The SEND Code of Practice states: 

• ‘To make the best use of resources, partners should consider how an integrated approach can best support better transitions between life stages and settings, including from early years to primary education, primary to secondary and secondary to further education (FE), and children and young people in preparing for adult life.’

• ‘It is important that a child or young person’s exit from an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is planned carefully, to support smooth transitions and effective preparation for adulthood.’

• ‘Service personnel may relocate more often than the rest of the population and, sometimes, at short notice. Such transitions should be well managed to avoid service children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experiencing delays in having their needs assessed and met.’

What? 

Transitions may be: 

• into a new setting 

• within a setting, for example from early years to key stage 1 (KS1) or KS1 to KS2, or between any year group

• between settings, for example first to middle school, infant to junior school, junior to senior school, or for another reason related to the SEND needs of the child or young person 

• to out of education settings

Who? 

Transitions take place for all children and young people, not just those with SEND, and it should not be assumed that those without identified SEND needs will not find transitions difficult. Planning for supporting transitions should therefore also consider those children and young people who are not on the SEND register. 

Why? 

The SEND Code of Practice states that ‘planning well-supported transitions is vital to ensuring young people are as healthy as possible in adult life.’

How? 

There is no set template for managing transitions laid out by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM). It is up to each individual school to decide how to best support the children and young people in their setting with their next transition. 

For those children with EHCPs, an annual review of their EHCP should take place in their transition year, ideally with the educational setting that they are moving onto, along with any appropriate external professionals to the school. 

For children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum condition (ASC), support can be provided with transitions through the borough’s ASC outreach service based at SHINE (located at Furze Platt Senior School). This support can include one to one work on transitions and/or the provision of transition booklets and resources to support with transition. 

Parents can be provided with information about transitions by referring them to the Local Offer website page on transitions. Schools should be familiar with this guidance and follow the best practice advice contained in it for managing transitions for children and young people.