Admissions? In Year Fair Access Protocol application made but STILL waiting over 3 weeks later.

[Vallhalloween]

Although an application for admission into a Voluntary Aided school was made for my daughter under the In Year Fair Access Protocol by my LA more than three weeks ago and despite me reminding the LA's Inclusion Manager, nothing yet appears to have been agreed.

My daughter presumably comes under the Protocol's EOTAS category as she has been excluded from her previous school. The IYFAP application was made by the LA to the school on the 20th October. A week ago an LA Inclusion representative replied to my email in which I asked AGAIN for an update and told me that they were going to visit the school to "discuss (DDs) admission there" and that they would be in contact with me about it the following day.

I've heard nothing since.

I'm mistrustful of the LA, who have throughout not followed correct procedure, which is why I am asking for advice here before contacting them again. Can anyone please tell me where I stand on this and how long it should take for a child to be admitted or turned down for a place once an application has been made to a school under the Protocol?

TIA.

from what I understand about how they work in my LA (and each LA has it's own FAP, so they can differ) this can take a while.

The school have to respond to the request for admission (I'm assuming the school in question is already "full"?)& then the (I think it's called something like, can't find our FAP online, they've move it...) the Fair Access Panel have to meet to discuss and agree the best placement for the "hard to place" pupils considering both the pupil's needs & the school's position. In my LA they only meet once a month - with all the case papers having to be out to panel members a week before the meeting. So depending on timing, it can easily take 6 weeks.

Hopefully your LAs FAP should give details of the process & timeline? If you don't mind saying which LA it is, we might be able to help further.

I'm a bit loathe to name names, but the Panel has already met and the school mentioned above identified by them as being the most suitable. It is already up to it's PAN, as are almost, if not all, DDs year group in schools local to us.

This panel met on the 20th September and, as I said, the Inclusions manager visited the school concerned to discuss DDs case a week ago, on October 7th. By this time the Head of the school had already been approached - in fact, he had been approached about DD on 21st October.

I was under the impression that in general schools only had something like 5 days to respond to an IYFAP application and that parents should be informed of the result in writing within 10 days, hence I'm lost.

The schools admissions code itself doesn't state any timeline, but instead states that the LA's FAP must state what their timescale is

SA Code 3.45
"An agreed protocol must include timescales for considering and resolving individual cases that aim to best serve the interests of the parent and child. It must also describe who will take part in this process, how children will be allocated, how the decisions will be taken and who will be ultimately accountable for them"

If the FAP in question does not state the timescales then it is in breach of the schools admissions code.

Assuming the FAP does have the required details I would ask the Admission Manager (or whomever is named in the FAP as "in charge") in writing (email is fine) for confirmation of what stage you are at in the process & the length of time you can expect to wait for this to be resolved.

Thank you ever so much, I'll do that.

The FAP timescales vary according to the circumstances - eg child moving home, child re;ocating owing to managed move and so on - but none seem to be mentioned for a child in DDs situation.

I would use the managed move as being the nearest equivalent to permanent exclusion but would have to say that these things do take time to set up. Being realistic if there are behaviour problems the school will be asking for extra funding to allow your child to be adequately assimilated into the school and this will need to be sorted out.

However that does not stop the LA having the courtesy of keeping you properly informed. What is currently happening about your daughter's education? Is she attending a PRU and getting full time education, because she should be!

I'm REALLY sorry Admissions, I lost this thread then became "overtaken by events".

The current situation is almost laughable. I was told that DD would be registered at a PRU during the summer holiday. I responded by explaining that not only would that shoot DD's already fragile mental health to pieces but also that she was refusing to attend a PRU, petrified of the bullying which was the cause of a lot of her behavioural problems to start with. The LA replied to the effect that this was all they could offer, I responded again with an explanation that DD was hysterical in her refusal.

Then.... nothing. It all went absolutely quiet wrt the PRU. I have quietly cursed and set about HE-ing DD in the meantime as there is no option until she is offered a mainstream school place. However I have never discussed this with the LA nor have I even informed them of it. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the subject reared it's head again, when the new LA inclusion manager emailed to say that she was "trying to establish whether DD has been offered" any education since her exclusion.

This was asked in the same email in which the woman said she was going to the proposed school to "discuss (DD's) admission there" and that she would be back in contact with me the following day... contact which i never received.

Today, just under 2 weeks later, I received an email asking me to contact the same woman to discuss the next steps as she hopes it's possible to move forward with DDs placement (although she doesn't now say where that placement might be - now I'm a little concerned). I've replied that I'll be happy to hear from her - I just hope she doesn't again expect that to be over the phone as I have no intention whatsoever of taking part in any communications with the LA which aren't in writing!

so much know what your going through