One minute guide: Registration D Code - dual registration

Why is this important?

All children are entitled to a Full Time education subject to their age, ability and aptitude.

Any dual registration not usually agreed on a permanent basis, it is hoped that at some point, the child will be able to return to their mainstream school. By both provisions working together throughout the process, it will to ensure this full educational entitlement is available at all times.

What is dual registration?

Local Authorities are responsible for arranging suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, would not receive suitable education without such provision.

Children unable to attend school because of health needs should be able to access suitable and flexible education appropriate to their needs.

At times some pupils require additional support in an Alternative Provision which mean they are registered at two schools.

This means that they will have:

A current main school – the school they are registered at
A current subsidiary school – the Alternative Provision

The status of main and subsidiary is not a reflection of the number of sessions spent at each establishment: it reflects what has been agreed for the pupil when the arrangement was put in place.

The main establishment plays a central role in the child’s education and as a result will receive the ‘Age Weighted Pupil Funding’ for the pupil and any money from the Pupil Premium (even if some of that money follows the pupil to the subsidiary establishment).

What this means for each school

Alternative provision should address a pupil’s individual needs whether they be health related, behavioural related, or otherwise through an appropriately tailored approach. This should also include social and emotional needs, ensuring that pupils feel fully part of their school community.

The main school should ensure that:

They have a named contact for the parents/pupil
The pupil remains part of their community
They send newsletters home
The pupil has the same opportunities that are as their peers
Offered access to school work or if requested by parents/pupil
The pupil and parents are offered to come into the school periodically either inside of outside of school hours.
They maintain regular contact with the alternative provision
They share important information with the alternative provision – particularly in relation to safeguarding

The alternative provision should:

enable a pupil to maintain academic progression and attainment,
allow a pupil to thrive and prosper in the education system
maintain regular contact with the main school
They share important information with the main school – particularly in relation to safeguarding

This support framework should work cohesively across organisational boundaries and include a structured understanding and assessment of the needs of a pupil, and appropriate referral and re-integration that focuses on the pupil’s interest and appropriate outcomes rather than processes.

Local authorities, schools, providers, relevant agencies and parents should work together constructively in order to ensure the best outcomes for a pupil.

In all cases, effective collaboration between all relevant services is essential to delivering effective education for children with additional health needs. The alternative provision and the child’s school must ensure continuity of provision and consistency of curriculum. It can ensure that the school can make information available about the curriculum and work the child may miss, helping the child to keep up, rather than having to catch up.

Reintegration

If both provisions have been working together throughout the process as set out above, each school will be able to set up an individual tailored reintegration plan for each child. This may have to include extra support to help fill any gaps arising from the child’s absence.

What is different when recording attendance for dual registered pupils

Where it has been agreed that a pupil will remain on the roll of their school whilst attending another establishment (alternative provision) each establishment is responsible for recording attendance for those sessions where it has been agreed that they should attend. Depending on the arrangement that is agreed, all 10 sessions per week may be at a single establishment or alternatively the scheduled weekly attendance may be split between the two establishments. A full attendance record must be held for the pupil covering all 10 sessions during the course of each week.

When should attendance D code be used?

It is important that everyone is clear what hours are being offered by the alternative provision from the beginning to ensure that the right code is used at the right time.

Attendance code D (dual registered at another educational establishment) is not counted as a possible session of attendance for a school since the pupil is expected to be elsewhere. To avoid the double counting absence for pupils who are registered at more than one school, each school should:

Only record the attendance and absence for the sessions the pupil is required to attend at their school
Use code ‘D’ to record all of the sessions that the pupil is due to attend at the other school

In other words each registration certificate should mirror each other so that the pupil have their full time educational entitlement available to them.

Alternative provision D Code

Use appropriate attendance/ absence marks on days when pupil is expected to attend/engage in education at Alternative provision.
Use “C” code if Alternative provision is carrying the absence due to provision being wanted but not available – due to issues such as staffing levels.
Use appropriate absence code if pupil unable to attend, ie sickness/refusing.
Use “D” code on any other day if a part time provision has been agreed form the outset.

Main school D code

Use “D” code on days when the pupil is expected to attend alternative provision.
Use ‘D’ code if the pupil is expected to attend the alternative provision, but they are unable to offer the provision ie staff issues.
Use appropriate attendance/ absence marks on days when pupil is expected to attend/engage in education at school.
Use “C” code when the school is carrying the absence due to there being medical reasons for a reduced timetable.

Who is responsible for completing the annex R?

In cases where a pupil is dual registered with the alternative provision and 25 hours of education provision is not considered appropriate due to medical reasons, the “mainstream school” should complete the Annex R form and are expected to undertake regular reviews with the alternative provision (at least every four to six weeks).

Education Inclusion Service – Support for Schools (devon.gov.uk)

Managed Moves

There are occasions when a ‘managed move’ to another school or college benefits both the pupil concerned and his or her school/college. This should be marked as a D code.

Prior to any discussion of a managed move with parent/carer, the pupil should be brought to the attention of the Inclusion Officer. Schools must follow Devon County Council’s protocol. During the managed move, the pupil must remain on roll at the home school and should be marked with a D code.

A managed move is a voluntary agreement based on sound educational principles, the terms and conditions of which must be agreed in advance by the pupil, parents/carers, the home school and the receiving school. The young person must be on a school roll prior to the start of a managed move. A managed move may be appropriate when:

a) a pupil is at risk of permanent exclusion;
b) a pupil will return to the home school if the placement is unsuccessful;
c) a pupil has good attendance and is not a persistent non-attender;
d) a pupil is not seeking a standard transfer to a new school;