Funding for that child and for whom the Local Authority does not maintain an EHC Plan will be made on an assessment basis.

 

By way of background, for admission to special schools and Enhanced Learning Provision, it is the Local Authority that makes decisions about a child’s placement.  Decisions are made with due regard to parental preference; the provision of suitable education and the efficient use of resources (the latter includes consideration of transport costs).  

 

Please note, presumption in law is for provision of education in mainstream school, parents may express a preference for specialist education and Croydon provides a specialist education pathway delivered in special schools and Enhanced Learning Provisions attached to mainstream schools.

 

We would ask staff in nursery schools and nursery classes to support parents in their decision-making through discussions with parents and gathering evidence about children’s developmental needs, including through multi-agency assessment, EY setting assessment, the adoption of a Plan, Do, Review, approach with evidence of monitoring and tracking of need in response to intervention. For some children this may include an E.P assessment. These profiles will form the basis of a child’s transition passport which will inform decision making. 

 

Requests for specialist placement will be considered by the Local Authority at panels held in spring term 2021. Decisions will be made with due regard to parental preference, and consideration of the provision of suitable education which is an efficient use of resources.  Specialist school/ELP/mainstream Head teachers and professionals are invited to this panel to support the decision making process through consideration of the evidence and a sharing professional views about the suitable education for each child. 

 

The intention is for the places in the Specialist schools/ELPs to be agreed by the end of the spring term 2021 so that school staff have time to visit all children before the end of the academic year and to plan transitions.

 

Please note that attached to this email are descriptors to support decision-making about whether a specialist (special school or ELP) or mainstream education pathway is suitable for a child.  They are intended to help practitioners and parents think about a child’s profile of need and the likely suitable education to meet these needs.  

 

We have also attached a front page cover sheet to be completed and a checklist of what to include in the child’s information pack, alongside the SEND Support File that practitioners can use if they so wish to document the child’s progress and to file all paperwork relating to the child. 

 

In preparation for this panel please find attached a Parental Preference Form, within the same document as the front page cover sheet. Please can we ask that this form is shared with parents and a copy returned  as soon as possible so that we have an indication of the number of children that may be considered at panel. Please also keep a copy for inclusion with assessment documents for the panels in spring term. It is important to note that without the signed return of this parental preference/consent form, we will not consider any child for specialist placement at the panel. 

 

Please send any completed specialist education pathway requests (including a signed Parental Preference Form) to EarlyYearsSENDTeam@croydon.gov.uk by the deadline of Friday 5thFebruary 2021 to be considered at the panel. 

 

Please do not hesitate to contact EarlyYearsSENDTeam@croydon.gov.uk if you have any queries regarding this process.

 


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