Fair Access Protocol

All local authorities must have a Fair Access Protocol. [861.7 KB] [pdf]

This enables them to quickly offer a school place to vulnerable unplaced children.

All admission authorities are legally required to participate in their local Fair Access Protocol. This includes academies and free schools.

Who qualifies?

There are several reasons why a child may qualify for admission under the Fair Access Protocol. Often there will be no behaviour concerns or other additional needs.

The list of categories of children who qualify under the protocol is on page 9 of the East Sussex Fair Access Protocol.

If you have any questions, email: Fair.AccessProtocol@eastsussex.gov.uk

Fair Access Protocol requests

The headteacher will receive a secure email with a request to admit a child via the Fair Access Protocol. The headteacher must respond within 3 school days. If there are no objections within that time limit, the place is allocated.

If the headteacher is away or unable to monitor their email account during term time, it is wise for someone else to do this.

For each child admitted under the protocol, the school receives a credit. This informs future decisions about where children are allocated places under the protocol.

Fair Access Panel

Children who have a history of difficult or dangerous behaviour may need to be placed via the Fair Access Panel. This is a panel made up of East Sussex headteachers and Local Authority staff, with an independent chair who is an experienced former headteacher. The panel will consider all cases of children needing to be reintegrated to mainstream school following a permanent exclusion, and other children referred to it by schools using the challenging behaviour refusal forms which can be found here: