Admissions and Referrals

This page provides guidance on making referrals to City of Birmingham School.  If you would like to discuss a possible referral or want help to complete the process, please contact us via the School Management Office, Shirley Chisholm on 0121 303 0274.

Pupils may be referred for a full time centre place.

Most referrals for a centre place are made by the Local Authority Exclusions Team via the permanent exclusion process or the Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Service (SENAR). Most referrals are straightforward and will be quickly picked up by Centre staff.

City of Birmingham School has 464 places and is commissioned by the Local Authority to provide the following:

434 centre places offering suitable full time provision

  • from day 6 for pupils who are Birmingham residents permanently excluded from mainstream schools. Referrals for pupils who have been permanently excluded come from the LA Exclusions team.
  • for Children in Care / Looked After Children not on the roll of a mainstream school from day 2.
  • for children from Birmingham schools as part of a permanent exclusion avoidance strategy, where capacity allows. Pupils on the roll of a mainstream school where support to avoid exclusion is sought should be referred via the local sharing panel direct to the appropriate centre.
  • for vulnerable children whose needs are highly complex.
  • up to 12 places for interim provision for children in KS1, 2 or 3 with a Statement of Special Educational Need  or an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) whose primary need is BESD. Referrals  for fully statemented pupils or those with an EHCP must come from SENAR

22 places offering

Personalised re-engagement programmes for pupils in KS4 with emotionally based school refusal.

8 centre places offering

Suitable full time provision for young people remanded into the Care of the Local Authority.

A small number of additional places may be available for pupils at risk of permanent exclusion. These places are commissioned by schools directly. The school will fund the full cost of the placement.  Pupils will come off the roll of the school on to the roll of COBS. Please contact a member of the leadership team to discuss these cases.

It is difficult to be precise about the wide range of complex needs we support. If you have a concern and think we may be able to help please get in touch with either your local centre or one of the leadership team.

These links will take you to our referral forms.

1

To request a full time place in a teaching centre

Email to [email protected]

2

To request Outreach support for a pupil in a primary school

Outreach – Primary School Referral Form

Discuss with your Outreach worker first.

3

To request Outreach support for a pupil in a secondary school

Outreach – Secondary School Referral Form

Discuss with your Outreach worker first.

4

To confirm parent / carer permission for COBS involvement

Parental consent form​​​​​​​

For use with forms 2, 3 or 4.

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