When children and young people move from one phase in their lives to the next, either through changing schools or moving from school or college to higher education or employment, it can be unsettling. The process is usually referred to a transitioning, or making a transition.
Transitioning from one educational setting to another can be challenging for all children and young people, but particularly so for those with SEND, as it may be more difficult to get to know a new place with new people. Children and young people with SEND support in place will also need their support provision to be moved across too.
Young people with SEND and their parents should speak to a teacher, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo), or a careers adviser to get help with choosing where would be the best place to move to.
When you and your child have decided where you would prefer to go next, your teacher or SENDCo should discuss the needs your child has with the new setting so that a system of support can be set up. This may include additional visits to the new setting, someone from the new setting attending SEND review meetings and opportunities to discuss needs with staff at the new setting.
If your child already has a support plan in place, the transition arrangements should be discussed as part of this. If an education, health and care (EHC) plan is in place then the annual review will discuss transition. For young people in year 9 and year 11, an adviser from Careers South West will be invited to the annual EHC plan review.
Education settings must consider whether a child or young person with SEND needs to have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan written for them. This plan sets out the actions to be taken and by whom to ensure the safety of a child or young person with a disability in the case of an emergency evacuation. This may be discussed at transition meetings.
Good practice guides for transition for schools and education settings are available here – for children in early years all the way to leaving college.