Homewood College

Admissions

Admissions to Homewood College and the process of consultation with Governors and the Local Authority.

All pupils at Homewood College have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) identifying their educational needs, provision and naming Homewood College. Their primary need should be Social, Emotional and Mental Health, although we may consider a pupil who has this as their secondary need if their primary need presents predominantly as SEMH difficulties.

Parents of children who have an EHC Plan and young people who have such a plan have a right to ask for a particular educational institution to be named in the plan.

All requests for placements at Homewood should go through our casework officer in the SEN team (currently Abbi Town). The local authority will consult the governing body and headteacher and consider their comments  before deciding whether to name the school on the EHC Plan. 

Admission Process

The general process for admission is as follows:

  • The headteacher receives papers (generally an Education Health Care Plan and attached advice/assessments) for consideration from a caseworker within the Local Authority and is asked to consult with the Governing Body with regard to a proposed admission.
  • During this time, the school will meet the child and parents/carers and the child and family are given time to see the school and meet some staff. Ideally, staff would visit the child at their current setting and speak to their teachers to see if the school can meet their needs.
  • Following the above consultation the Local Authority will issue a final EHC Plan which will name Homewood College in Section I (Placement).

Going Over Commissioned Numbers

The Local Authority may request that we take a pupil that will take us over our commissioned numbers. There is no limit to the number of ‘top-up’ pupils we can be asked to take, so every top-up pupil will be discussed with the Chair of Governors first, who may decide to consult further with governors.

Appeals

Parents/carers may appeal to the Local Authority regarding placement decisions for their child.