A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.
Admission
Introduction
From September 2014, Governing Bodies of Schools must ensure that arrangements are in place to support pupils in school with medical conditions under statutory guidance “Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions”, updated December 2015. Whenever a school is notified that a pupil has a medical condition that will require support at school, an individual healthcare plan should be agreed to help ensure effective support for a pupil with a medical condition.
However, for those pupils who are unable to attend school, the key to successfully maintaining continuity of education is for the local authority and schools to have clear strategies and timely support available.
It is recognised nationally, in statutory guidance, that pupils who continue in education during their illness and recuperation are likely to recover more quickly with the minimum possible adverse effect on their educational and life outcomes.
Pupils with certain health needs may be considered disabled in terms of the Disability Discrimination Act (examples of this might include those with epilepsy, diabetes, brain injury, or degenerative neuro muscular conditions).
The school therefore must have regard to the duty outlined by the Act to make reasonable adjustments for the inclusion of such pupils and anticipatory planning must be part of the school’s Disability Equality Scheme.
STARS is commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton to provide education for children who are not able to attend their school because of their health needs. Their policy: ‘Educating Children with Emotional, Wellbeing and Health Related Needs who Cannot Attend School’ can be found at:
- Pupils whose mental health needs are the primary barrier to their attendance at their school.
- Pupils whose physical health is evidenced by a hospital (paediatrician, consultant or registrar) to be too unwell to attend school. This applies to pupils whose cases are managed by hospitals within Sutton as well as in more specialist hospitals in London and across the country.
Admission of Pupils with Medical Needs
As a duty of the Local Authority, the London Borough of Sutton provides access to education for pupils, resident in the borough, and of compulsory school age, who are absent from school on medical grounds through Sutton Tuition and Reintegration Service (STARS), which is designated as a medical pupil referral unit (PRU). This will cover a wide range of needs including children who are terminally ill and young people who are recovering from accidents. It will also include children and young people with mental health problems. Whatever the circumstances leading to a young person being admitted to Alternative Provision for medical reasons, there will, almost always, be a continuing role for the school as part of the role of STARS is to support reintegration.
(a) The school can only remove a pupil from their roll who is unable to attend school because of additional health needs where: the pupil has been certified by the school medical officer as unlikely to be in a fit state of health to attend school, before ceasing to be of compulsory school age, and;
(b) Neither the pupil nor their parent has indicated to the school the intention to continue to attend the school, after ceasing to be of compulsory school age. (see appendix 2)
The Statutory guidance is: ‘Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs’, December 2023
Pupils that present with mental health conditions:
The vast majority of pupils with medical conditions have their needs met effectively in schools, often with detailed arrangements for support identified in an individual healthcare plan. However, where a school identifies that they feel the mainstream education is no longer suitable, they may make a request to the LA for additional support via the Vulnerable Pupil Panel (VPP). The LA multi-agency panel will consider each request for support on a case-by-case basis and will look at the evidence for each individual request and determine if alternative education provision/financial support will be provided under section 19 of the Education Act 1996.
It should be noted that this referral route is not usually appropriate where pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) unless the medical need is not linked to the needs of the pupil as described in the ehcp, as STARS is not a specialist provision.
Schools should complete a referral to the Vulnerable Pupils Panel. There is an expectation that schools will have evidence of support and preventative measures together with the individual healthcare plan used prior to requesting the medical PRU placement.
Pathway to Support for pupils with short term medical needs
When a school becomes aware that a pupil is medically unwell and their attendance has ceased or will cease, for instance due to, or following surgery, they have a duty to provide work to the pupil at home in instances where it is likely that the pupil will return to school within 15 days. However, as soon it is clear that a pupil will be away from school for 15 days or more, whether consecutive or cumulative, then the medical professionals should be liaised with and a referral made without delay. During that time, if the illness is going to last longer, the school can apply to STARS for an appropriately agreed package of support which might include the following types of support:
- Hospital Tuition
- Remote learning package
- Individual tuition
- Programme of core subjects delivered at the Drapers Centre
- A combination/bespoke package
All of the support programmes will include how the home school will maintain links with the pupil and their family and will require the provision of the school work for the pupil to facilitate a successful reintegration.
Principles
All schools and agencies making referrals to STARS should adhere to the following principles:
- It is the intention that all pupils will return to mainstream education.
- The pupil must remain dual registered with their home school.
- Prior to admission all the information necessary to ensure continuing education for the pupil should be submitted. On the relevant referral form.
- On acceptance, in principle, pupils will become dual registered once the admissions visit has been completed and start date agreed.
- There will be regular liaison with staff at STARS and the pupil, together with provision of school work, until there is satisfactory reintegration back into mainstream or into post-16 provision.
In unusual cases where a pupil in Y11 has made progress and their health needs no longer meet the threshold for support at STARS, STARS will liaise with the parents, pupil and their referring school with regard to reintegration. In taking into account the views of all concerned, if the pupil has engaged well with support at STARS and it is agreed that a full reintegration to their mainstream school could jeopardise their outcomes, STARS will continue to offer a package.
Admissions Criteria
STARS accepts pupils who have a diagnosed medical condition that temporarily prevents attendance at mainstream school.
For a pupil to be considered for a placement at the time of the referral:
- The pupil must live in the London Borough of Sutton
- Parental or carer permission must be agreed with signature
- Current medical evidence and medical treatment plan must be provided
- The current Individual Health Care Plan must be provided (except in acute conditions
- The pupil must be of compulsory school age, between the ages of 5 (Year 1) and 16 (Year 11).
There needs to be clear evidence that appropriate support and intervention has been provided at their mainstream school which shows clearly identified approaches, targets and strategies along with their outcomes and the response of the pupil to this support.
Pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
If a child has an EHCP, STARS will provide support where the pupil has a temporary and treatable medical need beyond the scope of their EHCP. For example, such a pupil may be recovering from temporary injuries or may be off school recovering from a surgical procedure. If the medical need for which they are being referred is documented within their EHCP and is not short term, then it would be expected that the EHCP would describe the appropriate provision.
Pupils who are home educated
A referral to STARS will not usually be an appropriate route for those that are electively home educated as they will not be reintegrating to a mainstream school.
Should home education be found not suitable then the pupil must return to a mainstream school roll via the local authority process (VPP) and the school can then refer for support to STARS.
Inpatient provision
Pupils (aged 4-18) who are inpatients at Royal Marsden Hospital are automatically entitled to education which is provided in the schoolroom, the Hub or at the bedside. Pupils at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children receive education after an illness/diagnosis which indicates a hospitalisation or recuperation period (absent from school) of more than 15 working days.
How to make a referral
Secondary Schools:
Pupils with mental health difficulties
Where support and intervention has not had an impact then the school is to make a referral to the Vulnerable Pupil Panel (VPP) using the current VPP referral form. A multi agency medical panel will consider referrals and make recommendations, including whether access to STARS support is agreed.
Pupil with physical medical needs
Schools to complete a STARS referral form and submit direct to STARS.
Primary pupils:
Pupils with mental or physical health difficulties
Schools to complete a STARS referral form and submit direct to STARS, see appendix B
What can we expect from the referral?
All placements at STARS are short term with the aim to returning the pupil to their referring school. A twelve-week intervention will be put in place. Every pupil and family will be offered support from JigSaw4U and STARS Re Think It Project as part of the intervention. STARS will then support a graduated return to the referring school.
