{"id":67888,"date":"2025-11-25T16:59:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=67888"},"modified":"2025-11-27T16:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T16:21:57","slug":"transition-support-helps-pupil-in-move-to-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/transition-support-helps-pupil-in-move-to-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Transition support helps pupil in move to college"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A teenager who once felt anxious about leaving\u00a0her\u00a0specialist school is now thriving at Exeter College; an outcome her mother\u00a0says\u00a0\u201ccouldn\u2019t have gone better,\u201d thanks to early\u00a0guidance from\u00a0Devon County Council\u2019s\u00a0Post-16 Learning Participation Team.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pupil, who attended Ellen Tinkham School in Exeter, initially\u00a0struggled with the idea of what would come next after school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Career Development Consultant, Sarah Baker recalls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was very anxious about leaving school. She didn\u2019t understand the options available and couldn\u2019t picture her future.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her mum shared the same fears, worried about how her daughter might cope outside a specialist environment.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The turning point came in Year 9, when Sarah\u00a0first contacted the family to explain the support available.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The learner\u2019s mum later\u00a0described that moment as crucial, saying she finally\u00a0\u201cfelt reassured that we weren\u2019t facing this transition alone\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the council’s support,\u00a0the learner had a careers meeting in Year 10\u00a0to explore aspirations for the future, college\u00a0options\u00a0and available courses. She\u00a0was impressed by Exeter College and signed up for an open event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After attending the college open event, the learner returned for another careers meeting. This time she was excited about the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She told\u00a0Sarah that\u00a0she was\u00a0\u201cexcited about the possibility\u201d of joining the college, speaking warmly about \u201cthe staff and the atmosphere\u201d.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the guidance and reassurance she received, the learner applied with confidence and secured a place at Exeter College.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah contacted the pupil’s mum to see how the first term was going. Mum said that\u00a0her daughter was \u201cdoing amazingly well,\u201d had \u201cmade new friends\u201d,\u00a0\u201cloved the staff,\u201d and was\u00a0\u201c<\/em>thriving\u201d<\/em>\u00a0in her\u00a0new environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transition “couldn’t have gone better,” said her mum. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah believes the success highlights the vital role of early intervention in supporting a smooth transition from a specialist school to mainstream college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several key factors contributed, including timely support<\/strong> – early\u00a0guidance\u00a0gave the learner time to explore options at a comfortable pace; forward planning<\/strong> – a structured\u00a0transition\u00a0plan\u00a0ensured she\u00a0was fully supported; empowerment through choice<\/strong> – encouraging ownership of decisions helped her feel heard and in control of her future; collaborative support<\/strong> – school staff worked closely with the Post-16 Learning Participation Team to provide consistent support; and welcoming environmen<\/strong>t – Exeter College\u00a0provided\u00a0a nurturing\u00a0setting\u00a0aligned with\u00a0the\u00a0her\u00a0needs and aspirations\u202f.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, instead of worrying about her future, this learner is embracing it with confidence and excitement. Her journey shows how thoughtful planning and the right guidance can turn a challenging transition into an opportunity for growth and success. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":67256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24,2214],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dcc-homepage","category-send-news"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":67256,"title":"News Page size (26)","alt":"A young teenager talking to an 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