Children with SEND will often require an ‘enhanced transition’ this may involve additional visits to the receiving school and the use of visual aids, resource packs and supportive discussions to prepare for the change. It is essential that important information is shared with staff in the child’s receiving school or setting. Sefton holds transition events throughout the school year. These include Sefton Early Years Transition Day, Sefton Year 6 to Year 7 Transition Day, and Sefton Year 6 to Year 7 Market Place Transition Event.
These sessions provides excellent opportunities for information to be shared with the child/young person’s receiving setting. This is this is supported by members of staff from the Sefton Educational Needs and Inclusion Service, and by staff from each setting. Additional relevant information (for example recent reports from outside agencies) must be shared with the receiving setting. In-school transitions also require careful support, and the sharing of information, supportive strategies and any other resources that the child or young person would benefit from must be shared with the receiving staff within the school/setting.
The SEND offer from individual schools should be published on the Local offer website and parents should be signposted to look at this when they are choosing a school.
The Inclusion Team (together with Sefton’s Early Years Team and other professionals) will work with the child’s current setting and the receiving school to identify any additional support needs the that they may need. Some children will require reasonable adjustments to be made for example to teaching, environments and resources and this should be discussed as part of the transition process. Other children may require additional resources or specialist equipment to be provided.
Transition for Children with an EHCP
When children have an Education Health Care Plan and are due to start in a new setting, the process of identifying and naming a school will be led by the SEN Casework Officer through the EHCP review process in partnership with parents and carers.