Admissions, Transition & Induction
At Portland School, we recognise that the majority of our students have had challenging prior experiences of schooling. In addition to these difficulties, students will have a range of ‘special educational needs’ that that make transitions to a new school and the formation of new relationships, including both adults and staff, a real challenge.
As such, our ‘Admissions, Transition & Induction’ policy sets out the steps that we enact to ensure that the process of moving to Portland is as successful as possible.
The steps we employ are summarised here. The full policy, can be found at the end of this page.
Stage 1
Prior to Consultation
The local authority to be aware that pupils admitted to Portland School will have:
- An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Have ‘Social, Emotional & Mental Health Need’ identified as their primary need
Pupils may also present with additional needs, which can include:
- Attachment difficulties
- Autism Spectrum Condition
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Moderate learning needs
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory impairments (VI, HI, MSI)
Pre-Naming Initial Consultation (Pre-naming)
The Local Authority (LA) consults Portland School before naming us in Section I of the EHCP. We provide written feedback on cohort compatibility, safeguarding considerations and resource requirements to meet Section F provision.
Confirmation of Duty to Admit (Post-naming)
If named, Portland School confirms agreement to be named in Section I of the student’s EHCP and seeks agreement with the local authority to establish a provisional start date dependent upon completion of the steps below to ensure safe, appropriate provision from the pupil’s agreed start date.
Start dates will typically be three weeks from the date of being named in Section I, allowing Portland School to engage the stages listed below.
Stage 2
Induction & Readiness Steps (Prior to Full-Time Attendance)
Typically, three weeks before being placed on roll, the school will seek to enact…
- Parent/carer meeting and pupil visit(s) — co‑production of initial plans; collection of emergency contacts and permissions.
- Transport Application – support from internal staff to complete transport application.
- Contact with Home School & Parent Meeting - Complete Safeguarding & behaviour risk assessment — e.g., absconding, self‑harm, peer compatibility; mitigations and staff briefing.
- Identify Relevant Medical information & Reasonable adjustments planning — to identify disability‑related barriers and implement adjustments.
- Meeting with SENCO & Head of School - Teaching/pastoral group allocation — placement planned to support the pupil’s needs while protecting the efficient education of others.
- Meeting with SENCO & Staff preparation — DSL/Deputies, SENCO and class teams briefed; training arranged for identified adjustments.
Stage 3
Transition Steps (Prior to Full-Time Attendance)
We use a structured, time‑bound phased timetable where necessary to implement safeguarding measures and reasonable adjustments, prior to full‑time attendance.
Typically, one week before being placed on roll, the school will offer two weeks’ worth of ‘visits’ to the Portland School.
These visits are to take place whilst the student remains in their current educational provision and student will be registered as a ‘guest’, allowing the school to be co-responsible for safeguarding the students.
Readiness Criteria for Full-Time Attendance
The school will detail progress through Induction, Readiness & Transition steps informing the Case Officer, as a representative to the Local Authority, if there are causes to delay the start point.
The school will report any difficulties with the following aspect of our readiness criteria that may prevent the student being placed on roll;
- Inability to complete Safeguarding/behaviour risk complete; identify mitigations and/or brief.
- Inability to identify disability‑related barriers and identify relevant adjustments required for access.
- Inability to identify Teaching/pastoral group to gain understanding of compatibility with cohort.
- No Parent/carer consents or emergency/medical information received; no communication channels established.
- Failure to attend during ‘guest registration’ which prevents the school from identifying reasonable adjustments and completing safeguarding/compatibility assessments.
Stage 4
On-rolling (Full-Time Attendance)
The pupil’s start date is agreed with parents/carers and the LA; the pupil is added to the admissions register on the agreed starting day, which is typically three weeks from being named in Section I and attendance is recorded from that point.
