Admissions
If you would like your child to attend our school, please see full details of our admission arrangements below.
All children admitted to Southfield School have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). The Local Authority is responsible for issuing, reviewing and maintaining the EHC Plan.
As specialist provision, Hertfordshire County Council make decisions about admissions and manage the waiting list for the school. They are responsible for identification and allocation of children to Southfield School.
Please see the Admissions and Exit Guidance to Specialist Provision for more information.
Children are identified for placement at Southfield School by the Local Authority. Placement will be based on the child’s needs as detailed in their EHC Plan and parental preference as well as advice from a variety of professionals.
SEND officers within this team, oversee and manage all applications and consultations for places. Therefore all communication regarding admissions to Southfield School should be directed to this team.
They can be contacted via the SEND Team duty line
9am - 5.30pm Monday - Wednesday, and 9am - 4.30pm Fridays.
Tel: 01442 453300
https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/contact-a-send-service.aspx
Children offered a place at Southfield School will have been assessed as having significant needs that require them to have access to a specialist curriculum and approach to teaching and learning. They will be attaining at a low academic level, either because of a global learning difficulty or because of the impact of Autism and/or Speech and Language difficulties, which limits their ability to make progress across all areas of development.
They may also have secondary needs, such as behavioural and emotional or physical and sensory difficulties or specific difficulties such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia or medical issues that may require daily supervision and potential intervention.
Children can join Southfield School at any point in the school year, and at any age during their primary education. They will be automatically allocated to their chronological year group, even if they have been 'out of year' in another setting, as we work on 'stage' of learning, not 'age'.
Parents/carers are welcome to visit the school before any decision about admissions has been made, and visits like this to a number of schools can be very helpful in identifying the right school for a child. Parents/carers are welcome to bring a friend, relative or professional with them, when they visit.
We do not recommend that children visit, until an offer of a place has been made, but if parents/carers feel this would be helpful, please discuss before visiting.
Please note that an informal visit does not confirm that a place has been offered
Visits to the school can be arranged by ringing 01707 276504 and speaking to the school office.
Once a child is allocated Southfield School and the offer of a place has been made, staff from Southfield will make contact with parents/carers. Families will be invited into school to meet key members of staff and visit the setting. A member of staff will also visit the child in their current setting and collate up to date information on the child.
We are committed to working together with families to ensure that all children can make a happy and successful transition to Southfield School.
Requesting a special school place (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
School appeals | Hertfordshire County Council
In year admissions – change school during the year | Hertfordshire County Council
