Transition advice for parents

Starting school

For a smooth transition from home or preschool to reception, take a planned approach. Work in partnership with parents or carers, the school and professionals and make sure everyone’s responsibilities are clear. For example, make sure speech and language therapists support teaching assistants with the signs and key words they will need to help the new starter. 

Moving to secondary school

Additional stresses related to adolescence can make the move to secondary school particularly challenging. Gaining independence is something most teenagers take for granted, but for a disabled child it may be more complicated. Disabled children are less likely to have wide networks of friends to support the move. Thinking about the choices for the future can seem daunting too. 

The key to managing transition is to take an individual approach, engaging with the child and building their confidence.

Visiting schools

• When looking around try to imagine your child there and to identify what they will need when they start school. Imagine the child growing older in the school
• Do your research first. Look on the school website, and read its Ofsted reports
• Make an appointment with the school and ask to speak to the special needs co-ordinator (Senco). Let the school know if you are bringing someone with you, especially if it is a professional worker
• Don’t take your child on the first visit; it will be confusing for them to look at several different schools
• Make more than one visit before you decide
• Ask similar questions at all the schools so you can compare answers
• When you take your child for their first visit, listen to them and learn from their reaction
• Ask questions about additional support needs and how they will be met
• Ask about policies relating to medication, support for eating and drinking, moving and handling
• Think about playtime and extracurricular activities, and how your child will feel about these
• Ask how the school will appoint and train a teaching assistant who will support your child
• Ask about staff training to meet your child’s needs
• Ask:
  • How progress will be measured
  • How bullying is managed
  • What arrangements the school has if a child travels in a taxi
  • About personal care needs
  • About physiotherapy regimes
  • About speech and language therapy programmes
  • For their expectations about parents’ roles
  • About the size of classrooms
  • Make sure the school has enough information about your child to meet their needs. If your child has been to playgroup or nursery, pass on any records of progress as well as the SEN statement or action plans from School Action and School Action Plus or Early Years Action and Early Years Action plus in early years settings

Be prepared

• Read up on the school’s new starter procedures. If you think your child needs additional visits, arrange them with the school
• Attend any meeting that have been organised by the school
• Make use of the early years support team in your area. Most areas have these teams and programmes which are an amalgamation of children’s services including health services. Their role is to support families, early years settings and school practitioners to help children reach their potential.  They can be found through your local council
• Know the support options to meet your child’s needs - Early Years Action, Early Years Action Plus, School Action Plus and the statement of special educational needs
• Make sure you know and understand your rights 
• Encourage your child to feel positive about the change but also listen to any worries they have