Fair access protocol - Table of actions
Actions required prior to referral to Fair Access Protocol |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Parents approach a school requesting a place and must be given an in-year application form to complete.
The school must 1) admit the child, or 2) refuse in writing and provide a right of appeal to the parent/carer with a copy being sent to the School Admissions and Transport Service. This is a requirement of the School Admissions Code. |
An application form for use by parents is available from the School Admissions and Transport Service or via the intranet / internet.
On arrival of the application form/letter of notification to refuse, the action should be completed within 10 school days and within a maximum of 15 school days as per the School Admissions Code. |
| 2 | The Head of School Admissions and Transport Service will determine if a case should be considered under the fair access protocol or whether the in-year admission process should be followed at an alternative school. | If it is decided that the case should not be considered under the protocol, then the normal in – year admissions procedure applies |
| 3. | If it is agreed that the case should be considered under the protocol then all schools within a reasonable distance of the child’s address will be invited to provide data in respect of the particular year group and any reasons supporting a decision not to admit for consideration by the Fair Access Panel. |
It is not a requirement that the parent will have firstly made an unsuccessful application to all schools within a reasonable distance of the home address. However, it is expected that parents will have made all reasonable attempts to secure a school place using the in-year admissions and appeals process.
Failure by a school to provide data will result in the panel making a decision as to the identified school with the limited information it has available to it. |
