After each meeting, the Admissions and Transport Team will contact the relevant school/schools to confirm the Board’s decision to offer a place under the Fair Access Protocol in respect of admissions placements, and then offer the place.
When a place is offered, the Admissions and Transport Team will write to inform the parents/carers. The letter offering a place will specify a start date.
When a child is added to the school roll, they will automatically be added to the attendance register.
On the day the pupil is expected to arrive at school, the Attendance Register should be marked in the normal way. If a pupil fails to appear and no explanation is provided, then an "N" should be used. This is only a temporary code and, therefore, should only be used until the reason for absence is confirmed by the parent/carer. If no reason is given by the child’s parent/carer, the code should be changed to an unauthorised absence.
FAB Placements
The Exclusions & Reintegration Officers will offer support for permanent exclusions and vulnerable removals/movers into Buckinghamshire.
A FAB Placement requires the full knowledge and agreement of parents/carers and pupil.
Consideration should be given to schools within reasonable distance of the child’s home address to avoid an unnecessarily lengthy journey for the pupil and avoid undue financial cost to the Local Authority.
Where relevant in cases where a pupil is on a Child Protection Plan or where there is active Children’s Social Care involvement, a contribution and involvement from their allocated Social Worker will be sought.
Once the pupil is placed on roll of the receiving school as part of FAB Placement the Local Authority supports the school by giving a Pupil Reintegration Grant together with the balance of the AWPU from the excluding school. This includes pupils returning to mainstream school via the usual in-year admission route following a permanent exclusion.
The Pupil Reintegration Grant will not be authorised by the Education Entitlement Team Manager or paid to the receiving school until all the necessary paperwork is received by the Local Authority.
The Pupil Reintegration Grant can be used to support the parents/carers to purchase school uniform, this is at the discretion of the receiving school.
The receiving school will ensure that the pupil is fully inducted and supported by staff who will offer advice, support, and buddy/mentor.
Where possible, the Local Authority will provide, with the parent/carer's consent, support from an Outreach Worker for a maximum of 12 weeks to support a pupil’s return to mainstream school.
Transport
The Local Authority will provide free home to school transport if the nearest suitable school that is identified is over the statutory walking distance and where placement is agreed at the Fair Access Board, if the placement is made through the normal admissions process, then the usual transport rules apply.
The type of assistance offered will be determined by the Local Authority based on needs and may include a school bus or public transport.