Admissions
We believe that all members of the school community have rights and responsibilities. Everyone at Compton Dundon School is important and is to be valued. We expect every individual to respect others, their families, their culture and beliefs.
We aim to be courteous and fair in our dealings with each other and with our pupils.
Compton Dundon School has a clear admissions procedure that helps to ensure our community remains positive and productive, and that pupils can work towards and maintain desirable character traits, including Kindness, Honesty, Commitment, Respect, Community, Resilience and Independence.
Staff work hard to support our pupils, and we are recognised for our pupils’ outstanding attitudes and behaviour.
Referral
Once a referral has been received from local authority, the information will be considered by our Referrals Team. Occasionally, enquiries come directly from parents or carers before a consultation has been received from the local authority. This may occur if parents/carers have been asked to visit local schools if their child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Compton Dundon School works in partnership with local authorities and parents /carers to assess the suitability of pupils for a place at the school.
The school strongly believes in finding the right school for our young people (and vice-versa) and within all our communications, will be honest with parents and the local authority in this regard.
We welcome tours of our school or informal observations of young people at any point in an academic year. Intake is not restricted to September only.
Compatibility Checks
Upon receipt of the initial referral documents, a compatibility check will take place which will determine whether the pupil is suited to the school, our existing cohort, and the style of teaching and delivery of work. If the Referrals Team agree that the school would be able to meet the needs of the young person and that we are the right school for them based on the initial information received, then the parent/carer will be invited for a tour of the school.
Alternatively, if, based on the paperwork received, we think we may be able to meet needs, a designated member of staff will arrange to visit the young person in either their current school or in the home setting (where an initial observation would take place). If we believe we would be the right setting for the young person, the parents/carers together with the child would then be invited in for a tour of the school (if this has not already taken place). During this visit, parents/carers will be introduced to the expectations of our school, and the young person’s behavioural traits will be subtly assessed to add further clarity to the decision making process.
We perform these levels of due diligence to make sure that Compton Dundon School and every young person who joins us are the right fit for each other. This ensures that a placement very rarely breaks down and that every young person experiences consistency and longevity in their placement.
Placement Offer
In most cases the Referrals Team will be able to make a decision within a couple of weeks. The school acknowledges that parents/carers have often been through lengthy processes in the past and in recognition of this, the school will aim to advise parents of the outcome as quickly as possible. However, in a small number of cases, it may be more appropriate to delay a decision whilst more information can be obtained.
If Compton Dundon School can meet the child’s needs, and we believe that the admission of a child is compatible with our current cohort, an offer of a place and a start date will be sent to the local authority and the parents/carers will be informed.