Fair Access Protocol

All of Middlesbrough's secondary schools and academies will work together to develop transparent arrangements to ensure a fair sharing out of hard to place pupils.

Most pupils requiring a school place will continue to be admitted in accordance with routine admission procedures rather than through the protocol. The groups of pupils designated ‘hard to place' will be defined clearly and reviewed on a regular basis.

It is acknowledged that some pupils with challenging behaviour would benefit from being educated other than in mainstream schools for periods of time, e.g. in Pupil Referral Units. For the protocol to operate effectively there must be clear arrangements for admissions to PRUs and for reintegration to mainstream education, when appropriate.

Pupils with statements of special educational needs are not subject to the protocol. Schools and academies cannot refuse to admit a pupil allocated through the protocol – although there is an appeal process in respect of the admission of pupils who have been excluded permanently.

The LA will consider a family's religious affiliations, but this will not override the protocol if the preferred school is unable to take the pupil.

The scope and effectiveness of the protocol is subject to regular review (initially annually). The current Fair Access Protocol can be viewed from the link at the bottom of this page.

In addition, the various Protocol tables which show each school's participation within the managed transfers and permanent exclusion/reintegration element of the Protocol can be viewed by clicking the relevant link. The Fair Access table itself is being amended and will appear here in the next few days.

Downloadable documents in this section: