SEND Transition
Children entering Nursery
- Generally, children receive several visits from the Health Visitor before starting Nursery; sometimes these will raise concerns around development, speech or other needs. The Health Visitor will then support the family to access appropriate further assessments and support. When a child joins our Nursery, we begin with a face to face welcome meeting for both parents/ carers and their children where families are given the opportunity to share any additional needs that their child may have and children have the opportunity to explore the setting. This is done as close to a child’s start date as is reasonable to ensure children are familiar with the setting when they start.
Where appropriate, a gentle start will be offered where a child attends for short periods that are gradually built up to a full session. Once a child is in the setting, the SENDCo is able to make any appropriate referrals and apply for additional support where needed. In some instances, applications for additional support may be completed prior to a child joining the setting.
Transition from Nursery to Reception
- New starters from Nursery, for both children who have attended our nursery and those who have not, are provided with the opportunity to attend a parent open information event prior to their child moving to Reception.
For children in our Nursery, weekly transition sessions are planned in at the end of the Summer term. This enables our children to become familiar with the staff and Reception setting. For children who have either attended a different nursery, or may not have attended nursery at all, invitations to these transition sessions are sent out to ensure all children have the same opportunity for a gentle and full transition.
How we support children with SEND moving between classes in our school
- Teachers work closely together within school to relay information and will also meet with the SENDCo and other professionals where appropriate to ensure all relevant information is transferred and that work will be pitched at an appropriate level.
All classes take part in a ‘Moving Up’ morning where they have an opportunity to meet their new teacher and explore their new classroom environment.
Where required, additional resources can be put in place, for example a transition booklet can be prepared to help children become familiar with their new environment and new teaching team. Every child with SEND is treated as an individual and their transition needs can vary greatly. Careful consideration is given to appropriate levels of transition for an individual child.
How we support children with SEND leaving our school
- When children leave our school – either moving on to their Secondary education or relocation – we ensure that additional transition visits are facilitated in line with the needs of the individual child. While one child may thrive on additional transition visits, for another child this could lead to feelings of anxiety and being overwhelmed by their next step. With this in mind, transition opportunities and visits are decided in collaboration with the parent/ carer, the child (where appropriate), the teaching team, SENDCo and relevant staff from the new school. We liaise closely with staff in the child’s new school and provide open communication at any point should the school require any further insight into the child.
Can my child move to a Special School Provision?
- Children with SEND that have been issued with an Educational, Health and Care Plan can attend South Hetton Primary School or consider a place in a special school provision if it is felt that this may be appropriate. This can be done at any point within a child’s education and would require a full EHCP review to request special school provision.
If you wish to discuss your child’s SEND needs, please contact the SENDCo, Mrs Hill.
For further support, independent from school, please contact the local SENDIASS team.
