At Bowburn Primary school we recognise that transitions can be difficult for a child with SEND and we take steps to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible.
Transition from Nursery to Reception
Children who attend our Nursery and are moving into our Reception classrooms are offered several visits to their new class to meet their new teachers and become familiar with the setting.
Children who do not attend our nursery are visited at home or in their own nursery setting. If the child has any identified special educational needs the staff work closely with the family and setting to ensure the child’s needs are met. The children are invited into school on a number of occasions to meet the staff and familiarise themselves with the setting.
Children identified with SEND are offered a personalised transition package which will suit their requirements, this could include:
- Reception staff making a transition booklet, which would include pictures of staff and different areas of learning. The child would then be able to look at the book at home with an adult and familiarise themselves with the setting before starting school.
- Staff attending transition or review meetings before a child starts.
- Reception staff visiting the child on more occasions in their own setting to develop relationships.
- A carefully tailored starting school package.
- Meetings with parents and carers
- Making slight changes to nursery provision in the summer term to prepare the child for full days in school.
- Completing specific activities in the main school building.
- The school might need to enlist the support of external agencies
Transition between year groups
Staff are provided with several opportunities to meet their new class prior to September. Transition from each Year Group is supported by transition days, so that the children have met and worked with their new teachers and are familiar with the new classroom environment.
Children identified with SEND are offered more support during this transition process, this might include:
- A support plan review meeting will take place towards the end of the summer term. Both of the class teachers will attend, this provides parents with an opportunity to meet the new class teacher. Also at this meeting, targets are set for the Autumn term.
- The school might need to enlist the support of external agencies.
- Familiar support staff might move through with the children to provide continuity and a familiar face.
- Some children might benefit from completing specific tasks to encourage them to become familiar with their new classroom or teacher, eg delivering messages, taking part in a club etc
- Any resources that have been purchased or made to meet the needs of individual children will be passed on to the child’s next teacher. A transition booklet might also be prepared which will provide the child with opportunities over the summer holiday to look at pictures of their new classroom and of staff they will be working with.
How we will support children with SEND when they are leaving this school:
At Bowburn Primary School, we recognise how important a successful transition is to our pupils with additional needs.
- We work in partnership with our secondary schools to provide an enhanced level of transition for those who we feel would benefit from this. We have excellent links with a number of local secondary schools and academies. We support children at every stage of their school career and we plan for the transition to secondary school to be as smooth and as worry-free as possible.
- Staff from these schools visit our Year 6 children throughout the year, support them in lessons, lead small group work sessions and plan a number of visits to their new school. We inform the schools about which tutor groups the children should be placed in and we hold meetings with transition staff to discuss the children’s academic needs and how best their needs can be catered for in their new school.
- We can arrange additional visits for those children who may benefit from this.
- We talk to the SENCO’s in these schools to ensure that the support the children receive at our school continues into the next phase of their education.
- If a child is transferring to a special school, we will work closely with that school to ensure a carefully tailored transition package is created. Transition will be different for each child, depending on their special need.
