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ADMISSIONS POLICY AND STATEMENT 2025/26

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Introduction

Relief Caring School is an alternative education program for at-risk middle and high school students who have challenging educational and behavioral needs that may keep them from being successful in a mainstream school setting, but who can succeed if their needs are addressed appropriately in a supportive environment.

Our unique approach works toward developing our pupils’ behavioural, social and emotional needs as well as their individual academic achievement. All of our specialised staff endeavour to ‘Develop potential in all of our young people.’

The purpose of this document is to set out the school’s admission policy and to demonstrate that pupil admissions will be fair, open and transparent.

The admissions policy will:

  • Offer local authorities’ placements for students with Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP’s) and SEN
  • Offer schools and academies early intervention placements to meet the needs of disaffected and vulnerable pupils and those who are at risk of permanent exclusion, or who have been permanently excluded.
  • Enable Relief Caring School to provide a structured, stable environment which will ensure that we are able to meet the individual needs of each pupil.
Admission Arrangements

Relief Caring School will only admit pupils in line with this admissions policy and following referral from an academy, a maintained school or a Local Authority.

Relief Caring School will be run in accordance with all equalities law. It will admit pupils aged between 12 and 16 years who have been referred to the school admissions panel through one of the referral routes set out below:

  1. Referred by an Academy or Local Maintained School which, under general powers in the Articles of the Academy Trust may send pupils off-site to an alternative provision Academy as part of early intervention measures to address behaviour
  2. Named pupils on application from the local authority who hold an EHCP Relief Caring School do not accept applications from parents/carers or self-referrals from potential pupils.

Pupil Admission Numbers

Relief Caring School has a published pupil admission number of 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) places.

Pupils will not be admitted above the published admission number unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Admission Procedures

The referral procedure is as follows:

  1.  LA SEN Panel
    1. Consultation documents are securely sent to Relief Caring School
    2. Relief Caring School arranges a tour of the school with parents/carers and any relevant professionals. All LAC students must be accompanied by their house manager.
    3. all new tours will be conducted by SLT
    4. a meeting will be held with the student and parent/legal guardian to discuss requirements
    5. Relief Caring School will make a decision on whether they can meet the needs of the pupil within five working days
    6. LA referral forms and/or a Service Level Agreement will be completed and signed by both parties
  2. Schools requiring alternative provision
    1. Student documents are securely sent to Relief Caring School
    2. Relief Caring School arrange a tour of the school with parents/carers and any relevant professionals
    3. Relief Caring School will make a decision on whether they can meet the needs of the pupil
    4. School will complete a Relief Caring School application form
    5. Service Level Agreement will be completed and signed by both parties
Enrolment Process

Our enrolment process includes an initial assessment to ascertain the level of operation of the young person. This is done through standardised assessments from BKSB. This stage also involves the collection of background information about the young person, previous school results, and risk assessments. Meetings with parents/ carers and all professionals working with a young person are held to ensure the greatest support for the placement, from everyone involved. All Looked After Children (LAC) students will need to be accompanied by their house manager/staff.

Relief Bespoke Packages

In special circumstances, Relief Caring School is able to provide a bespoke student package in order to meet the more complex needs and requirements of individual students. Bespoke packages will be developed with the support of the local authority, the student, parents/carers and supporting professionals.

Safeguarding Pupils: Legal Responsibilities of Schools

Keeping pupils and staff safe from harm and abuse at school is a responsibility that we take very seriously at Relief Caring School. This is a legal responsibility that everyone working in the education sector bears. When you come into contact with children, you play a role in their safeguarding.

Schools don’t just have a moral duty to create a safe learning environment but have legal responsibilities to take the necessary precautions to prevent any harm coming to their pupils. According to The Education (Independent Schools Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) guide and OFSTED safeguarding policy, schools must have arrangements in place that help safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils.

Staff at Relief Caring School have important legal responsibilities to adhere to as below:

  • We are expected to work together with social care, the police, local authorities and health services to help keep children safe from harm and safeguard their welfare.
  • To have a safeguarding lead who aids staff in fulfilling their safeguarding duties and who collaborates closely with services such as social care and local authorities.
  • According to The Teachers’ Standards, any teacher has the responsibility to safeguard their pupils’ welfare and uphold public trust in the teaching profession.
  • All Relief Caring School personnel are responsible for providing a safe learning environment for our pupils. They also bear the duty to identify children whose welfare is being harmed or who are at risk of suffering. When such a pupil is identified, the staff member is obligated to take suitable action to safeguard the student from harm. We also have an obligation to take quick action when a pupil is or may be in danger as below:
  • If a pupil doesn’t show up in school, this may indicate abuse or neglect. School employees are expected to follow school procedures for dealing with missing pupils.
  • If a staff member has any concerns about the well-being of a pupil, they should take these up with the school’s safeguarding lead, who will usually make the decision if social care should be involved or not. Any staff member can also directly get in touch with social care to refer their concerns however, Especially if there is an immediate risk of harm to the child, the employee who first recognised the situation should go
  • If as a school employee, you observe abuse while it is actually taking place, immediate action should be taken to stop the abuse if this is possible without putting the pupil or yourself at excessive risk.

Since in most cases, children and young people under 18 are unable to protect themselves from abuse or neglect, Relief Caring School must take the necessary measures to safeguard them. Adequate training on safeguarding is crucial for improving pupils’ health and well-being and is completed by ALL members of the Relief Caring School team.

We also have a duty of care to safeguard our staff at our school. We will always work to keep our staff free from harm or abuse such as:

  1. extreme and or ongoing verbal or physical violence from a pupil.
  2. extreme and or ongoing verbal or physical violence from a parent/carer.

In light of the above and if we feel that our staff are in danger of ongoing verbal or physical violence or threats we have the right to call an emergency annual review and close the placement. This is a legal responsibility that Relief Caring School takes very seriously.

Student Code of Conduct

Statement of intent

Relief Caring School believes that in order to facilitate a suitable environment for education, acceptable behaviour must be displayed in all aspects of hub life.

We are committed to:

  • Promoting positive behaviour.
  • Promoting self-esteem, self-discipline, and positive relationships based on mutual respect.
  • Ensuring equality and fairness of treatment for all.
  • Encouraging and rewarding good behaviour.
  • Challenging and sanctioning unacceptable behaviour.
  • Providing a safe environment free from disruption, violence, discrimination, bullying and any form of harassment.
  • Encouraging a positive relationship between the hub and parents.
  • Developing appropriate relationships with our students which ensure early intervention is possible.
  • A shared approach which involves students in the implementation of the provision’s policy and associated procedures.
  • Promoting a culture of praise and encouragement in which all students can achieve

General conduct

Students will be expected to:

  • Be polite to all members of the hub community and to all visitors to the provision.
  • Promote an inclusive and tolerant environment.
  • Report any incidents of bullying or sexual harassment to a member of staff.
  • Always be ready to offer help and support to others.
  • Attend all lessons and other provision activities punctually.
  • Accept the provision’s sanctions in line with the Behaviour Policy.
  • Take pride in the provision environment and keep it tidy.
  • Not bring to provision any items banned by the provision, including drugs, alcohol and cigarettes/vaping.
  • Not swear or use offensive language.
  • Not engage in gambling or games of chance.
  • Show consideration for provision property and the property of others.
  • Adhere to this code of conduct any time they are representing the provision, including when in the community.
Classroom behaviour

Students will always try their best in the classroom and ask for help when needed. Students must not:

  • Be disrespectful, argumentative, rude, confrontational or intimidating.
  • Lie or answer back to staff.
  • Disrupt a class or make it difficult for others to learn.
  • Leave the classroom or provision premises without permission.
  • Disobey a reasonable request from staff
Attendance and punctuality

All students will be expected to arrive at provision on time and be present for morning registration. All absences will need to be authorised. Students arriving late should report to the teacher.

Students will remain on provision premises unless they have been granted permission by a member of staff, with parental consent where appropriate, to leave.

Mobile technology

Mobile phones are to be switched off when on provision premises and may only be used with the permission of a member of staff. Any misuse of mobile phones will result in requests from staff to put them away / not bring them in to the hub.

Monitoring & review

This code of conduct will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Director and any changes made will be communicated to all students and staff at the provision. A copy of this code of conduct will be displayed on the wall and students will be required to familiarise themselves with it.

Illness whilst at provision

If students are involved in an accident or feel ill during the provision day, they must inform a member of staff and attend the office in the first instance. No student may go home without permission from a member of staff who will contact the students parents.

Appearance

The following are not to be worn while on the premises:

  • Jewellery, including rings and large earrings
  • Excessive Make-up including fake eyelashes / fake tan

Hair is to be kept clean and tidy. Long hair must be tied back. Hair should be of a natural colour. Unnatural coloured hair or various coloured hair is not allowed.

We have an appropriate dress code in place and students need to be suitably covered up for Education.

Relationships

The provision will not intervene between students starting age-appropriate relationships with one another. 

The provision is a working environment; therefore, public displays of affection are not appropriate on the provision premises.

Contact Us

Our Centre

16 Bishopton Lane, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 2AA

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07532853253

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do we have official policies & procedures?

We have a whole range of policies, procedures, risk assessments and evidence file of work that we have done - please ask to come in and have a look at any time. All of our staff are fully qualified and experienced and receive on-going in house and external training, are CRB checked and are all pursuing additional career development through either college or university.

Why are we different to other providers?

We are different to other education providers as we work with young people on an individual basis and help them to produce their own individual learning plan. We believe that learning should be fun, not target driven but stimulated with learning incentives like technology and that once young people are involved in planning their own future, attendance improves, confidence grows and the young person leaves us ready to take on the world.

What qualifications can young people achieve?

Qualifications include – Support with GCSE Maths, English, Adult Literacy, Numeracy, ICT, Key Skills, Citizenship, Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Hotel and Catering, PSHE, Art, Science, Health & Social Care and various on-line courses and anything else that may be appropriate for that young person to make that leap into further education or apprenticeships.