Help to cope with change

When a child or young person with a special educational need or disability (SEND) is approaching a change, they may experience a range of emotions including excitement, anticipation, and anxiety. This can affect both the child or young person and their parents/carers.

Preparing for and getting used to a change is commonly called 'transition'.

It is important to help prepare and support children and young people through this, so the transition is a positive experience.

Good transition planning is important for all children and young people. But children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) will require more planning and preparation.

Transition planning should start early to ensure it is successful.

There are many different transitions that involve places of learning including moving from:

• Home to childminder
• Home or childminder to pre-school, nursery, or school
• Class to class
• One year group to another
• Early years to infant or primary school
• Infant to junior school
• Junior or primary school to secondary school
• Secondary to post-16 places of learning
• Post-16 to higher education or work
• Higher education to adult life

It is important that children and young people know that change is coming and are helped to prepare for it. This is called 'person-centred planning'.

Parents/carers have an important role to play in helping their child or young person get ready for transition.

Parents/carers and places of learning can use these tools to share information that will help new people quickly gain key knowledge and understanding about a child or young person:

• One-page profile - a simple summary of what is important to someone and how they want to be supported
• Relationship map (PDF) [197KB] - helps you think about the people who are involved in all areas of the child or young person’s life
• What's working, what's not working tool (PDF) [205KB] - helps you to identify what is working that you would like to keep, and is not working which needs to change
• Decision making tool (PDF) [131KB] - this is both a decision-making profile and a decision-making agreement. Together, these help you support the child or young person to make decisions and record how these decisions will be made
• Wishes and feelings - are useful for recording the voice of the child or young person. They come in different designs:
  Voice of the Child - Feelings and wishes - fairy (PDF) [27KB]
  Voice of the Child - Feelings and wishes - my feelings colouring chart (PDF) [1MB]
  Voice of the Child - Feelings and wishes - sheet (PDF) [98KB]
  Voice of the Child - Feelings and wishes - three houses (PDF) [12KB]
  Voice of the Child - Feelings and wishes - wizard (PDF) [99KB]

All educational settings must follow the Equality Act 2010. This means they must make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people so they are not disadvantaged in comparison with people who do not have a disability.

Needs should be anticipated, and reasonable adjustments put in place in advance.

People from the current and new place of learning should work together to plan for a positive and successful transition for all children and young people.

Supporting Transitions and Inclusion Record (STAIR) helps children have a smooth transition from their early years setting to their new place of learning. The STAIR helps the key person to choose the most useful information to share.

We recommend all places of learning use the Common Transfer Form (opens new window) so that there is a consistent transfer of pupil information.

Eastern Opportunity Areas has published good practice and information from the Norwich Opportunity Area project on their website (opens new window).

Additional support for children and young people with SEND could include:

• Organising extra visits for CYP with SEND to give them more time to get used to the setting and people
• Taking photos of the new setting and looking at them with the CYP to keep the new setting fresh and familiar in their mind
• Introducing prompt cards or checklists to help them remember what to do/where to go
• Using social stories to help prepare the CYP for change
• Using a ‘My new school’ booklet or transition pack to introduce key changes and give information about the new setting
• Giving out a clear map of the site and/or timetables
• Identifying a ‘go to’ person for CYP and families to contact
• Working with health professionals to adapt the learning environment and ensure accessibility
• Organising specialist training for staff
• Providing specialist equipment or resources to facilitate access to learning
• Completing a ‘my usual week looks like this’ timetable with CYP and their parents/carers to provide additional background information to pass on to the new setting

Leaving school to go to college or work is a big step. It needs lots of planning, which normally starts when the young person is 13 years old.

The preparing for adult life (PfAL) section of our website  has been written as a guide for parents/carers who have a child or young person age 14-25.

The most important person to be involved in planning ahead is the young person. They should be in control and supported to make their own choices.

Parents/carers can play an important role in helping their child or young person prepare for transition.

They can also support their child or young person to think of the other people who could help, for example, family and friends, teachers, transition or guidance advisers or a social worker (if they have one). The young person could ask these people to join a circle of support.

TITAN (Travel Independence Training across Norfolk) offers a range of opportunities for young people aged 10 (Year 6) to 25, both in school and the community, to supporting effective transition to travelling independently.

If specialist help and support is needed to plan for the young person, it may be appropriate to make a referral for the preparing for adult life (PfAL) service.

Managing feelings

Just One Norfolk transitions guidance

Early years transitions

Early Years Transitions Leaflet 1 - A guide for mums, dads and carers

School transitions

Transition from infant to junior school - A guide for parents and carers (PDF) [684KB]

Transition to secondary school - A guide for parents and carers (PDF) [762KB]

UEA - Resource Centre

BBC Bitesize transition support

SEND transition resources - Schools (norfolk.gov.uk)

Transition to post-16 education or training

Parent and carer guide to planning for college or training

Transition from secondary school to post-16 - A guide for parents and carers (PDF) [612KB]

Preparing for adult life

Transition and training at 18+ - A guide for young people, parent carers and settings (PDF) [482KB]

Being healthy as an adult - A guide for parents, carers and young people (PDF) [1MB]

Being independent as an adult - A guide for parents, carers and young people (PDF) [1MB]

Being part of the community as an adult - A guide for parents, carers and young people (PDF) [1MB]