You may need to find a new school place for a Child in Care if they're:

• starting school for the first time
• at the stage of moving from primary to secondary school education
• at the stage of moving from year 2 to year 3, if attending an infant school
• being moved a significant distance to a new care placement, for example to live with a family member. Where it is feasible to transport the child to their current school, the school move should only take place once permanency has been agreed
• to be moved from their current school on a permanent basis for safeguarding reasons
• being placed for adoption.

It's especially important that everything should be done to avoid moving a young person who's approaching the end of Key Stage 2, in Years 5 and 6. At this stage, pupils are preparing for their end of Key Stage assessments and beginning to plan for transition to secondary school.

It's also very important to avoid moving young people who are in Key Stage 4, in Years 10 and 11. By this stage, young people have begun their exam courses. Different secondary schools often use different examination boards, which can lead to significant complications if a child has to move schools once they've started their exam courses.

Ideally, all school moves should be undertaken at the beginning of a new academic year to reduce the negative impact on the child.

Unless there are compelling reasons otherwise, school moves should be avoided until the child is living in a permanent home.

• The social worker must notify the Virtual School as soon as plans to move the young person are being considered. Where a child is placed out of their home LA in a planned way, then staff from the Virtual School will research local schools and will liaise with staff from the Virtual School from the receiving LA in order to find the best school for that child / young person.
• You should work in close partnership with the other key adults involved in the care and education of the child, to make sure that the choice of school is appropriate, and that it forms a positive part of the child’s care plan. It's crucial that you involve the young person in the decision making process.
• Under no circumstances should the proposed carers be asked to seek a school for the child; although their views should be listened to, particularly if they have knowledge of the local area.
• Where it is likely that transport may be required, advice should be sought from the passenger transport team. Approval for transport must be sought from the relevant Team Manager and Head of Service.

Before applying for a school place, the Virtual School should always be contacted and will support the process.

Consideration will be given to:

The school’s Ofsted rating:

• You must always consider the current Ofsted judgement of the school.
• Statutory guidance states that good or outstanding schools should be prioritised and children in care shouldn't be placed in schools with an inadequate Ofsted rating. The Virtual School will support you in reviewing the most recent Ofsted reports.

Where a child's already attending a school which is inspected and judged to be requires improvement or inadequate, the Virtual School will undertake analysis of the experiences of the child to make a judgement as to whether there needs to be a change in school. This will include the school's ability to provide a high quality education alongside the child's relationships with peers and wider experience of school. If the decision is made that it is in the best interests of the child to remain at the school, the Virtual School will prioritise additional advisory meetings in line with need. The Partnership and Outcomes team will also make use of the termly personal education planning and monitoring process to assess the progress the child is making and suggest additional interventions or support if these are deemed necessary. 

2. The views of the local Virtual School:

• The culture, policy and practice in place to support children known to social care
• The quality and compliance of PEPs

3. The school’s location:

• You should consider how easily it will be for the child's carer to get them to school.
• While convenience shouldn't be the overriding factor, where two or more schools could meet the child's needs, you can consider ease of travel arrangements.
• Where the child is at an appropriate age and stage of development, you should consider how, over time, independent travel can be promoted.

Peterborough City Council has a duty to provide transport for children under its care where appropriate. Wherever possible children and young people who live close to their school should travel in the same way as their peers by:

• Being walked to school by their carer
• Walking or cycling alone if they are of an appropriate age and can do so safely
• Being driven by their carer and dropped off

Children and young people who live further away from their school should also where possible travel in the same way as their peers:

• Using public or school transport services
• Being driven there by their carers

Independent travel should be promoted and encouraged as soon as practicable for the individual.

Before an application is submitted, the Virtual School should be consulted about the choice of school. They will advise around the applications process and whether or not the applications should be made to the Local Authority or whether or not the school manages its own admissions process.

For school admissions in Peterborough:

• The social worker should then complete a school application form via the Peterborough Admissions website: Apply for a school place | Peterborough City Council
• Once Peterborough’s Admissions Service receives the application they will liaise with relevant school. You will then receive an offer of a school place from the Admissions Service.
• The Virtual School must be involved in order that they can fast track the admissions procedure in order to ensure that no child is out of education.

For school admissions outside of Peterborough:

• Peterborough Virtual School will liaise with the other Authority as required.
• The social worker should complete an application form and submit it either to the relevant Local Authority or directly to a school as advised.
• Where a child is placed out of their home LA in a planned way, then staff from the Virtual School will research local schools and will liaise with staff from the Virtual School from the receiving LA in order to find the best school for that child / young person. The social worker must notify the Virtual School as soon as plans to move the young person are being considered. Under no circumstances should the proposed carers be asked to seek a school for the child.

• The annual closing date for applying for a Reception primary school place is 15^th January.
• The annual closing date for applying for a Year 7 secondary school place is 31^st October.

These are national dates and therefore there are no exceptions for Children in Care.

All other moves will be in-year admissions and an in-year application should be completed.

Where a child has a special educational need, a school best placed to meet those needs must be identified. This may be mainstream or specialist, and may or may not be the child’s catchment school.

If the child has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), The Statutory Assessment and Monitoring Service of the local authority where the child lives must be involved. 

It will be necessary for the child’s named casework officer to undertake a statutory consultation process to identify a school that can meet the specific needs identified in the EHCP. If a child is undergoing a statutory assessment for special educational needs, you should make every effort to keep them in their current school until the assessment has been finalised, and the appropriate type of provision has been identified. (This may take up to 20 weeks.)

Where a child has significant special educational needs, or an EHCP, transition planning for secondary school should begin early in Year 5. Similarly, from Year 9 Preparation for Adulthood (PFA) planning should be initiated to ensure sufficient consideration is given to Post-16 and Post-18 planning.

Wherever possible, children with an EHCP should be treated in the same way as those children without, i.e. in general they should walk / cycle to school, travel on public transport, or be taken by carers. They should be encouraged to develop independent travel skills. All children will be encouraged to use public transport as soon as possible as part of their development of independence skills.

Consistency of school placement is important, particularly where permanency has not been achieved yet and therefore it may be necessary to provide assistance with transport. A decision will be made taking into account the child’s age and the distance from the child’s address to the nearest suitable school.

It is important to ensure that transport gets the child to school on time, but not too early and that the school knows who to contact if there are problems.

Children should be enabled to attend clubs and activities before and after school and taxi bookings should be organised to ensure that this is possible.

Children with EHCPs and transport considerations

Some children have complex and profound needs that can only be met by attending a Special School or Specialist Hub. Only the following groups of children may be eligible for transport assistance:

• Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• Children attending a Specialist Hub in a mainstream school
• Children undergoing assessment in a Special School

Not all children with an EHCP require special transport arrangements. Children with an EHCP should be transported to school in a manner that assists their readiness to engage in learning on their arrival at school and ensures both their comfort and safety.

If a school / college on the EHCP is parental choice and a nearer provision can meet the needs of the child, rather than a parents more distant choice, transport will not be provided.

Travel to school for children of compulsory school age (publishing.service.gov.uk) DfE June 2023

The SAMs Team or equivalent in other LA will consult with the nearest and catchment mainstream school (if applicable) to the child’s home address,

The LA where the child resides will be responsible for maintaining the child’s EHCP, naming an appropriate school and funding their transport (if eligible). The DfE have now issued guidance in regards to the recoupment of costs.

Children without EHCPs and transport considerations (Resident in Peterborough)

The nearest of catchment school should always be selected wherever possible, you can find out which school this is by using:

https://peterborough.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2bbc31b2dd9b4657a1b46d8fd3e7585e

• Turn on layer on, on map
• Enter child home address in address search, click within area to show primary catchment school use arrow to show catchment secondary school

Children without EHCPs and transport considerations (Not resident in Peterborough)

Check what local authority foster carers address is in using: Find your local council - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Look up local authority’s Admission webpage for example: Secondary school admissions - September 2024 | Cambridgeshire County Council

Use catchment map to look for catchment nearest school and research options.

For further information about transport please visit the Peterborough City Council website School transport | Peterborough City Council

Peterborough Early Years and Childcare service provide guidance about government funded early education entitlements which are administered by local authorities for children aged from 9 months+, from how to get started, how much you can expect to receive and support with claiming funding. 

Further information can be found at Funded entitlements for children in foster care | Peterborough City Council

Please email nurseryeducationfunding@peterborough.gov.uk if you require additional support 

If a young person falls into one of the following groups you may be eligible to apply for the Vulnerable Bursary of up to £1,200 per academic year. They may also be eligible for help with transport to and from college, uniform and equipment and any mandatory trips:

• Young People in Care
• Care Leavers
• Receiving Income support or Universal Credit in your own right because you are financially supporting yourself or/and someone who is dependent on you
• Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independent Payment in your own right and Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit in your own right

Eligible and continuing students who live in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, that turn 19 during their course will be able to access a Vulnerable Bursary fund to support them with continuing their studies. 

Applications must be made to the educational setting the young person attends.

The nearest Post 16 Centre which offers the course the young person wishes to complete should be consulted with, course prospectus’s are available on the college websites.

Many colleges have their own dedicated transport services or public transport to enable young people to access education.