Applications for a place at Hope Tree School will be considered at any time of year. Admission to the school is subject to there being a place available within an appropriate cohort of students.
In accordance with the Children and Families Act 2014, all applications are carefully considered to ensure that:
- the school is suitable for the young person’s age, ability, aptitude and special educational needs.
- the placement is compatible with the provision of efficient education for other students already attending the school, and the efficient use of resources.
- No applications will be treated less favourably during the admissions process on the grounds of race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Admissions Criteria
All five criteria, A, B, C, D and E need to be evidenced within the application in order to be considered for a place at the school.
A) Autism as a primary need: this means the student will have one of the following in order to be considered for a place at the school:
- a formal diagnosis of autism or
- on a waiting list for assessment/diagnosis or
- significant professional concern in relation to autism being a primary need.
B) Curriculum needs: Hope Tree School delivers the National Curriculum. All students need to be working within 12-18 months of age-related expectations in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science.
C) Support needs: Evidence that the student would benefit from additional support in one or more of the following areas:
- psychological support e.g. anxiety
- occupational therapy support e.g. sensory needs
- speech and language support e.g. expressive and receptive language needs
- social and communication support e.g. structured social skills activities
D) Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
All current students are funded by their local authorities through their EHCPs. Before January 2025 it may have been possible to consider applications from families who wished to self-fund. Due to the introduction of VAT on independent schools (January 2025) this is not currently possible, however will be reviewed in 2026.
E) Consent
Hope Tree School does not offer places to students where either the student themselves does not wish to attend or where parents/carers are not supportive of the placement.
F) Year Groups
Hope Tree School is currently registered to accept students in year groups 3-11. As a new school we do not have classes in all of those year groups at the moment. Please see the availability table for more detailed information about place availability in any one year group.
Additional Information:
- The school reserves the right to decide whether any additional needs can reasonably be managed safely and effectively within its existing resources.
- Any student who has a history of absconding will need a full risk assessment before being admitted to the school.
Current Availability of Student Places
| Year 3 | No Current Cohort |
| Year 4 | No Current Cohort |
| Year 5 | Places Available |
| Year 6 | Limited Availability |
| Year 7 | No Spaces |
| Year 8 | Limited Availability |
| Year 9 | No Spaces |
| Year 10 | Cohort available from September 2025 |
| Year 11 | Cohort available from September 2026 |
The Admissions Process
Step 1: Hope Tree School receives a consultation from the student’s Local Authority.
Step 2: Hope Tree School will review the paperwork sent by the Local Authority and determine whether the information meets the admissions criteria. In cases where the criteria is not met Hope Tree School will respond to the Local Authority consultation explaining that the criteria have not been met.
Step 3: Where the admissions criteria have been met Hope Tree School will make contact with the parents/carers of the student and offer an initial video call to discuss the consultation request and the school in general.
Step 4: Where appropriate the family will be invited to undertake a site visit and meet with key staff.
Step 5: Where possible Hope Tree School will get in contact with the current educational provider and discuss the students’ needs with someone who knows them well and potentially undertake an informal observation of the student as needed. Where this is not possible the potential student may be invited to spend some time here at Hope Tree School in order to get to know them a little better.
Step 6: Where Hope Tree School is confident that the students’ needs can be met, there is an available place in a suitable cohort and the young person and their family have an interest in a place with us the offer of a place will then be sent back to the Local Authority.
Step 7: The Local Authority will make a decision about whether to name Hope Tree School on the student’s Education and Health Care Plan.
Step 8: Where Hope Tree School is named on a Education and Health Care Plan a start date will be agreed and an individualised transition timetable will be agreed.
Visits
We usually encourage families to visit the school as part of the consultation process, but it is possible to make enquiries in advance of any visits to the school. Initial enquiries are welcome and all parents/carers can be offered an initial video call where we can talk about the school and answer any questions that you may have.
We are a small site and do not have capacity to conduct formal school tours. It is possible to undertake a site visit prior to the consultation process taking place. All site visits occur after school in order to ensure there is no disruption to our current students.
In order to book a video call or site visit please email us here.