Stockport’s Fair Access Protocol
In some cases an in-year application for a primary or a secondary school place may be referred for consideration under Stockport’s Fair Access Protocol
The School Admissions Code requires us to have a Fair Access Protocol in place to make sure that unplaced and vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty securing a place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible. Fair Access Protocols can only be applied to in-year admissions and not to applications at the normal point of entry, Reception or Year 7 September intakes.
We have developed Stockport’s Primary and Secondary Fair Access Protocols with all Headteachers in Stockport.
If a headteacher of the preferred school identifies that an application meets the criteria to be considered under the Fair Access Protocol they may refer it to Stockport’s Fair Access Panel. The Secondary Fair Access Panel is made up of representatives from the council and all Headteachers from secondary schools in Stockport. The Secondary Fair Access Panel meet once every 2 weeks during term time to discuss any applications referred to them. The role of the Fair Access Panel is to make sure children have access to a suitable school place as quickly as possible.
For an application to be considered at the Fair Access Panel it must meet one of the following criteria:
a - children either subject to a Child in Need Plan or a Child Protection Plan or having had a Child in Need Plan or a Child Protection Plan within 12 months at the point of being referred to the Fair Access Panel
b - children living in a refuge or in other Relevant Accommodation at the point of being referred to the Fair Access Panel
c - children from the criminal justice system
d - children in alternative provision who need to be reintegrated into mainstream education or who have been permanently excluded but are deemed suitable for mainstream education
e - children with special educational needs (but without an education, health and care plan), disabilities or medical conditions
f - children who are carers
g - children who are homeless
h - children in formal kinship care arrangements
i - children of, or who are, Gypsies, Roma, Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers
j - children who have been refused a school place on the grounds of their challenging behaviour and referred to the Fair Access Panel
k - children for whom a place has not been sought due to exceptional circumstances (as determined by the council based on the circumstances of the case)
l - children who have been out of education for 4 or more weeks where it can be demonstrated that there are no places available at any school within a reasonable distance of their home. This does not include circumstances where a suitable place has been offered to a child and this has not been accepted
m - previously looked after children for whom the council has been unable to promptly secure a school place
Not all children who fall into one of the above categories will be considered under the Fair Access Protocol if the headteacher of the preferred school has not referred it for consideration and a school place has been offered at a suitable school.
The majority of children discussed at the Fair Access Panel are children who fall into Category J: children who have been refused a place on the ground of their challenging behaviour. If a school receives an in-year admission and has good reason to believe that a child may display challenging behaviour it may refuse admission and refer to the Fair Access Protocol. This should only happen if the school has a particularly high proportion of either children with challenging behaviour or previously excluded pupils on roll compared to other local schools and it considers that admitting another child with challenging behaviour would cause prejudice to the provision of efficient education and use of resources.
Find further information on Stockport’s Fair Access Protocols.