Transition explained
Download 'Transition explained' Handout
Download 'What happens at age 12-16' Handout
Download 'What happens at age 16+' Handout
Download 'Transition means change' Worksheet
Download 'What happens when' Worksheet
Download 'Getting ready in Years 8 and 9' Worksheet
Download 'Making the Transition Plan in Year 9' Worksheet
Download 'Things to talk about' Worksheet
All young people face major changes as they move from being teenagers to becoming adults and must make important decisions about their future. This change can be more complicated for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities as they are often involved with a number of support agencies.
Transition Planning
Transition planning is about young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities deciding what they want to do in the future and about helping them to get the lives that they want.
The aim of transition planning is to co-ordinate support with families and services working together. Planning starts well in advance of leaving school to make sure each young person’s needs and choices are fully explored.
Statement of Special Educational Needs
This is a legal document issued by the Local Authority. It sets out the young person’s educational needs and identifies how these needs can be met. Sometimes this support is first received under ‘School Action’ or ‘School Action Plus’.
School Action
If the school thinks a child has special education needs, they will inform parents and discuss with them additional support needed. An Individual Educational Plan will be drawn up and reviewed regularly.
School Action Plus
If there are still concerns about a young person’s progress under School Action, the school will seek further advice from support services outside the school, such as behaviour support specialists, or visual impairment teachers. These services will need the school’s support in developing the Individual Education Plan further and monitoring progress.
For students with a statement of special educational need the transition process starts in Year 9.
The Transition Plan
All young people with a statement of Special Educational Need should have a Transition Plan written at their Year 9 Annual Review meeting.
From Year 9 onwards, the aim of the annual review is not only to review the young person’s statement, but also to update and review the Transition Plan. This will happen every year until they leave school.
The plan will bring together information from a range of people and agencies involved with the young person. It should also make clear the type of support and provision needed to make sure the young person can make an effective transition into adult life.
Transition planning should be about answering questions which concern the young person and their family, such as:
- What are their hopes and aims for the future?
- What skills do they need to develop to achieve these?
- Any care needs and practical help needed?
- How are the school helping the young person?
- Are there any health or welfare needs requiring planning and support from Health or Social Services?
- Can any other agency provide support?
The school is responsible for putting the Transition Plan together, Connexions offer support to try and make sure that it is carried out.
'Person Centred' approaches
Person centred working puts the young person and their family in control of the planning process, and focuses on their goals for the future.
Person Centred review meetings are being piloted in some schools locally and nationally.
For more information, speak to a Connexions Personal Adviser.
Although every effort has been made to ensure that this information was correct at the time of publication, contacts, telephone numbers and addresses are subject to change, which may make the information become gradually less accurate.