Referrals and Admissions

Welcome to Octavia House Schools (OHS). We provide a nurturing, seamless therapeutic education for young people aged 5 to 16 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Every child deserves a learning environment where they feel understood, safe, and empowered to thrive. Whether you are a parent or carer seeking the right environment for your child, or a Local Authority commissioner looking for a high-quality specialist placement, we are here to support you through every step of the admissions journey.

Our Therapeutic Education Offer

At OHS, we support pupils whose complex life experiences - including trauma, adversity, emotional wellbeing challenges, mental health needs, or neurodivergence (such as Autism and ADHD) - require a specialised approach.

- Class Size and Staffing: Small class groups of up to 8 pupils, with a low teacher to pupil ratio

- Integrated Therapy: Therapeutic support is seamlessly embedded throughout the school day, with teachers and therapists working together.

- Bespoke Curriculum: Flexible learning pathways tailored to each child’s developmental and emotional needs rather than rigid age brackets.

- School Network: Schools across London, Essex and Kent, categorised by developmental stage to ensure smooth transitions across Key Stages.

For Parents and Carers

Finding the right school for your child is a significant milestone. We prioritise open communication and aim to give you and your child every opportunity to get to know our team and environment before placement decisions are made.

To protect the wellbeing and routine of our current pupils, we do not hold public open days. We invite families for an initial site visit and meeting once formal consultation paperwork has been received from your Local Authority.

Placements at OHS are arranged through your Local Authority. If you believe OHS is the right setting for your child:

1. At EHCP Drafting or Annual Review: Name Octavia House Schools as your preferred setting during your child's EHCP review or drafting meeting.
2. The School will as part of the Review / Submitted Paperwork: Request that your Local Authority SEN team issue a formal consultation to OHS.

The 8-Step Referral Process

Our streamlined admissions process ensures every decision is thoroughly considered, transparent, and focused on whether the young person will thrive in our setting.

Stage 0. Consultation Request:

During an EHCP draft or Annual Review, the parent/carer requests OHS, or the Local Authority identifies OHS as a suitable provision. A consultation is then initiated by the Local Authority to our school.

Stage 1. Document Submission:

The Local Authority shares the EHCP, formal consultation letter, and relevant multi-agency reports with the OHS Referrals Team at referrals@ohs.uk.

Stage 2. SEND Therapeutic and Educational Screening:

Our Referrals Team reviews the paperwork to determine whether OHS can fulfil the EHCP objectives and support the pupil to thrive.

Stage 3. Initial Family Meeting and Site Visit:

If proceeding, the child and family are invited for a school visit to tour the facility and meet senior leadership. We always meet the child in person prior to offering a placement.

Stage 4. Morning Trial Visit:

The child or young person is invited to attend a morning session to interact with staff, participate in structured activities, and assess group compatibility with the current cohort.

Stage 5. Formal Placement Offer:

If it agreed that the OHS setting is appropriate, OHS issues a formal placement offer letter to the Local Authority.

Stage 6. Local Authority Review:

The Local Authority presents the offer to their internal placement panel / process for final funding approval.

Stage 7. Placement Acceptance and Transition:

Upon panel approval, the family accepts the placement offer. Our team contacts the family immediately to plan personalised onboarding.

Note: If at any stage we determine that the placement would not be suitable for the child or young person, we write to the Local Authority detailing our reasons. The Local Authority will inform the family.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can a pupil start at OHS?

We respond to Local Authority consultations within 15 working days (completing Stages 1 through 5). Once the Local Authority panel approves funding (Stage 6), we aim to have the student on roll within 6 weeks, following a tailored transition schedule.

What does the transition period look like?

We design every transition around the individual child to build confidence and reduce anxiety.

- School Visit & Tour: An after-hours tour for the child and family to explore the site and ask questions.

- Home Visit: A member of our team visits the child in their home environment prior to their start date to establish positive relationships.

- Information Gathering: We liaise with previous settings and multi-agency teams to adapt learning materials from day one.

- Phased Timetables: Where appropriate, pupils begin on a reduced or gradual timetable, scaling up as their sense of safety and routine develops.

What therapeutic support is provided?

Therapy is fully integrated into daily routine rather than delivered in isolation. Our multidisciplinary team provides occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, alongside other therapeutic disciplines detailed on our website with emotional regulation support based on individual EHCP mandates.

How is student transport managed?

OHS does not arrange or provide pupil transport. Transport arrangements are managed directly by your Local Authority’s Travel Team. Please consult your Local Authority’s Local Offer website for home-to-school travel assistance criteria.

How are classes structured?

Classes are capped at 8 pupils with a 1:3 teacher-to-pupil ratio. To best meet social, emotional, and learning needs, pupils are grouped by overall profile and developmental stage, meaning a class may include children across adjacent age groups.

What is a typical pupil profile at OHS?

There is no single "typical" student at OHS. We support a diverse pupil body, primarily young people with complex life experiences, trauma, school placement breakdowns, mental health needs, or neurodivergence (including Autism and ADHD).

Octavia House Schools