Placement
Requests for Placement at Aspire Special School
1) Parents/carers have the right to make a request to Kent County Council’s SEN department for a placement at Aspire Special School for their child as long as the following apply:
- Their child has an Education, Health and Care Plan
- It is a suitable placement for their child’s age (4 – 11 years), ability, aptitude or Special Educational Needs (SEN). Aspire Special School is designated for children with autistic spectrum disorder and or speech, language and communication needs.
- The attendance of their child would be compatible with the efficient education of others, or efficient use of resources Efficient education means providing for each child a suitable, appropriate education in terms of their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have. Where a local authority is considering the appropriateness of an individual school, ‘others’ is intended to mean the children with whom the child will directly come into contact on a regular day-to-day basis.
2) How to request a Placement
- If the child is already at a school which is named on their EHCP, then a request for change of placement can be requested at an Annual Review.
- If the child is in the process of Statutory Assessment, parents/carers will be asked by their child’s SEN Assessment Officer for their school preference as part of this process.
- For a child with an EHCP issued before they are school age, parents/ carers will be asked by Kent County Council prior to moving from pre-school into primary school what their school preference is.
3) Kent County Council will then consult with Aspire Special School and consider their comments very carefully before deciding whether to name it in the child’s EHC plan. The school should respond within 15 days.
4) Once Aspire Special School is named on an EHC plan they must admit that child.
Contacting the SEN Department
If known, please contact the child’s SEN Assessment Officer or the appropriate area office below:
- East Kent (Canterbury, Thanet and Swale) Email: SENEast@kent.gov.uk Call: 03000 421160 Address: Brook House, Reeves Way, John Wilson Business Park, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3SS
- South Kent (Ashford, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe) Email: SENSouth@kent.gov.uk Call: 03000 420889 Address: Kroner Park, Eurogate Business Park, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8XU
- West Kent Email: (Maidstone, Tunbridge Well, Tonbridge and Malling) Senwest@kent.gov.uk Call: 03000 420997 Address: Worrall House, 30 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4AE
- North Kent (Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks) Email: SENNorth@kent.gov.uk Call: 03000 419345 Address: Joynes House, New Roa d, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 0AT