Admissions from overseas
I've been asked to admit a pupil who's currently living outside the EU with his parents. They have plans to return to live in the UK. What should I do?
My first is response is that you do not need to do anything until the child is resident in the UK. Once the parents are living here and have proof of residence such as an endorsed passport or entry visa then they can apply.
However, if the child holds a full British Citizen passport which is endorsed to show a right of abode in the UK then an application could be accepted even though they are not resident here yet. Similarly if the child is a European Economic Area national then there is unrestricted entry to the UK and they can also apply using an overseas address. However, once the offer of a school place is made then it should be conditional upon receipt of evidence of where they are living.
Just as a reminder, all children of compulsory school age who are resident in the UK have a right of access to education. The only exception might be where the child is only in the UK for a short period such as less than half a term. In these cases it can be reasonable to refuse admission.
Once the child is admitted to your school there will be other issues you will need to address. You don’t mention in your question which country they are living in or if they speak any English. If they don't and you know the language they do speak you might want to begin making enquiries now to find out if there are any translators available locally. Sometimes if there are a few new families from a particular community there might be someone who can help support during the initial weeks.
If you are receiving a number of new arrivals it might be worthwhile putting together a new arrival policy that includes procedures that all staff can follow. I would recommend that you read the article referred to below 'A Very Warm Welcome' to give you some ideas.
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A very warm welcome
Starting at a new school can be frightening for young children with limited English but, as Suzanne O’Connell discovers, one Luton primary school is fnding ways to ease their introduction.A Helping Hand for EAL Pupils
Starting a new school in a new country can be extremely daunting for a pupil of primary age who speaks little or no English. Headteacher at Tennyson Road Primary School, Luton, Hilary Power discusses the resources available to schools with a high number of EAL pupils and how her school effectively manages the EAL function.Aiming high: Meeting the needs of newly arrived learners of English as an additional language
These are materials provided as part of the national strategies.A model policy for the induction of new arrivals
Dorset County Council has provided a useful model policy for their schools that can be accessed from the internetSchool admissions from overseas - Surrey County Council
Surrey have some useful information about overseas admission on their websiteAdmission and induction of new arrivals
This admission and induction of new arrivals policy sets out the arrangements for meeting the needs of children and families who have recently arrived in the UK.