Support for SEND, vulnerable and excluded children

Support for vulnerable children

Walsall’s fair access protocol gives further information, including criteria and procedures, that support children missing education and looked after children.

You can also access the school admission code on the gov.uk website.

Children missing education (CME)

Children who are on the CME list are placed under the fair access protocol (FAP).

The FAP ensures that school places are found and offered to children, especially the most vulnerable, as quickly as possible. It aims to keep the time any child is out of school to a minimum. You can contact the CME team if you need support.

Looked after children (LAC)

LAC are children and young people who are in care, or who used to be in care. Admission authorities usually give LAC top priority in their oversubscription criteria.

The local authority has a duty to provide an educational placement for LAC to start within 20 school days. This will be a full-time place in a local mainstream school unless the circumstances of the child or young person make this unsuitable. Admission authorities should not fail to admit LAC because they are in public care. 

Local offer for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

All Walsall schools have a commitment to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. We support schools to make sure that all children and young people, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress.

If your child has a learning disability, their needs can be met either in a mainstream school with extra support, or in a special school.

Walsall’s local offer provides information for children and young people aged 0-25 years with SEND and their parents/carers. You can also find out more about education, health and care (ECH) assessments.

Applying to a specific school because of a medical condition

You may ask us to give your child a priority place at a particular school because of medical or social reasons. You'll need to fill in the relevant part of the application, and submit written evidence from a medical practitioner or social professional to support your claim.

We ask for evidence because you'll need to prove your child has a stronger case than many other children, some of whom may live closer to the school.  

The Director of Children’s Services will consider these requests.

Medical and/or social evidence

This must explain why your preferred school is the only one that can meet your child’s needs. We only give priority to medical/social applications in exceptional circumstances.

The evidence must relate to your child, or to yourself as a parent/carer, for example:

• a child lives with a single parent who has a medical condition or disability.This makes travel to a school further away more difficult.
• a child lives with both parents, and both parents have a medical condition or disability. This makes travel to a school further away more difficult.
• a child lives with both parents, and one parent has a medical condition or disability. We may consider medical evidence if one parent is the sole carer for the other parent, and so is unable to take the child to and from school.

Excluded children

Guidance for schools

When a child is at risk of permanent exclusion, the school will need to email the exclusions team. We will notify Early Help and other services (for example, SEND team).

When a child receives a fixed-term or permanent exclusion, the school should email the exclusions team and ask for an exclusions referral form. You will need to complete this form, and return it by email.

Support for parents/carers

You can find full details about what to expect if your child is excluded on the gov.uk website.

The Parent Support Adviser will contact you straight away.  They will provide you with information about the governing body hearing, and attend the hearing.  If needed, they will also advise and support you with the appeals process, attend the appeal hearing, and give advice and support regarding new school placements.

Managed moves

A managed move is an opportunity for your child to make a fresh start in a new school. It can address difficulties your child might be having at their current school, and aims to avoid permanent exclusion. Schools should only consider a managed move when all other pastoral strategies have been unsuccessful.

Primary head teachers arrange managed moves between themselves and the Fair Access Panel monitors their actions.  

Secondary schools meet once a month to discuss managed moves.