In year Admissions
Set within both the:
- DfE’s statutory ‘Schools Admission Code (1 September 2021) and its statutory guidance,
- 'Promoting the education of looked after children and previously looked after children (February 2018)’,
have clear duties for schools and local authorities to prioritise the admission for both looked after and previously looked after children.
Some looked after and previously looked after children may experience a delay gaining an in-year place at a school.
The statutory guidance seeks to set out clear statutory responsibilities and enable:
- Virtual School Headteachers and officers make effective use of admission procedures and processes, and
- challenge unlawful practice to reduce drift and delay in placing a looked after child on roll.
Virtual School Headteachers should:
- work in close partnership with their School Admissions Team and SEND colleagues (where a looked after child lives and is educated in another local authority,
- work with other local authority admissions and SEND services using the support of the local Virtual School Headteacher), so that legal processes can be accurately followed, and their expertise fully used.
