Transitions for children and young people with SEND

Planning Ahead

All schools must make reasonable adjustments for disabled children where appropriate, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. Reasonable Adjustments should be “anticipatory” – they require thought to be given in advance. If your child/young person has a disability, you may wish to contact the SENCO/Learning Support before starting a new school/setting and make sure they are aware of this.

For more information: SEND Code of Practice paragraph 6.9 and The Equality Act 2010.

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Medical Needs

The Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools and academies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. Before starting at a school, ask if they can specify any medical support needed in an Individual Healthcare Plan and identify if any staff training is needed to support these needs.

For further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions–3

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Special Educational Provision

All schools are required to publish their SEN policy on their website. You may wish to take a look to familiarise yourself with the school’s approach to supporting pupils with SEND. The SEND Code of Practice paragraph 6.2 states ‘Every school is required to identify and address the SEN of the pupils they support. They must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet child and young people’s SEN’.

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Supporting Inclusion

Early years providers and schools should support children and young people so that they are included in social groups and develop friendships. This is particularly important when children and young people are transferring from one phase of education to another (for example, from nursery to primary school). Maintained nurseries and schools must ensure that, subject to certain conditions, pupils with SEN engage in the activities of the nursery or school together with those who do not have SEN, and are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the nursery or school and in any wider community activity.

From The SEND Code of Practice paragraph 8.6

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SEND support should include…

Planning and preparation for transition before a child moves into another setting or school.
Schools should agree with parents and pupils the information to be shared as part of this planning process.
Where a pupil is remaining at the school for post-16 provision, this planning and preparation should include consideration of how
to provide a high quality study programme.

From The SEND Code of Practice paragraph 6.57

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Legal duty to amend EHCP

If your child or young person has an EHCP, there is a legal duty to amend the plan by:

15 February in the year of transition from primary to secondary school and
31 March from Secondary school to post 16 provision, to include the name of their next school/setting.

(Regulation 18 of the SEND Regs 2014)

The setting for the next phase of education should be decided and named in the EHCP by the relevant deadline.

For further information: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/moving-to-a-new-phase-of-education-with-an-ehc-plan

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Local Authority must have regard

The Local Authority must have regard to you and your child/young person’s wishes and feelings throughout the transition process.

This is an underlying principle of the Children and Families Act 2014.

See Section 19 Children and Families Act 2014

Starting Primary

The SEND Code of Practice paragraph 5.26 states that: ‘an Early Years Foundation Stage profile is usually completed for children in the final term of the year which they turn five. It is particularly helpful for children with SEN and should inform plans for future learning and identify any additional needs support.’

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Tips for transition with SEND

Where possible, get in contact with the SENDCo before your child starts and as they are transitioning into school. A home to school diary book can aid communication between school and home.
Consider creating a child passport or “all about me” leaflet that can help school to get to know your child, containing information about what your child likes/dislikes, their strengths and what they may struggle with.

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Starting Secondary

Make a list of any questions your child has, to ask when you visit the school and/or have a meeting with the SENDCo.
Ask if there is someone at the school who you can contact with any questions or concerns once your child has started.
If your child received SEN support in primary, check this information has been shared with the secondary- SEN support should continue if there is still a need.

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Managing expectations

If your child has behavioural issues check the school SEND policies on behaviour and explain to your child what is expected of them in school.

Speak to school about concerns and make sure allowances and adjustments are made where appropriate. Some schools create Individual Behaviour Plans to support with this.

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16 onwards

You can legally leave school at the end of the school year in which you turn 16 (normally the end of year 11).
However, all young people must be in some kind of education or training until the age of 18.

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Post-16 education and training

Young people entering post-16 education and training should be accessing provision which supports them to build on their achievements at school and which helps them progress towards adulthood.

For more information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-of-young-people-education-employment-and-training

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Full package of provision and support

Where young people have EHC plans, local authorities should consider the need to provide a full package of provision and support across education, health and care that covers five days a week, where that is appropriate to meet the young person’s needs.
This could include things like volunteer work, work experience, life skills opportunities and training to enable them to develop and maintain friendships and support them to access facilities in the local community. This could also include health and care related activities.

SEND Code of Practice paragraph 8.39-40

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Moving on further

An EHCP can continue beyond age 19 and in some cases up to age 25, although this is not automatic. The plan can continue as long as you still have SEN, stay in education or training, and it is still necessary for the local authority to arrange the extra support you need for you to achieve the educational outcomes set out in the EHC plan.

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Support in transition

All young people with SEND should be supported to make the transition to life beyond school or college. Providers should ensure that young people have information about local employers, further training, and where to go for further advice or support.

SEND Code of Practice paragraph 8.75

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Building transitions into an EHCP

Where a young person has an EHCP, Local Authorities must ensure that every review from Year 9 onwards includes a focus on preparing for adulthood.
Planning must be centred around the individual and explore the child or young person’s aspirations and abilities, what they want to be able to do when they leave post-16 education or training and the support they need to achieve their ambition.
Transition planning must be built into the revised EHC plan and should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching and which will prepare young people for adulthood.

SEND Code of Practice paragraph 8.9

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Support after leaving education

For young people with EHC plans, where it is known that they will soon be completing their time in education and training, the local authority should use the annual review prior to ceasing the EHC plan to agree the support and specific steps needed to help the young person to engage with the services and provision they will be accessing once they have left education.

SEND Code of Practice paragraph 8.76

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