Melksham House School

Admissions

Who do we support?

Melksham House School supports pupils between the ages of 4 and 19 with a range of complex needs, primarily including Social, Emotional and Mental Heath (SEMH) needs and/or Emotional Based School Avoidant (EBSA) profiles. Our pupils may also have other diagnoses in addition to this, such as ADHD or ASD.

All pupils have access to high quality education following admission.

All pupils admitted into Melksham House will have been initially referred by Wiltshire local authority. Parents cannot directly commission places within our provision.

The Deputy Headteacher will oversee the referral process supported by other members of the Leadership Team, including the SENDCO. It is through these staff members that visits are coordinated, information is gathered and arrangements for admission are undertaken.

When a new pupil consultation is received by Melksham House, an assessment will be completed to ensure that we are able to meet the pupil’s individual needs. Our admissions criteria take into consideration a range of aspects when looking at a new placement, including prior history and current presentation/setting and the team need to ensure they consider that the best possible outcomes can be achieved for each pupil placed with us.

The Melksham House team are aware that there are many barriers to why pupils find accessing their current educational placement challenging. At Melksham House we look at the unique impact any diagnosis has on the individual pupil and as a result, personalise the pupil’s curriculum and support package. This ensures that every pupil achieves and experiences success, engagement and support on their educational journey.

In order to attend Melksham House School, pupils will present with:
• Social, Emotional and Mental Heath (SEMH) needs
• High anxiety
• Difficulties with managing social relationships and interactions
• Poor educational resilience
• History of low educational attendance
• Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) – Secondary pupils only

The Headteacher has the overall responsibility for ensuring that Melksham House only admits pupils whose individual needs can be met. To summarise, in all cases, pupils will only be considered for admission if:

  • A formal consultation from the Local Authority has been received
  • The pupil’s primary need is SEMH for our Primary Cohort or SEMH with an EBSA profile for our Secondary cohort
  • The special needs of the pupil can be met by Melksham House
    the education of the pupil is compatible with the provision of effective education for others
  • The pupil’s attendance does not jeopardise the safety of others
  • There is a place available in the appropriate Base / year group
  • All up-to-date information concerning the pupil, including the most recent reviews and reports are provided by the referring authority

Please follow the link to view the full Melksham House Admissions Policy