Information regarding our individual Academies admissions can be found on their websites.

Brook Academy, Brockworth, Gloucester

KnowleDGE Academy, Knowle, Bristol

Lansdown Park Academy, Stockwood, Bristol

Lansdown Park Rush Hill, Bath

Notton House Academy, Nr Lacock, Wiltshire

St Matthias Academy, Fishponds, Brentry and Easton, Bristol

The Sky Academy, Taunton, Somerset

Soundwell Academy, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire

Admissions

References: Standard 5; Regulation 11; Children Act 1989, S22, 61, 64; SEND Code of Practice.

 The Trust specialises in providing education for children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH), or Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN/ASC).

We also offer day  places for young people in Key Stage 2, 3 and 4 in our Alternative Provisions (formerly Pupil Referral Units), based in Central/East Bristol, South Bristol and BATHNES. Here young people who have been excluded from a mainstream school or are at serious risk of this action can receive 12 to 18 week courses in a supportive, small well-resourced provision aimed at returning them successfully to a local mainstream school. The AP’s also offer Assessment places for young people who have Special Educational Needs which may result in them receiving an Education Health Care Plan. 

We will look objectively at every referral made to us and base our decision on whether we can meet that young person’s needs, taking into account the safety and dynamics of the young people accommodated in the academy at that time. Local Authorities wishing to place young people will provide us with the appropriate paperwork, which will allow us to assess the level of need of the young person. 

We will also consider their safety and compatibility of needs with others within the Academy. If we feel that we can met their needs and accommodate the young person we will offer a place and inform the referring Local Authority.

Admissions Policy

For a child to be admitted, the school must be named, by a local authority, in the child’s Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). Learn@ Multi-Academy Trust will work in partnership with local authorities and parents/carers to assess the suitability of a student’s referral through Bristol inclusion Panel or by PEX (day 6 provision) for a place at the AP’s. Young People with EHCP’s stating SEMH or SLCN (ASC) as their main special educational needs can be referred by their Local Authority to our Special Academies. Parents wishing their children to benefit from our provision should ask their local authority to name one of our Specialist Academies in their child’s EHCP. 

Our Academies are normally organised into classes for each year group, although due to the relatively small numbers we provide for, some classes are vertically grouped. We specialise in providing high quality provision for students with EHCPs for either Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) or Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) from ages 5 to 19 years. The Trust covers the full spectrum of support from early intervention and Assessment to residential term-time places. There is a choice and Learn@ MAT have a variety of specialist provisions so students can flourish and make significant progress.

There is no fee payable by the parents/carers for their child to attend any of the Trust Academies. The academy is unable to offer places to students whose families wish to pay such a fee.
Planned Admission 

We expect young people, wherever possible, to be involved in the placement planning process, so that they are able to take some ownership for their move to Learn@ MAT. We will liaise with the young person and their family or carers, to gather as much information about the young person as possible and to give information about the service and facilities we provide. 

We will organise for staff to visit the young person at their existing placement, whenever possible, to talk to the young person and answer any questions they may have and try and put some of their worries to rest. They may also talk to staff at the current placement to gain some insight into achievements, problems and behaviours of the young person. 

When possible, arrangements will be made for the young person to visit the named academy for a few hours; to meet some staff team and to have a look around the academy. During this process we will identify a key adult who will provide additional support and 1:1 mentoring during the young person’s induction.

Learn@ MAT will adopt a cautious approach to accelerating admissions and will only proceed where there is a high degree of confidence in our ability to meet the needs of the young person. Where a young person is accepted, it will be for a period of time in which extra resources may need to be put in place to ensure the safety of the young person and the potential risks they may present to others within the academy and the wider community.  Although our aim to utilise all the normal admission procedure, it must be recognised that this will not always be possible and some pre-admission procedures may have to be concluded subsequently. 

However, as a minimum we will require the following information: 

• Current situation and needs of the young person
• Other significant behaviours 
• Social Workers report (including CP History)
• Education report (including most recent attainments/test results)
• Results of any mental health assessment - Medical
• Family background (including any Social Worker involvement, CAMHS support, FIT worker or YOT involvement)

We will also require referral information to be provided in full and for the Social Worker to complete the relevant Learn@ MAT PEP paperwork; either prior to or during the admission meeting.
Transition.

Learn@ MAT understands that making transitions can be difficult for students with SEMH or SLCN or Excluded from their previous school. The priority we will place upon getting these transitions right, therefore, means all staff within our Academies are involved, from the Academy Leadership Team through to students. It requires building excellent links with external agencies, parents/carers.

Learn@ MAT identifies four major periods of transition: into Learn@ MAT, from Assessment place to specialist academy, from AP back to mainstream and from secondary/sixth-form to life beyond.

Our Academy Admissions Policy

Each of our individual Academies have their own Admissions Policy on their web-site which is based upon the policy, procedures and expectations given here. If you wish to appeal against any decision by an Academy to admit your child please contact info@learnmat.uk 

Advice for parent/carers on school admissions appeals

If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan that names a school and that school is refusing admission, you should speak to the local council that issued the plan. The appeals process described in this guidance is not relevant in these circumstances.

Registered Provider 

Learn@ MAT is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) which specialises in working with young people who have SEND, especially SEMH and SLCN. Through its Articles of Association, the Trust has established its governance arrangements. 

The Registered Provider:  Learn@ MAT

Address:  c/o Knowle DGE Acdemy, Leinster Avenue, Knowle, Bristol, BS4 1NN

Telephone: 0117 456 6513

Email: info@learnmat.uk