Stage 1
Referral either by a parent or a Local Authority
Referrals to school are scrutinised by our Admissions team consisting of The Principal, our specialist Speech and Language Therapist and our Clinical Psychologist.
Referrals are accepted at any time and new admissions can take place throughout the year.
Most referrals are made by Local Authorities but in many cases, they begin as enquiries made by parents. We encourage parents and Local Authority representatives to visit the school as part of their search for a specialist placement.
Sometimes, individual needs require exceptional and flexible arrangements, such as part-time and outreach placements, to re-engage a student in learning and attending school. We have a good track record in this area.
Admission to the school is in a 4-stage process.
Stage 1 A referral from a parent or a Local Authority
Providing as much information as possible helps us to decide to proceed with the referral or not. AT this stage we work with parents and external agencies to ensure that decisions on whether to offer an assessment visit are based on complete, accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information.
Stage 2 Informal ‘look-around’ the school
We invite parents and students for an informal visit to see the school and meet some of the staff and students.
Stage 3 A school-based assessment visit
When it has been decided that there is a high probability that we can meet a student’s needs and other criteria are met, for example, availability of places, an assessment visit will be arranged.
This allows the school to confirm its impressions on a student’s needs and it offers him an opportunity to experience a range of school day and residential activities.
The assessment period will generally be over three days.
Stage 4 Transition into school
Following a successful assessment visit, all pupils have a planned and sensitively managed transition and induction into school.
This lasts approximately 6 weeks and ends with the Post Entry Review (PER).
Each student is supported throughout his transition by the school’s Assistant Heads of Care and Education
Our rigorous admissions process allows us to maintain a safe, welcoming and autism-friendly environment for our students and we work hard to ensure that all student transitions into the school are planned and managed sensitively.
Communication between the school and parents is excellent, both before students’ admission and throughout their school careers. (Ofsted)