Applying for a state-funded mainstream school place if you are moving into Kingston or Richmond
If your child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan you must follow the pathway on this the page called: Moving in or out of borough with an EHCP
Most children and young people who move into Kingston or Richmond from other parts of the country or from overseas gain a school place in a state-funded mainstream school by applying through the usual school admissions process. This includes children with special educational needs or disabilities but who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
All state-funded schools receive additional funding and have specialist staffing to support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities. You can read more about the support these schools provide here: About SEN Support in schools and education
If you are thinking about moving into Kingston or Richmond, or you have already moved here and your child or young person matches these criteria, please contact our Schools Admissions Service. We will be able to let you know which schools have vacancies and you can then arrange to visit schools, to help you make an informed choice about which schools you apply for.
In some exceptional cases, when it is clear that your child or young person has severe or profound special educational needs or disabilities, but they do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan and a state-funded mainstream school would be wholly inappropriate, our Schools Admissions Service may notify our Special Educational Needs and Disability Service. We will involve other services such as the Portage Service (for pre-school children), our Educational Psychology Service, our Specialist Advisory Teachers (such as for Hearing Impairment) and NHS Services such as Speech and Language Therapy. Based on any existing information you provide us, and involvement from these and other services, we may arrange for your child or young person to attend an assessment placement in a state-funded special school or alternative provision provider. This is a time-limited placement so that professionals can support and observe your child or young person, and help us decide if we should carry out an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment at their assessment placement.
If we agree to carry out an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment, we will consider at the end of that assessment if your child or young person requires an Education, Health and Care Plan. If we agree to award an Education, Health and Care Plan, you may then let us know what type of ongoing education arrangements you prefer. You can read more about Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment and Education, Health and Care Plans.