ADMISSIONS PROCEDURE

Merstone provides education for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and severe learning difficulties (SLD).

All admissions to Merstone School are managed by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. The school does not accept applications directly from parents or carers. 

All pupils enter school with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

What is an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan?

An Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan) is a legal document which describes a child or young person aged up to 25 with special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.

The special educational provision described in an EHC plan must be provided by the child or young person’s local authority. This means an EHC plan can give a child or young person extra educational support. It can also give parents and young people more choice about which school or other setting the child or young person can attend.

An EHC plan can only be issued after a child or young person has gone through the process of an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.

Places at Merstone School are offered by the Local Authority subject to availability and suitability. 

The EHCP and accompanying relevant reports and data are sent to us by them for consultation. If you live outside the borough your local authority SEN Team will submit your referral to the Solihull SEN Team to follow the same consultation process. Once we receive a referral we assess the pupil against the spaces available and the needs of the current cohort.

The Local Authority can be contacted on 0121 704 6690 – Special Education Needs Team.

Visiting the School 

Parents and pupils are encouraged to visit school.  We will discuss with you about how we can best help to ease the transition to Merstone and make individual arrangements to support this.  Upon admission, a variety of assessments are undertaken to determine the pupil’s baseline of learning. From this, individual targets are set in a ‘Passport to Learning’.

We are proud of all our children and young people at school. Most children and young people do well, but we know that some need more support than others or may need help to get ready for their future life. For these children and young people, we are committed to working with Solihull LA and Specialist Inclusion Support Service (SISS) in a way which helps them have the best life possible.

What is the Specialist Inclusion Support Service?

The Specialist Inclusion Support Service (SISS) is a high quality, specialist teaching and advisory service, made up of 4 specialist teams. The teams provide a range of support for children and young people with SEND and their families, as well as assessment and advice, training and direct support to schools and early years settings.

How do you request an EHC plan assessment?

You can ask your local authority to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs an EHC plan. A young person can request an assessment themselves if they’re aged 16 to 25. A request can also be made by anyone else who thinks an assessment may be necessary, including doctors, health visitors, teachers, parents and family friends.

Referrals to Merstone School

Referrals for a place at the school come through your local authority. Once they are received they will be returned to the relevant local authority within 15 days of receipt. Parents are Carers must contact their EHCP officer for updates regarding their child's referral to Merstone School.

Appeals 

All decisions relating to admissions and placement, including the naming of the school in an EHCP, are the responsibility of the Local Authority. The school follows the outcomes of this process and supports pupils once a placement has been agreed.

Parents and carers have the right to appeal decisions relating to EHCP placements through the SEND Tribunal. Appeals are managed by the Local Authority and not by the school.