SEND Categories

9. Planning Smooth Transitions to and from School

How we support children joining our School and leaving our School – and making transitions

 

Please see our Admissions Policy, which outlines our procedures for welcoming children to our school and gathering and sharing information from other settings. We also conduct a Home Visit for all children new to our school.

When a child moves up to the next class, we organise hand-over meetings where teachers and support staff make sure that the new teacher and Teaching Assistant have a clear understanding of the needs of that child.

We also provide an opportunity for parents and their children with SEND to meet the new teacher and TA before the start of the School year.

Parents and children will be able to visit the new classroom and get to know the new adults who will be teaching and supporting them.

When a child comes to our School in the middle of a year or term, we plan a range of support – depending on the particular needs of each child. This often involves a team of “Buddies” to help her/him settle in to the new class and provide help to find their way around the School.

 

The Grove (Autism Resourced Provision) Admissions

Admissions into The Grove (Autism Resourced Provision) are strictly through the Camden ASD panel which meets in December. Parents of children with ASD and an Education and Health Care Plan should liaise directly with the Camden SEN team if they are interested in applying to the Grove.

We offer a once fortnightly parent tour on specified dates which is for all parents on a first come first served basis (please call the office if you would like a tour and book). We also offer an SEN tour once every 2 months for those that are interested in the ARP or in SEN exclusively. This is the main means of communication with a prospective parent of a child with an EHCP – we are unable to offer additional meetings as this can reduce our capacity to support the children already within our setting.   If your child is accepted into The Grove, you can look forward to the transition arrangements above and more.

 

Transitions The key focus Who involved What we do
Home to Nursery / Reception
  • Support with settling in
  • Ensuring that needs will be sufficiently met within the School
  • Parents or carers
  • SENDCos and Nursery Managers/teachers
  • Leader of Learning for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Needs and Leader of Learning for Parents and Community
  • Attend previous settings
  • Home visits
  • Invite visits to our School
  • Assess needs
  • Listen to parents’ concerns
  • Provide advice and support to help in the child’s first few days of school
  • Open days
  • Start children slowly and gradually as required
Primary to Secondary
  • Support for move to new building and curriculum
  • Support for friendships and well being
  • Planning support for learning
  • Primary + Secondary SENDCos
  • Head of Year
  • Leader of Learning for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Needs and Leader of Learning for Parents and Community
  • Attend Induction days
  • Hold Transition meetings with parents
  • Invite visits to our School
  • Secondary SENDCo attends Year 6 Annual Reviews
  • Support parents to complete transition forms
  • Facilitate ‘parent to parent’ information sharing about secondary schools
Mid-term admissions
  • Support for coming to a new school – e.g. learning, friendships and well-being
  • SENDCo
  • Leader of Learning for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Needs - Leader of Learning for Parents and Community
  • Meet pupil and parents
  • Assess needs
  • Go through classroom routines and weekly timetable
  • Tour the School
  • Give a pupil buddy
  • Welcome pack further up the school