Age Range and Pupils Provided For

Grove House School is a day, co-educational school for pupils between the age of 8 and 19 whose primary issue is a speech, language and communication need. The school has created a specialist, language-focussed environment that facilitates excellent progress academically, therapeutically and personally, aiding pupils to fulfil their potential.

 

Capacity

The pupil roll is growing and will reach 105 at capacity.

 

Equal Opportunities

Grove House School is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all children and families regardless of disability, ethnic background, language, culture, faith and gender. The school will make reasonable adjustment to support all pupils.

 

Admissions Process

Grove House School will admit pupils where the school is named by any Local Authority on their Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education and Health Care Plan. Prior to naming the school, the Local Authority must consult with the school in line with their statutory obligations. Grove House School staff may visit the pupil at this stage and/or undertake further assessment. The school will consider all documents supplied by the LA, including the child’s Education and Health Care Plan including appendices, and where possible, copies of the child’s:

• School reports
• Recent Educational Psychologist’s report
• Recent Speech and Language Therapist’s report
• Reports from other medical professionals.
   

These documents will be discussed by the school’s assessment team: this will include the Head, the Deputy Head and a speech and language therapist. To formulate a response for the Local Authority, the team will determine whether the school would be suitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child and whether the placement would be compatible with the efficient education of others. In order to make this judgement, the team will consider the following:

• The child’s primary need is a persistent speech, language and/or communication difficulty.
• The student requires integrated speech and language therapy intervention to support their learning and developmental needs thus aiding them to fulfil their potential.
• The child has the academic ability to access a differentiated mainstream curriculum with support.
• The child is able to participate in a social learning environment.
• The primary barrier to learning and the development of life and social skills is a speech, language and/or communication difficulty.
• There is an appropriate peer group.
   

Additionally, the following will be considered:

• Parents have expressed a preference for the school.
• The child’s placement is not incompatible with the efficient education of the other children. The appropriateness of the placement for children with challenging behaviour will be considered within the context of the overall needs of the year group and school.
• The placement is an efficient use of resources.
• The child might require additional supervision which will require additional staffing in order that the individual and/or others may not be placed at risk. This would be individually assessed.
   

The team’s comments will then be forwarded to the Local Authority for careful consideration. This will enable the Local Authority to be in possession of all relevant information before deciding whether to name the school in the child’s Education Health and Care Plan.

 

Late Applications

The school will take referrals at any point in an academic year. Intake is not restricted to September only.

 

Appeals

If a local authority decides not to make an Education Health and Care plan for the child naming the school, parents should approach the Local Authority to discuss the decision. They have a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (SEN and Disability) operated in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice. The applications forms and guidance can be found on www.justice.gov.uk/tribunals/send

 

The School adheres to all applicable education and equality legislation including The Education Act 1996, The Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Code of Practice (2014) and The Equality Act 2010.

 

For more information please email admin@grovehouse.essex.sch.uk