Fair access in Plymouth

All local authorities must have a Fair Access Protocol. The protocol applies to all schools in Plymouth, including voluntary aided schools and academies. The School Admissions Code sets out that the Fair Access Protocol exists to:

• ensure access to education is secured quickly for all children who have no school place but for whom a place at a mainstream school or alternative provision is appropriate
• ensure all schools in an area admit their fair share of children with challenging behaviour, including children excluded from other schools

The protocol encourages the local authority and schools to work together in partnership to improve behaviour, tackle persistent absence and help support behaviour improvement partnerships. The protocol takes into account the placing of children who may have difficulty securing a school place outside the normal admissions round.

Admissions

The protocol covers all forms of in–year admissions. Any school to school arrangements outside of this protocol are not acceptable. The local authority will identify all in-year admissions as part of its in-year coordinated admissions scheme. On receipt of a common application form, the request will be reviewed as part of Council’s Fair Access Protocol and will be determined as either:

1. Standard in-year admissions procedure (out of area)
2. Assessed in-year admissions procedure (fair access)
3. Reintegration in-year admission procedures (hard to place)

In line with the latest admissions code requirements the following criteria will be used as indicators that a Plymouth resident child of statutory school age should be considered for allocation under this protocol:

• applicants for admission to year 11 in a mainstream school
• children attending Alternative Complementary Education (ACE) who need to be reintegrated back into mainstream education (excluding those pupils with  special educational needs statements)
• children for whom an education setting has not been agreed and where the School Admissions Team has been unable to allocate a place through the standard admission or assessed admission procedures
• children known to the police or other agencies
• children of refugees and asylum seekers
• children of UK Service personnel and other Crown Servants
• children returning from the criminal justice system
• children who are carers
• children who have been out of education for longer than one school term (based on a three term year)
• children whose parents have been unable to find them a place after moving to the area, because of a shortage of places
• children with disabilities or medical conditions
• children with English as an additional language
• children with special educational needs (but without a statement)
• children with unsupportive family backgrounds, where a place has not been sought
• children withdrawn from schools by their family, following fixed term exclusions and unable to find another place
• children without a school place and with a history of serious attendance problems (80 per cent or below)
• homeless children
• traveller children

Whilst it is recognised that children that fall into the categories identified above may be vulnerable, not all children meeting a particular criterion will be vulnerable and require assistance to access a school place. The majority of children will be dealt with through Standard Admission procedures. Other children not listed above may also experience difficulties in attaining a school place, the majority of whom will also be admitted through routine admissions procedures operated by the School Admissions Team. This Protocol will work as a fail safe for a minority of children who for whatever reason may find it particularly difficult to access a school place.

Children with statements of Special Educational Need (SEN) are not included in this Fair Access Protocol as their needs are considered separately.

Plymouth City Council’s oversubscription criteria gives priority to children looked after, in line with the School Admissions Code. This is a statutory requirement for all admission authorities.

Fair Access protocol - secondary (99KB)

Fair Access protocol - primary (124KB)

Secondary placements panel (93.7KB)

Protocol for managed transfers (89.4KB)