The ContinU Plus Academy
2013
Admissions
Policy
Admissions Policy
JULY 2013
Review due JULY 2014
The ContinU Plus Academy
Admissions Policy
Alternative Provision Free School - Academic Year 2013/14
Ethos
The ContinU Plus Academy (CPA) is an Alternative Provision Free School established by the
ContinU Trust. The ContinU Trust is a charitable company comprising the seven academies
and state secondary schools of the Wyre Forest and Hagley (the full list of schools is shown
below), Kidderminster College of Further Education, Birmingham and Wolverhampton
Universities, Barnardo’s and a representative from Worcestershire County Council.
The ContinU Plus Academy is committed to working with young people who are excluded, or at
risk of exclusion.
The school will provide a menu of short and long term programmes geared to effecting high
quality productive post-16 progression or their effective reintegration into mainstream schools.
These programmes and the profile of pupils accessing the five pathways are explained in the
“ContinU Plus Academy Referral Handbook” (www.continuplus.org.uk).
The school will support young people with multiple barriers to education and work, including
those with behavioural and emotional needs where a mainstream setting, either temporarily or
permanently, is not the solution to fulfilling their potential. We will work directly with these young
people, their families and our consortium of schools. We will engage support from our
comprehensive network of partners in education, training, health, the voluntary sector and the
judicial system to support our students to become active citizens, exercise choices in their lives
and to take a full part in society. We will also deliver targeted outreach support as part of our
early intervention service to support the behaviour strategies of partner schools.
CPA: Admissions Policy / Page 2
Admissions Policy
JULY 2013
Review due JULY 2014
Admission Process
The CPA will eventually accommodate up to 120 full time equivalent (FTE) places. However,
this will roll out over time as follows: 2013/2014: 70 FTE (i.e. the first year of opening);
2014/2015: 90FTE and 2015/2016: 120FTE. Children and young people aged 11-16 attending
a ContinU Trust school or living in the Worcestershire County Council (WCC) defined
geographical area of the Wyre Forest and Hagley, may be referred to the ContinU Plus
Academy, either from those schools or the Local Authority. The ContinU Trust Schools are
listed immediately below and include all academies and state schools in the Wyre Forest and
Hagley area:







The Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre
King Charles 1 School
Baxter Business & Enterprise College
Haybridge High School & Sixth Form
Hagley Catholic High School
The Stourport High School & VIth Form Centre
Wolverley CE Secondary School
Referral periods to the CPA are at termly windows and are specified in the 2013/2014 Referral
Calendar. There is additional emergency and 6th day access all year round. For admission to
Key Stage 4 (KS4), pupils are referred to the Fair Access and Admissions Panel (FAAP).
FAAP and the following criteria is applied where criteria A takes priority over B. Criteria A - 1, 2
and 3 are of equal weighting and priority.
Criteria A
Definition
1
Pupils who are permanently excluded and either attend a ContinU Trust
school or live in the defined geographical area. These pupils are
registered solely at the CPA.
2
Pupils who, via the FAAP moderation process which judges an exclusion,
would be confirmed by a Governing Body Exclusion Panel, but who have
not been confirmed as permanently excluded and are recommended for
dual registration at the home school and the CPA.
3
As above, however where FAAP agrees there is a very significant risk
of permanent exclusion and the recommendation for admission is to avoid
this. These pupils will be dual registered.
Criteria B
Definition
ContinU Trust
School
Commissioned
Those pupils where local moderation across schools through FAAP
agrees that a structural programme for short, medium or long term, will
secure improved progress and/or outcomes and/or attendance and/or
behaviour. These students are dual registered.
The above criteria also applies to Key Stage 3 (KS3) pupils, however as the purpose is
reintegration no student will be admitted for longer than 2 terms.
CPA: Admissions Policy / Page 3
Admissions Policy
JULY 2013
Review due JULY 2014
Statemented Students - students with a statement of Special Education Needs which names the
school on the statement will be admitted in liaison with Worcestershire County Council
Referral & Assessment Process
The schools, academies and Local Authority must follow the procedures and application
documentation in the “ContinU Plus Academy’s Pupil Transition Pack” which includes in-year
admissions arrangements.
All accepted pupils will undergo a rigorous induction and
assessment process, as part of the procedure for identifying the appropriate programme and
support needed for a successful placement. Pupils and their parent(s)/carer(s) during the
referral process are warmly invited to visit the CPA.
Oversubscription Criteria
Where the number of referrals that meet criteria A1-3 exceeds the number of places available
then places will be allocated in the following priority order:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Looked after (and previously looked after) children;
Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs;
Children who are attending a ContinU Trust School;
Children who are living in the defined geographical area of the Wyre Forest and Hagley
area, however attending a school outside the ContinU Trust.
In the event of equal levels of eligibility under the above criteria, the Academy will employ an
independently managed and supervised random allocation method through drawing lots as a
tiebreaker.
Complaints & Appeals
If a local authority, school or academy is unhappy that a referral to ContinU Plus Academy has
not been accepted having been through the FAAP Panel and Admissions Committee process,
they should contact the Clerk to the Governing Body at the school within 14 days of receiving
notice of non-admittance outlining their concerns. Appeals will be addressed via the convening
of an Independent Admissions Panel to adjudicate on the place.
Policy Review
The Admissions Policy is under the oversight of the Admissions Committee of the ContinU Plus
Academy’s Governing Body which receives recommendations from the ContinU Trust Fair
Access and Admissions Panel (FAAP*). All offers of places may only come from the ContinU
Plus Academy’s Governing Body.
The policy reflects the Statutory Guidance on Alternative Provision published 19 July 2013
including updates to 10 September 2012 published on the DfE website at
http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00211923/alternative-provision.
CPA: Admissions Policy / Page 4
Admissions Policy
JULY 2013
Review due JULY 2014
This policy is reviewed annually by the Admissions Committee of the ContinU Trust and next in
September 2014
* Membership of FAAP:
 Secondary School Headteachers of:
 The Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre
 King Charles 1 School
 Baxter Business & Enterprise College
 Haybridge High School & Sixth Form
 Hagley Catholic High School
 The Stourport High School & VIth Form Centre
 Wolverley CE Secondary School
 Director of the ContinU Trust
 Worcestershire County Council representative
Pupil Transition Pack
The following forms need to be completed prior to admission to the CPA (see Appendices):
 KS3 or KS4 (as applicable) Progress Pupil Passport (Appendix A)
 Progress Passport IN - Parent/Carer (Appendix B)
 Progress Professional (Staff) Passport (Appendix C)
 Home-School Partnership Agreement (Appendix D)
 Permission for Photographs & Videos in School (Appendix E)
 Consent Form for Off-site Visits within 5 miles letter (Appendix F)
 Student Registration Pro-Forma (Appendix G)
 Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire - Parent/Carer (www.sdqinfo.com)
 Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire - Pupil (www.sdqinfo.com)
 Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire - Teacher (www.sdqinfo.com)
The Admissions Policy
(www.continuplus.org.uk).
Date Policy Updated:
is
published
in
its
entirety
on
the
CPA’s
website
July 2013
Member of Staff Responsible: Ms Sara Devo (Headteacher)
Review Date:
July 2014
Signed:
(Headteacher)
(Date)
(Chair of Governors)
(Date)
Signed:
CPA: Admissions Policy / Page 5