Admission to West Oaks is like the other maintained specialist settings in Leeds. Admission is subject to the school being named by the Local Authority in the child’s Education Health and Care Plan. This is a statutory legal process with set timeframes which must be followed. The Local Authority will have a responsible team in place to oversee this. In Leeds, this team is SENSAP.
It is the LA that determines the final decision on school placements. We are sorry that we cannot accept direct requests for placement from parents or carers.
As part of the statutory process, parents/carers have the right to request a school to be named in the EHC plan. You will have the opportunity to let the Local Authority know this.
If you request West Oaks, the LA must send us a draft EHC plan for your child or young person and West Oaks must follow the legal statutory framework. When making a decision on placement, West Oaks will consider whether:
- the placement would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child or young person, or
- the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources.
We must do this within 15 days of receiving the consultation.
West Oaks works in partnership with the Local Authority to enable places for children and young people wherever possible and in line with the legal framework. West Oaks is an extremely popular school, and we receive a very high number of requests for placement each year. The number of placements available is very limited.
Where a placement is unsuitable, or where adding another child to a class would significantly impact on the existing children, then West Oaks will not be able to offer a placement.
In situations where West Oaks are not able to offer a placement for your child or young person, we will have informed the Local Authority and will signpost you back to this team for further information and advice.
Please send queries to [email protected] in the first instance.