Secondary School Fair Access Protocol (FAP)

Introduction

The School Admissions Code (September 2021) School admissions code 2021 requires each Local Authority to have a Fair Access Protocol (FAP). All admission authorities must participate in their Local Authority’s protocol and Lancashire has a successful history of engaging schools in FAP panels.  The Fair Access Protocol ensures that unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible. This includes admitting children to schools that are already full. 

See the statutory guidance School admissions code on GOV.UK for the School Admissions Code 2021 and Fair access protocols: advice for local authorities and school admission authorities.

The Fair Access Protocol is designed to ensure children who find themselves in challenging circumstances are found school places and outlines the arrangements to support this.  Children missing education are at a significant risk of underachieving, victims of harm or exploitation and of becoming NEET later in life.  Secondary schools and academies and all admission authorities do share responsibility for ensuring that vulnerable, new to area children are admitted to school as quickly as possible.  

Effective working relationships between schools and the Local Authority and a mutual exchange of information about individual cases and local factors is vital.  Most Lancashire's In-Year secondary admissions proceed with minimal bureaucracy and delay, and it is intended that this will continue in order to minimise Fair Access referrals.

For the Fair Access Protocol to work effectively it is imperative that the Local Authority has an overview of all the pupil placements that have taken place within a district. This document should demonstrate the distribution of pupils amongst the schools and needs to be a 'living' record that will provide a starting point at any meeting of the Fair Access Panel, when considering future placements.  Although the School Admissions Code precludes a Fair Access admission applying to looked after children and children with Education Health and Care Plans it can be helpful for these pupils to be included in the overview.

Lancashire is committed to developing strong relationships with schools and hopes this protocol continues to support our most vulnerable children and the schools who offer them a place.  There is an expectation that we all work in partnership to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.