an overview and demonstration manchester multi-agency working party high school transition...
TRANSCRIPT
An overview and demonstration
Manchester multi-agency working party
High School Transition
Standards, guidance and resources
Drivers
• Children and Families Bill SEN clauses• The Education, Health and Care Plan• Manchester Autism strategy• High level of vulnerability in Year 7 for many
children with SEN and SLCN, including significantly young people with Autism
• Several agencies reporting inconsistency in the level and quality of transition support
Multi-agency working party
• Overarching aim:
To develop a set of standards for mainstream primary and secondary schools to support transition for all pupils.
Contributions from: EPS, SALT, OT, SSS, LA SEN strategic lead, parent, CAMHS, NAS, primary and secondary SENCos.
Transition: risk factors
• Transition planning begins too late • The child’s individual readiness for high school
is not considered• Limited co-ordination between schools,
parents and other agencies• Parents making an informed choice about the
right high school for their child
• Over-estimating ability to cope with high school• Child’s worries and questions about high school
are not heard and addressed in Year 6• Some children may be over-dependent on adult
support in primary school• The child’s high school is not informed or
trained to deliver appropriate strategies, e.g. social story, pupil passport, checklists
Transition: risk factors
Individual factors which impact upon a child’s readiness for high school
• Social-emotional difficulties• Communication and language difficulties• Issues around flexibility of thought• Issues around executive functioning; motor
skills, organisation and planning• Issues around sensory integration
Y7 pupil focus groups
• Carried out with the assistance of high school staff, SLTs and students
• Four high schools participated• One school – pupils with a range of additional
needs including ASD
Aims
1. Develop a set of standards to enable schools to evaluate their current practice in relation to high school transition
2. To provide guidance on the level of support needed to support transition
3. To provide strategies and resources to enable schools, parents and professionals to build upon their current practices
The approach• A set of standards for schools to lead on with
input from parents, the child and other professionals as appropriate
• Standards linked to concrete, practical resources which schools could access and begin using now
• A two-tier approach: Tier 1: Universal resources for all pupilsTier 2: More specialist resources for children who need individual transition planning
High School Transition (mainstream schools)
Guidelines and Resource Pack How to use this resource
Step one • Complete the self-audit tool (versions for primary and secondary school
Step two •Identify areas for further development in your school’s provision to support transition. This may be to develop your Universal strategies (i.e. transition support for all pupils) and/or your Specialist strategies (i.e. transition support for pupils with very significant transition needs).
Step three •Access the resources to support your development plan
Aim 1
• Develop a set of standards to enable schools to evaluate their current practice in relation to high school transition
About the self-audit tools
• Versions for primary and secondary schools• Split into three sections:
1. School policy and practice in relation to transition2. Good practice for ALL pupils (Universal)3. Practice in relation to pupils who need Individual
Transition Planning
Primary schools
High schools
Aim 2
• To provide guidance on the level of support needed to support transition
Aim 3
• To provide strategies and resources to enable schools, parents and professionals to build upon their current practices
• The High School Survival Guide– Topics to think about, e.g. Packing a bag, travelling to school,
making sense of timetables, asking for help, making friends– Visually appealing and informative – May need to be differentiated for pupils with SEN
• The Helping Hand– Highlighting five functional skills to help children cope with
the demands of high school– Introduce Summer Y6 (teacher pack) – Introduce again in Autumn Y7 (assembly pack)
Tier 1: Strategies and resources to support transition for ALL pupils
Tier 2: Strategies and resources to support transition for pupils with additional needs
High School Transition (wave 3/specialist)
Transition planning profile Completing the profile:
Read each statement and consider the child’s readiness for transition in this area. Against each area, indicate your level of concern by shading:
Green = Not concerned Amber = Moderate concern Red = High level of concern
For areas which are Amber or Red, you can use the Bank of Strategies and
Resources. For example, if “A7: Understanding Timetables” is an area of concern, then look at the Bank of Strategies and find advice listed “A7: Understanding Timetables”
Part A: Coping with new situations and problem-solving R A G
A1. Having several teachers for different subjects
A2. Understanding and recognizing bullying
A3. Finding way round school building, getting lost or confused
A4. Travelling to school
A5. Breaktimes and lunch times
A6. Coping with noisier environments
A7. Understanding timetables
A8. Organising self
A9. Homework (planning, organising and carrying out)
Comments:
Part B: Communicating, interacting and understanding R A G
B1. Meeting new people (pupils and adults)
B2. Understanding and accepting sanctions (e.g. detentions)
B3. Friendship network and making new friends
B4. Having conversations with children and adults
B5. Asking for help
B6. Understanding expected social rules and behaviour
B7. Understanding new subjects, e.g. Geography
Comments:
A1 Having several teachers for different subjects
Introduce strategies to develop independence in lessons. Resources to support
o Checklists and planners o Visual cues for ‘help’, ‘need toilet’, ‘feel unwell’ etc.
Provide opportunities for pupil to interact with a wider range of staff members
Vary teaching staff for established lessons/activities
Reduce levels of attachment between staff and pupil as appropriate to the individual child
Opportunities to meet key staff in high school, if known (e.g. LSA, mentor, SENCo) – if
possible student could have photos with labels for these staff.
Step three: Use
resources to support
Step two: Changes to
current practice
Step one: Audit of current
practice
High school transition standards
Universal good practice
Ideas for General Good Practice
High School Survivial Guide
The Helping Hand
Practice for pupils with Additional
Needs
Readiness for transition tools
Resources to support personalised
transition
