WSCC Fair Access Team

About

This is a West Sussex County Council service.

The Fair Access Team supports schools, governing bodies and parents with three areas: Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions, Alternative Provision and The Fair Access Protocol.

What we do

• Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions: The Fair Access Team has a remit to signpost schools, where a young person is at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion (PEX), to access appropriate support. Early identification of need is crucial to supporting pupils to be successful and remain in their local schools. The Team are also here to advise and guide head teachers, governing boards and parents through the suspension and permanent exclusion process.
• Alternative Provision: According to the DFE suspension and permanent exclusions guidance, Alternative Provision (AP) refers to suitable full-time education that is arranged for a pupil from the sixth school day (or earlier) of a suspension or the sixth school day (or earlier) after the first day of a permanent exclusion. In other circumstances, AP may refer to education arranged for pupils who are unable to attend mainstream or special school and who are not educated at home, whether for behavioural, health, or other reasons. AP includes Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), AP academies and free schools, and hospital schools, as well as a variety of independent, registered, unregistered and further education settings. All Local Authorities have a legal duty to provide education under Section 19 of the Education Act, in certain situations where a pupil is unable to access education via their mainstream school for reasons of permanent exclusion, illness or other exceptional circumstances. WSCC commission all provision in these circumstances via the West Sussex Alternative Provision College (WSAPC).
• Fair Access Protocol: As part of the Admissions Code, all local authorities are required to have a Fair Access Protocol (FAP), to ensure the expedient placement of pupils who meet the criteria within the protocol. Where necessary, schools may be required to take pupils in excess of a full year group. The process results in the appropriate and fair allocation of school places, ensuring schools are not disadvantaged by admitting a disproportionate number of pupils fitting the criteria. For secondary schools, we hold a monthly panel for each education area (Pupil Placement Panel). Each school has a representative at the panel who must have authority to make decisions regarding placements. Often it is either a head teacher or a deputy head teacher with the authority, who attends the meetings. The chair of each panel is elected by the panel representatives and supported by a member of the Fair Access Team, who also manages the administration for the meeting. For primary schools, there are typically fewer FAP admissions per school, so placement is usually agreed by direct conversations with schools. However, a panel will be called as required where both the Admissions and Fair Access Teams have been unable to secure a school place directly.

Age range

5-16

Free to use

Yes