Tools for Schools
The Mentally Healthy Schools website has a lot of useful information, which includes:
- A ‘What a good transition process from primary to secondary looks like’ guide – five simple steps for children transitioning from primary to secondary school.
- The ‘Transition to secondary school lesson plan pack‘ helps young people identify strategies to deal with change so they can have a successful transition to secondary school. It has been developed by teachers and includes a lesson plan, PowerPoint and accompanying video.
- Guidance for parents on supporting transition to secondary school for children with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disability (SEND) needs – Moving on to secondary school with SEN
Children’s Learning and Well Being Audit 2021 (CLAWBA): Information about key vulnerability indicators enables the secondary school to proactively support the children and their families successfully.
Anna Freud : National Centre for Children and Families: Mental health animation toolkit for teachers and schools: Moving Up! The transition to secondary school: This animation and accompanying teacher toolkit is aimed at supporting pupils who have recently started Year 7 or who will be preparing to transition to secondary school later in the year (Years 6 and 7). They were developed in collaboration with young people, teachers and mental health experts. The animation aims to support pupils to:
- Identify potential worries associated with starting secondary school
- Know they’re not alone if they are feeling worried
- Talk to a trusted adult or friend if they have any concerns
- Identify solutions and strategies for looking after their mental health, including self-care
The Ready Steady Go (RSG) programme was successfully introduced at University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust. RSG is a suite of resources designed to deliver high-quality transition for young people (YP) across all subspecialties.
▸ Addresses the full range of issues for good transition and facilitates discussion in greater depth where required by the YP, carer or healthcare professional
▸ Is simple to understand and use. It has been widely and enthusiastically adopted and has led to a cultural change in healthcare practice where implemented.
▸ Improves clinical practice and clinical outcomes.
▸ Empowers YP to manage their healthcare confidently and successfully in both paediatric and adult services.
Ready Steady Go was developed in reference to the NICE guidance NG43. ‘Ready Steady Go’ provides a tool that enables the delivery on all the over-arching principles in the NICE guidance.
Additional support for individuals during transition | Tools for schools
Bridging the Word Gap at transition: The Oxford Language Report 2020: This new report, Bridging the Word Gap at Transition, builds on the previous report from 3 years ago, Why Closing the Word Gap Matters. The latest research reveals that all of the consequences of the word gap identified in the first survey still remain.
Autism & Social Communication Team: Planning for Positive Transitions. Available on the ASC Team Wiki
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Blog: Getting transition right (part 1 of 2) – four practical, evidence-based strategies to support pupils moving from Year 6 to Year 7 focuses on transition from Primary to Secondary School.
The EEF Blog: Getting transition right (part 2 of 2) – ‘how my school is applying evidence to promote positive learning behaviours’. This blog explores how the evidence-based recommendations from five EEF guidance reports can be applied by schools to support transition following Covid-19 closures.
The foundation for people with disabilities website contains transition guides for pupils, parents and teachers. A project team met with pupils, school staff and parents in three Peterborough schools to find out about their experiences of the transition to secondary school. Resources were then produced to support schools to plan successful transitions. Three guides were then developed – guides for pupils, parents and teachers. View guides on the Learning Disabilities website.
Support transition website and resources
Guidance for parents on supporting transition to secondary school for children with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disability (SEND) needs – Moving on to secondary school with SEN
From Year 9 to Year 10
SEND: guide for parhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carersents and carersA guide on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).
SEND: guide for further education providers A guide for further education providers on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
National Autistic Society support on topics such as ‘Life Stages’, ‘Autistic Adult’, ‘Higher Educational Professionals – What You Can Do’, ‘Educational Choices’ and personalised case studies etc.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Meeting the needs of learners with learning difficulties and / or disabilities. A good overall source of information for parents and professionals (not so much for young people).
Autism Education Trust They help ensure that autistic children and young people receive an education that enables them to fulfil their aspirations and engage in society as active citizens. Includes free to download Good Autism Practice, Competency Framework and a range of advice.
Year 11 and beyond into adulthood
Your life, Your choice is comprehensive West Sussex information for people who need social care support and for family and friend carers.
Lifelong Service Wiki is an easy read resource covering preparing for adulthood domains. It also includesPointers for Parents which has been written to help parents/carers who are supporting young people to work towards independence.
West Sussex Connect to Support is the county council’s information and advice resource pages for residents of West Sussex. Some of the key pages relating to SEND are:
Occupational Therapists also work as part of the Lifelong Service and play a crucial role in the delivery of social care assessment and support to children, young people and adults. Contact details for all the Lifelong Service teams can be found in the back of the Pointers for Parents booklet.
The Preparing for adulthood website provides expertise and support to local authorities and their partners to embed preparing for adulthood from the earliest years. The aim is to support young people with SEND to achieve paid employment, independent living, housing options, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.
- Home & Away: Planning Tool: Home & Away is an editable tool to help with planning arrangements for young people at residential schools and colleges to ensure a positive transition back home. This resource is designed for partners from education, health and care sectors who are involved in supporting young people to return to their home areas on leaving residential school or college.
National Development Team for Inclusion website contains information about the 2014 Care Act requirement for commissioners to support disabled people to gain and retain work.
The Autism Education Trust has developed a toolkit because when they leave school, too few autistic young people carry on into further education, employment or training. The Transition to Employment toolkit aims to tackle that problem. It has been developed to support those working with autistic young people to understand their needs and help them onto the job ladder, or into further training or education.
Careers resources
- The Careers and Enterprise Resources Directory ( Please filter for SEND and Transition)
- Coast to Capital – Careers Resources Board ( Please see the columns for SEND and Transition)
- CDI – are working in partnership with Talentino refer to page 5 (Careers Advisor SEND Courses coming in the Spring of 2021)
- What next Sussex Event ( shared with all Education Centres in Sussex)
Last updated 21 June 2021