Admissions
At Snowflake School, we are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriching educational experience for children with a primary autism diagnosis who have or intend to obtain an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Our admissions process ensures that each child’s needs are carefully considered, and we follow the general principles of the School Admissions Code and relevant legislation to maintain a fair and inclusive environment.
Criteria:
To apply for a place at Snowflake School, a pupil must have a primary autism diagnosis and possess or have the intention of obtaining an EHCP.
Procedure:
Parents, carers, and/or Local Authorities (LAs) should initiate the application process by consulting with the school. LAs are requested to send a written request for pupil placement directly to the Head Teacher, along with the pupil’s Education Health and Care Plan and supporting documents.
The Head Teacher will respond to the LA’s request, either on papers or by requesting further information. A review of the relevant paperwork will take place and based on this information suitability of placement and further assessment will be determined.
If further assessment is suitable based on review of the paperwork, the Assistant Head will arrange an assessment of needs, typically led by an ABA/VB Supervisor. This assessment may take place in the pupil’s current school, their home, online, or at Snowflake School. Assessments may take place across a number of settings as deemed appropriate.
Snowflake School is an independent school, and in most cases, the relevant Local Authority covers the fees.
Offer and Admission Arrangements:
The offer of a place will be made in writing and will remain valid for one month. After this period, the place may be offered to another pupil. If Snowflake School is undersubscribed, all applicants meeting the school’s needs assessment and funding criteria will be offered a place. Admissions are possible throughout the school year, subject to availability.
In the event of intake at the beginning of a school year, where places become available due to existing pupils leaving, the Published Admission Number (PAN) will be published on our website. If there are more applications than places available (oversubscribed), the Head Teacher will apply the oversubscription criteria to rank applications in order.
Oversubscription Criteria:
The Head Teacher establishes clear and fair criteria for allocating places when applications exceed the available spots. Our aim is to ensure that the criteria are reasonable, objective, procedurally fair, and comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities legislation. In cases where two applications cannot be separated, a tiebreaker will be used.
September Admissions:
We anticipate receiving more applications than the available places. In such cases, a waiting list will be established based on the oversubscription criteria, with priority given to pupils named by the Local Authority on a first come, first served basis. Pupils living within one-hour normal travel time to Snowflake School will have the next priority. Pupils meeting both of these criteria will receive the highest priority. Additionally, pupils with siblings already attending Snowflake School will be given consideration.
We understand the importance of finding the right educational environment for your child, and we are committed to providing a nurturing and supportive community at Snowflake School.