Transitions for children and young people with SEND

Transitions

All schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

SEND Code of Practice para 6.9.

Also see the Equality Act 2010.

General Duties

Local Authorities must make arrangements for supporting pupils at school with medical conditions.

This could be in the form of an individual health care plan.

Special Educational Provision

Section 66 of the Children and Families Act 2014 states: ‘If a registered pupil or a student at a school or other institution has special educational needs, the appropriate authority must, in exercising its functions in relation to the school or other institution, use its best endeavours to secure that the special educational provision called for by the pupil’s or student’s special educational needs is made’.

Ensure SEN engagement with activities

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.

SEND Code of Practice para 8.6

SEND support should include…

• Planning and preparation for transition before a child moves into another setting or school.
• Ensuring that information is shared early on between placements as part of this planning process.

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)

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 CAFA

Starting Primary

The SEND Code of Practice para 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 an additional needs support.’

Tips for transition

• Keep 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.

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.
• Ensure you have a contact at the school who you can contact with any questions or concerns once your child has started at the school.

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.

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.

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.

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 para 8.39

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.

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 para 8.75

Building transitions into an EHCP

Where a young person has an EHCP, 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 para 8.9

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 para 8.76