Education and learning

LEA protocol - admission of permanently excluded pupils - Croydon schools

The LEA believes that for the majority of permanently excluded pupils a rapid return to mainstream education is in a pupil’s best interests. For many excluded pupils, a placement at a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is advisable to address behavioural or learning difficulties. In some cases this is not necessary and it is possible to facilitate a speedy return to mainstream education. There are occasions, however, when the PRU, in consultation with a pupil’s parents, believes that a statutory assessment in line with the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice is required and consideration of a specialist placement may be appropriate.

Pupils permanently excluded from Croydon schools

Pupils who are permanently excluded from maintained Croydon mainstream schools are subject to the guidance issued by the Secretary of State in September 2006. These pupils remain the responsibility of the excluding school until the exhaustive date of appeal. The LEA will begin its assessment of a pupil’s needs after the 15th day, when an interview at a PRU will be offered and discussions started about educational arrangements. A Reintegration Plan will be drawn up in order to plan the pupil’s return to mainstream education.

Although the LEA will not make provision until after the exhaustive date of appeal, parents/carers will be considering their child’s educational needs before this. In some cases, even though parents/carers are intending to go to an Independent Appeal, they do not want reinstatement in the excluding school. They are therefore within their rights to consider admission to a different school before the appeal has been heard, provided that they tell the Appeal Panel not to reinstate their child.

Depending on circumstances, pupils may spend up to two terms in a PRU. This period can be shortened or lengthened if, in consultation with the pupil’s parents/carers, and in the professional judgement of the PRU headteacher, a shorter or longer stay is appropriate. A PRU head may decide to seek an immediate return to school for a pupil. When a pupil is ready to return to mainstream education, the PRU headteacher (or voluntary sector inclusion worker in the case of pupils placed in the voluntary sector) will negotiate with mainstream school headteachers to secure a mainstream school placement. This will usually be on the basis of dual registration. Parents/carers and pupils will be consulted and involved at every stage and wherever possible their preference will be taken into account. The Schools Admissions Team will be kept informed at every stage.
If a PRU headteacher is unable to secure a suitable mainstream school place for a pupil, the matter will be referred to the Group Director Student Services who will consider any further actions, which could include direct representation to schools and, in exceptional cases, use of the LEA’s powers to direct a school admission to a maintained school or, in the case of aided schools, a representation to the SOS.

Parents will be advised at the exclusion interview of the normal procedures for returning a pupil to a mainstream school. This in no way takes away their right to seek a place in the school of their choice for their child either within Croydon or outside. For schools which are responsible for their own admissions, parents will need to approach the school directly. For community schools, parents can approach the Admissions Department who will process their application in the normal way. If a pupil is refused by a school the Admissions Department will not seek direction but refer back to the PRU for advice. Parents also have a right to proceed with an appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel.

Permanently excluded pupils with statements of SEN will have an annual review at the PRU and consideration will be given to changing the name of the school named in Part 4 of the statement. A pupil’s placement in a school will be the responsibility of the SEN department to negotiate and the procedures for the admission of pupils with statements of SEN will apply.

CTCs and independent schools are not subject to the Secretary of State’s Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and PRUs and pupils who are excluded from CTCs or independent schools do not have the status of excluded pupils. Parents/carers of such pupils should approach the Admissions Department for support and advice on how to seek a place in a Croydon maintained school. Should such applications not be successful the Admissions Manager will consider referring to the Bridge to School PRU for assessment. The headteacher of the PRU will then be responsible for negotiating a school place or referring to the PRU Placement Panel for PRU provision.

The above arrangements do not generally apply to pupils in the last four terms of compulsory education. Such pupils will usually be reintegrated into mainstream education in the year following compulsory education. In these cases normal admission arrangements will apply. Enhanced careers advice is provided at PRUs via the local Connexions service.

Croydon pupils permanently excluded from schools outside Croydon

The majority of such pupils are referred to the Reintegration and Exclusions Officer who refers them to the PRU Placement Panel. Such pupils will be offered an exclusion interview at a Croydon PRU and reintegration arrangements will be as described above.
If a parent seeks a mainstream place for a pupil permanently excluded from an OLEA school the arrangements described in above apply, but the Admissions Manager will refer to the Reintegration and Exclusions Officer for advice.

Non Croydon resident pupils permanently excluded from schools in Croydon or outside Croydon

The arrangements outlined above will apply, but if a parent/carer is not successful in accessing a school place for the pupil the matter will be referred back to the Home Authority.

Contact Details

Contact name

Exclusion Helpline

Telephone

020 8760 5540

Contact name

Advisory Centre for Education Exclusion Helpline

Telephone

020 7704 9822

Contact name

Sue Thorne

Job title

Interim Inclusion Secondary Manager

Department

Children, Young People and Learners

Telephone

020 8726 7783 x 15371

Email

sue.thorne@croydon.gov.uk

Contact name

Sue Podd

Job title

Interim Secondary Inclusion Manager

Department

Children, Young People and Learners

Telephone

020 8726 7783 x 15371