Revised Nottinghamshire Fair Access Protocol

Overview

Every Local Authority is required to have a Fair Access Protocol, developed in partnership with schools, to ensure that – outside the normal admissions round – unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are found and offered a place quickly. The aim of the protocol is to keep the amount of time any child is out of school to the minimum. (DfE Guidance, November 2012 – Fair Access Protocols: Principles and Process)
Why we are consulting

The current Nottinghamshire Fair Access Protocol was agreed in 2014 and references legislation that is out of date. The way that local areas operate to ensure that vulnerable children are placed quickly has evolved and changed and the protocol needs updating to reflect this.

Additional categories of fair access qualifying children are proposed for inclusion in the protocol, including vulnerable Electively Home Educated children who need to return to school.

A specific section is proposed in the updated protocol to clarify the process where the governing body of a Nottinghamshire primary school does not wish to admit a child even though there are places available. This has been added to reflect the differences in the way this process is managed within the primary and secondary phases.

You can give your views on the consultation between 21st November 2018 and 15th January 2019.

The views of parents, schools and other stakeholders are important to Nottinghamshire County Council and all responses will be considered prior to a final updated Nottinghamshire Fair Access protocol being agreed.