Admissions

Children/young people with the following criteria are eligible for admission:

They will be between the ages of 11 and 19 years;
Have an Education Health Care Plan with autism as the primary are of need;
Have a moderate to severe learning disability (with or without a diagnosis of autism);
Have an EHCP or be in the process of obtaining one;
Live within 75 minutes travel distance.

The following factors will also be considered before offering a place:

If a vacancy is available;
If the school has the resources to meet the needs of the child/young person;
If there is an additional diagnosis (such as, but not limited to, Down’s Syndrome, visual impairment, hearing impairment, mental health needs), and the school is able to meet the needs of the pupil;
Whether a funding agreement has been reached.

Funding

Pathways School is an independent special school with the fees normally covered by relevant local authorities. Pupils may also be privately funded in the case of overseas students or those waiting for the EHCP to be finalised.

Admissions Procedure

Contact the school to make a visit and provide any supporting documents such as an EHCP and specialist reports;
Make a request to your Local Authority to consult with us on their behalf (also known as a referral);
Once we have received a request from an LA, we will organise an assessment of needs, ideally in a current school setting but if necessary this can be in the home;
We may also invite you to bring your child to visit the school;
After these steps, we will make an offer or suggest another course of action. Once an offer has been made, it will be valid for four weeks, after which the place will be offered to someone else;
Admissions will be possible at any time during the school year if there is a vacancy.