Blanche Nevile School

Admission

Pupils will be assessed to establish if their needs can be met at Blanche Nevile School before a decision can be made. In the Foundation Stage, once a child has been allocated a place at Blanche Nevile, the Foundation Stage staff will make a home visit and arrange for the parents/carers to spend time in school with their child. During this time, a settling in programme is agreed, based on the child's individual needs. In line with current thinking and government initiatives it is our policy to progress children to full-time as soon as possible.

Criteria for Admissions

Blanche Nevile School is a pan London provision, taking pupils from the Greater London area. The pupil first and foremost is identified as Deaf or hard of hearing, which can be developed and supported in a bilingual and bicultural education.

Pupils may join the school without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) on an assessment basis. The school works with the Local Authorities (LA) and families to co-produce EHCPs.

The pupil needs a curriculum planned, modified and delivered by a qualified Teacher of the Deaf within a language rich environment where English and BSL are given equal status, and Page 2 of 5 high expectations are held for the pupil to develop communication and language skills in both languages.

If a pupil has a significant hearing loss, associated speech and language delay and an additional need they may be assessed as suitably placed with additional support.

The school may refuse a request on the following grounds:

• The school is unsuitable to the child’s age, ability or aptitude.
• A placement for the child would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children with whom the child would be educated.
• A placement for the child would be incompatible with the efficient use of the school’s / LA’s resources

Admissions Procedures

• Initial Contact: Contacts for placement may come through a referral from the child’s LA or through an informal contact by a parent/carer. The parent/carer will then be invited to visit the appropriate department with their child and where appropriate their Advisory teacher of the Deaf. They will be provided with a tour and given relevant information (including school’s philosophy and practice) by a senior member of staff.
• Letters / telephone calls of interest, details of prospective students and records of visits will be logged.
• Formal request for a place: The relevant LA requests a place through Haringey LA or directly with the school. The school will then write a consultation reply according to whether the placement is suitable.
• Assessments: During the initial visit, informal assessments will be made. Where necessary, for example if the child did not attend the initial visit, a following visit will be arranged to gather assessments within Blanche Nevile School.
• The child will be visited and observed / assessed in their present school or nursery where possible. Children not in school (e.g. pre-school children and new entrants to the UK) will be assessed within the home or, if appropriate, within Blanche Nevile School.
• Every effort will be made to establish the views, wishes and feelings of the child.
• The school will establish commitment from parents/carers to support the school’s philosophy and the child’s learning.
• The Headteacher / Deputy Headteacher will notify the consulting LA regarding their intention/decision.
• The Headteacher / Deputy Headteacher will inform senior leadership, the Administrative Team and relevant partnership schools (Highgate, Fortismere) of the assessment process including names and details of prospective pupils and relevant LA.

Transition

• Foundation Stage pupils will visit the department with their parent(s) on their first day. In some cases, a transition programme may be arranged leading up to Nursery placement.
• Primary pupils and their families will be visited at home prior to their start date when possible.
• Year 6 pupils will visit the Secondary Department for 2 days (without their parents) to become familiar with the department staff, students and routines, unless they are starting after September and during the academic year.
• Dates for Assessment Days and Transition Visits for Year 7 places will be established in the school calendar.

Additional information

Pupils who attend the Primary department will be given priority for a place in the Secondary department, if it is agreed through the annual review process that their needs can be met.