The Island Project
Admissions
To be eligible for admission to The Island Project School pupils must:
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Have a primary diagnosis of Autism.
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Have an Education, Health & Care Plan (or “EHCP”).
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Have agreement from their Local Authority to fund placement. The Island Project cannot offer places except in consultation with the Local Authority.
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Be of the appropriate age with the appropriate skills and behaviour profile to fill the available place.
Prospective parents may send a copy of their child's EHC Plan to the School if they need advice on the likelihood of admission.
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If a child meets our admissions criteria, we can advise parents of this. Please note that the School cannot offer a place independently, as placements must be agreed through the local authority. Parents should then contact their local authority to request a formal consultation.
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Any approach for placement has to be made by the relevant Local Authority. Upon formal consultation, the School will review the current pupil cohort to look at whether a space is available with the relevant cohort, and the impact on existing pupils.
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If it is felt that placement may be suitable, the School would respond to the Local Authority confirming that a space may be available, but any such placement will always be subject to assessment. If the local authority agrees to the assessment, the Education team will carry out an assessment prior to agreement for a formal offer of placement with the local authority. As paperwork rarely reflects a young person accurately, the assessment will be considering whether we can meet need, but also the impact on our existing pupils.
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If the local authority agrees to placement, pupils can be admitted at any point during the academic year. Initial placement is for a period of 3 months, following which placement is reviewed.
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Following confirmation of placement by the Local Authority, a transition plan will be drawn up. This is based entirely on the needs of the pupil to ensure that access is successful. Transition is usually planned on a phased introduction to school over a number of weeks or months, dependent upon the individual pupil.