Fair Access and Exclusions

What does the team do?

The Fair Access and Exclusions Team provides support for young people, their families, Headteachers, governing bodies and other professionals around exclusions. The team also places the borough’s most vulnerable young people via the Fair Access Protocol.

Watch a video of parents interviewing the Fair Access and Exclusions Team Manager

Support for families - exclusions

Families often get in touch following notification that their child has been excluded either for either a fixed period or permanently. The team offer support in the following ways:

• Meeting with families and young people to offer advice
• Signposting families to services
• Attending meetings in schools with families to prevent further exclusions
• Ensuring families and young people are aware of their right to have exclusions reviewed through Independent Reviews and First Tier Tribunals

School Support – exclusions

We offer support to schools in the following ways:

• Offering Preventing Permanent Exclusion, Promoting Social Inclusion (PPEPSI) meetings
• Attending disciplinary meetings
• Training staff around exclusion law
• Supporting schools with finding alternatives to exclusions such as School Sponsored Managed Transfers and providing access to Intervention Placements at our Pupil Referral Units
• Working closely with the Behaviour Support Team  and Preventing Primary Exclusions Team to ensure pupils are well supported in schools

Fair Access

When a child meets the ‘Hard to Place’ criteria listed within the Fair Access Policy the team work swiftly to secure the right school place. The team regularly:

• Works with families, schools and professionals to ensure all relevant information is used to find the best possible school place for our most vulnerable pupils in the quickest possible time
• Liaises with families regularly to provide updates whilst consulting with head teachers to negotiate school places
• Uses the New Beginnings – Readiness for Reintegration Programme to support schools to write a transition plan for each new arrival
• Provides support to pupils on site during transition periods
• Provides extensive training to governing bodies around their responsibilities as governors and to head teachers with regards to their responsibilities to act in accordance with current government guidance

The Team is based at Connor Education Centre, Connor Road, West Bromwich, B71 3DJ. It can be contacted by email or by phone on 0121 569 2777