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Admission and appeals
KICKSTART ACADEMY
Admisssions
Admissions to Kickstart Academy are made in partnership with the local authority.
Admissions overview last update April 2025.
Purpose
Kickstart is Telford and Wrekin’s Alternative Provision Academy, based in Priorslee, Telford.
All arrangements for attendance at Kickstart Academy are made in accordance with the attached DfE guidance, Arranging Alternative Provision – guide for LAs and schools
Learning Community Trust and Kickstart Academy are fully committed to inclusive education with fair access and work in close partnership with Telford and Wrekin Local Authority (LA) adhering to their LA Coordinated Admissions Schemes.
The Trust follow the locally agreed admissions criteria, ensuring that the Pathways described enable students to access a safe, fair and appropriate alternative education.
Kickstart is commissioned to provide education for up to 72 KS4 students.
This means that some students will not be able to attend Kickstart Academy if the appropriate Pathway or class group is full.
In these circumstances, the LA will commission and fund registered AP for a student until an appropriate placement is available in Kickstart Academy.
Learning Community Trust and Kickstart Academy acknowledge that Alternative Provision is not a suitable setting to educate children with unique special needs, who have an EHCP. As such, students with EHCPs will not be able to attend Kickstart Academy.
Aim
Kickstart aims to support KS4 Y10 and Y11 students back into mainstream education.
For a small number of Y11 students, they will stay in Kickstart Academy to complete their KS4 exams and qualifications, including GCSEs, Entry Levels and Functional Skills.
We aim to support every student to access their education, whilst understanding the barriers and difficulties they have experienced in their previous school. We do this through:
- Robust transition planning and handover arrangements from home schools to Kickstart Academy
- Personalised induction to Kickstart Academy including family/carers, home school and Kickstart Academy
- A 12 week Individual Learning Plan, ILP, reviewed in week 6, which identifies barriers to learning and specific support needed from Kickstart Academy
- A 12 week Behaviour Support Plan, BSP, reviewed in week 6, which identifes specific therapeutic and professional support needed, allied to exclusion and/or home school information sharing
- A core curriculum designed to quickly get students engaged and on track in their learning
- A wider curriculum, taking into account student talent, preferences and ambiton
- A personal development curriculum designed to meet unique individual needs
- An enrichment curriculum that immerses students within their local community and beyond
Our Academy is organised into 3 pathways, with specific admission criteria for each pathway. Students presented to FAP or requiring 6th day education offer will be assessed for the most suitable pathway. Schools presenting to FAP will need to understand the 3 pathways and present to the most suitable offer within their presentation. The Headtecher will confirm the most appropraite pathway for each student based on the information provided to FAP and assessment within the home school. An overview of each pathway is provided below.
| Kickstart 1 - Endeavour | Kickstart 2 - Empower | Kickstart 3 - Emerge |
|---|---|---|
| A 48 place setting in Priorslee for Y10 and Y11 students. There are 3 classes per year with up to 8 students in each class. Students are organised allied to prior attainment. Students will have been in receipt of high levels of support for behaviour, learning and attendance in their home school. | A 12 place setting in Priorslee for pupils with identified learning needs, mental health needs, wider multi agency support and usually an Individual Learning Plan from their home school. | A 12 place setting in Prioselee for students with identified complex behaviour needs which include high risk management and wider intervention. Students are allocated a place via FAP including risk planning with home school. |
Admission
Admission to Kickstart is via 2 routes:
- Fair Access Panel, where a mainstream school or academy requests a place at Kickstart to prevent a permanent exclusion/as a consequence of a pending permanent exclusion.
- 6th day provision following a permanent exclusion from a mainstream school or academy.
Fair Access Panel – Allocation of a place at Kickstart Academy.
Prior to FAP – A school requesting a place at Kickstart Academy will need to complete or provide the following documents prior to FAP:
- Prior attainment at KS2
- Overview of attainment and progress in usual data collection points
- Current attainment
- Predicted outcomes at KS4 including qualification pathway
- Attendance
- Interventions and impact
- Individual Learning Plan
- Individual Behaviour Plan
- Record of behaviours/exclusions with interventions and impact
Prior to Induction – The lead staff member from the home school will need to meet with the Head teacher and team at Kickstart Academy to:
- Handover Safeguarding Records
- Handover CTF file
- Handover academic and pastoral progress including samples evidence of work
- Share progress towards exams/qualifications inclduing current curriculum pathway
- Share KS5 planning including any careers advice, college applicaton etc
- Handover any records regarding involvement with wider services and support
6th Day Provision Allocation
In line with the Local Authority’s duty to provide education from the 6th day of a permanent exclusion from a mainstream secondary school or Academy, the process above will need to be followed. The home school who have permanently excluded a member of their school community will need to work with Kickstart to complete pre admission and pre induction activities.
Required information checklist
It remains the responsibility of the home school and the LA to provide Kickstart with all required documentation prior to induction/6th day provision. Should any of the FAP documentation or pre induction documentation not be provided to Kickstart Academy from the home school or LA, then admission to Kickstart may be delayed beyond day. This is to ensure there are no health and safety risks to students or staff.
