In year admissions process

[vanny13]

I'm helping a relative with their child in year 10. DD has had issues at School 1 resulting in fixed terms exclusions and wanted to move school. School 2 confirmed via email, that there is a place, but wanted a reference and specifically asked if the application should be a managed move.

As School 1 recommended a managed move, the application will be considered by the FAP. he LA's FAP isn't meeting until next week, this is taking a considerable time given that School 2 confirmed a place was available more than a week ago and an application was submitted.

It seems the managed move process is delaying the moving process and as School 2 confirms that a place is available does the child have to be admitted?

Child is still going to school 1. Both schools are academies.

A school can refuse a child who has been permanently excluded from two schools. If the child has not been permanently excluded from two schools and school 2 has a place available my view is that they have to admit and cannot force a managed move.

The current Admissions Code is a bit woolly on this subject. Paragraph 1.9(g) says a school cannot take reports of the child's behaviour into account when deciding whether or not to admit, but paragraph 3.9 says, "Admission authorities must not refuse to admit children in the normal admissions round on the basis of their poor behaviour elsewhere", which implies it might be ok outside the normal admissions round. However, I would take the view that the child should be admitted by school 2 immediately and that they cannot force a managed move.

I would agree with everything that PRH has said, there should be no issue about school 2 just admitting. They are hedging their bets that if they can call it a managed move then if it all goes pear-shaped at the new school that they can send them back to school 1. Asking for a reference would seem to me to be a deliberate attempt to establish the pupil's past history, which is not allowed.