It might seem too early to be thinking about next September, but the end of the school year is too late to start planning for transition, so now is the time to start preparing.
Moving schools can be a daunting process for any child, but for some it can feel traumatic. In this post, I offer tips on how to ensure that transition is as smooth as possible for young people with additional needs.
Act now
It will be summer before we know it. The more you can do in anticipation of the transition, the smoother it will run. Secondary Sendcos should send out a timeline to local primary schools with all key dates. Do this now. Primary schools should be sharing these timelines with their parents.
Secondary schools could also prepare a small booklet of key information to give to new pupils. Ours includes a map of the school, photos of key rooms, useful practical information on lunchtime clubs, equipment and uniform - and photographs of the special educational needs and disability (SEND) team with their names. It is surprising how something so simple can be so effective in reassuring a young person who is feeling anxious about the move. Plus, once you have your booklet prepared, you can reuse it each year, with just a few tweaks.
Communicate
Sendcos in primary and secondary schools should take every opportunity to network and get to know each other. In some boroughs and councils, there will already be established networks or cluster groups to facilitate this.
Secondary Sendcos should make it clear to their primary colleagues what information they require. This may include a list of all students on the SEND register and a list of all students with a diagnosis - regardless of whether they are on the SEND register or not.
You can create a form to provide a quick overview. This could include tick boxes to establish whether or not the child has an education, health and care plans (EHCP) or an individual education plan (IEP), what intervention they have had, if they have had exam access arrangements and if they have had outside agency input - from an educational psychologist or speech and language therapist, for example.
Face-to-face meetings
Remember, not everything has to be done via email. During the summer term, a member of the secondary school SEND team should visit the primary schools of all the children with additional needs planning to start in September. They should arrange to speak to the Sendco and/or class teacher or TA, as well as meeting the children themselves. Ensure that you have a quiet, private area and that you meet the young people individually, wherever possible.
It is particularly helpful if secondary school Sendcos and TAs can attend final annual reviews in Year 6. However, primary schools need to ensure a level of forward planning, rather than leaving invites to the last minute, when it is not always possible to secure cover.
Additional transition days
Secondary schools should aim to hold a day or even a morning where particularly vulnerable students can come and spend some additional time in their new school. At my school we tour the school, while students complete a quiz, so they get to thoroughly explore their new surroundings. We also ask current students to help out, which not only gives them a sense of responsibility but is also a chance to foster new friendships.
Coffee mornings for parents
Arrange a coffee morning in the summer term and invite the parents of new students, as well as the parents of students currently at the secondary school. This is a lovely and informal way of developing supportive networks between the parents of children with additional needs. Top tip: be mindful of any religious festivals, such as Ramadan, when Muslim parents and carers fast during daylight hours.
Prepare teaching staff
Secondary school Sendcos should create an overview of the key information about new students with additional needs for teachers. It is important that this is completed before the summer holidays so that teachers have an opportunity to read and digest this information before planning for the year ahead. It may also be worth the Sendco circulating photographs of any specific children, who may be particularly vulnerable when starting.
Gemma Corby is Sendco at Hobart High School, Norfolk. Her Sendco column for Tes runs every second Tuesday in term-time. To read Gemma’s back catalogue, click here.
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