Admission Routes
At Little Acorns, we provide specialist education for children with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, as well as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and speech, language, and communication difficulties. We welcome boys and girls from Reception to Year 9, with new admissions only accepted up to Year 6.
Our admissions process is usually initiated by a Local Authority SEN Department, as all pupils require funding through an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). However, we also encourage enquiries from parents, carers, and social workers.
Each application is carefully reviewed by our team, with the final decision resting with our Headteacher, Graham Richards, to ensure our setting is the right fit for the child’s needs. The process includes meetings with families and professionals, followed by an induction period tailored to each pupil.
We are a small and nurturing school, with a maximum of 34 pupils. Our class sizes are a maximum of seven, though they are often smaller, allowing us to provide highly individualised support.
If you’d like to learn more about admissions, please get in touch!
Local Authority Route
The school receives Consultation Documents from the local authority, the school considers whether they may be able to meet the needs of the pupil.
If the school feels they may be able to meet need, a visit to the child at home and/or school is made. The school will then respond to the Consultation Documents, stating whether need can be met.
Where need can be met, the school will put together costs, requirements and a possible start date.
The Local Authority will take this offer to the Independent Placement Panel where a decision will be made whether they will fund this placement. Where placement is agreed the school will keep in regular contact with the child’s parents/carers and a transition plan will be made.
Parent Route
Parents are welcome to visit the school to discuss the needs of their child. If parents feel that the school is able to meet their needs they can request Little Acorns School be consulted with. In these instances a visit to the child is not always necessary.
The school will still then be required to respond to the Consultation Documents in preparation for the Placement Panel as above.