Littledown provides education and support for up to 51 full-time equivalent (FTE) children experiencing a wide range of difficulties.

The priority for admitting children is as follows:

1. Children possessing an appropriate Education, Health and Care plan (EHC) naming Littledown as part of, or a full-time arrangement.
2. Children Looked After (CLA), excluded or in danger of exclusion.
3. Children permanently excluded from school for the duration of their exclusion until either a new school is found or the child is no longer required to attend statutory education.

Children with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP)

At its core, Littledown is responsible for the full-time statutory education of primary aged children who have an EHCP.

The admission of children with EHCPs is governed by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2014) and normally involves the Local Authority (LA) carrying out an assessment that may lead to an EHCP naming Littledown as the sole provider.

All decisions concerning placements are made in consultation with parents, carers, the child’s school and other agencies, and are informed by both national and local thresholds.

All placements are reviewed annually or when a particular need or set of behaviours require specific attention. This includes circumstances where changes in behaviour lead to the consideration for mainstream reintegration. All full-time children follow an appropriately differentiated National Curriculum

Permanently Excluded Children

It is a legal requirement for all LAs to provide full-time education to permanently excluded children for the duration of their exclusion. In Slough, the LA has commissioned Littledown to carry out this work, for primary aged children until a new school is found.

The provision at Littledown is made through a facility similar to that of a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). Admission to this alternative provision is automatically expected to begin within 6 school days of a confirmed permanent exclusion.

Attendance at the PRU is not normally expected to exceed 12 weeks before a child transfers to a new school. To facilitate this process normal admission procedures are adhered to, parents or carers are requested to agree to the new placement. An exception to this process may occur if a decision is made to start statutory assessment.

Once a new school has been identified Littledown manages a process of reintegration through a meeting that normally involves senior representatives of both Littledown and receiving schools. It is expected that Inclusion and/or Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinators (SENDCo) will also be involved.

All children at the alternative provision follow a fully differentiated National Curriculum. Emphasis is on identifying and addressing gaps in learning to facilitate more effective reintegration.