Alternative Provision Free School – Academic Year 2017/18
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 effective reintegration into mainstream schools. Our practice is rooted in the belief that creative and targeted interventions, delivered in a caring and productive environment with high expectations, can change lives.
The school will support young people with barriers to education and work, including those with non-specialist behavioural and emotional needs where a mainstream setting, either temporarily or permanently, is not the solution to fulfilling their potential. It should be noted that the CPA is not a BESD school nor a Medical PRU and referrals for pupils with that level of need should be made to the relevant service authorities. Paramount is the safeguarding of all our pupils and staff. We will work directly with our learners, their families, our consortium of schools and a range of vocational providers. We will also engage support from our comprehensive network of partners in training, health, the voluntary sector and the judicial system to support our students to become active citizens, exercise choices in their lives and take a full part in society.
Admission and Referrals Process
The CPA may accommodate up to 90 Full Time Equivalents in 2017/2018. Admission is on a referral basis from schools or local authorities. 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. Out of area commissioning arrangements may also take place within the admissions criteria. 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
The CPA is also proudly working alongside Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Dudley Schools.
Referral periods to the CPA are at termly windows and coincide with meetings of the ContinU Fair Access and Admissions Panel (FAAP). There is 6th day access all year round for permanently excluded (PX) pupils via a WCC local authority contract. Every effort will be made to provide educational provision within 6 days but Safeguarding and adequate information on students takes priority.
The referral process for non PX pupils is specified in App 1 “CPA Referral Pathway”. For Dudley Local Authority referrals, the Local Authority takes the place of the Home School. Given the CPA pupil profile (see “Ethos” on page 1), 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 apply to Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils.
Statemented Students with an ECH Plan – students with a statement of Special Education Needs which names the school on the statement will be admitted in liaison with Worcestershire County Council subject to the pupil profile of the school (see “Ethos” page 1).
All offers of a place are made from the Governing Body of the CPA based on an assessment of the application details by the Headteacher following discussions with the referring school, parents/carers, Local Authority and relevant agencies, and the completion of all referral paperwork.
Referral & Assessment Process
The schools, academies and Local Authorities must follow the procedures and application documentation in the App 1 “CPA Referral Pathway”.Pupils and their parent(s)/carer(s) must meet with CPA representatives before any place is confirmed. All accepted pupils will undergo a rigorous induction and initial assessment process, as part of the procedure for identifying baselines and the appropriate programme and support needed for a successful placement.
In the event of a refusal of a place, a letter is sent to home school/Local Authority (app1).
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:
- 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 or school is unhappy that a referral to ContinU Plus Academy has not been accepted 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 at Stage 1 via the convening of the CPA Admissions Committee and, if necessary, at Stage 2 via the appointment 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. The policy reflects Statutory Guidance on Alternative Provision http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00211923/alternative-provision.
This policy is reviewed annually by the Admissions Committee of the ContinU Trust and next in September 2018.