Q14: How will the school prepare and support my child when joining the school and transferring to a new year group or school?

We aim to make times of transition as easy as possible for the children and young people in our school. We encourage all new children to visit the school prior to starting when they will meet their class teacher and peers and be shown around the school. For children with SEND we would encourage further visits to assist with the acclimatisation of the new surroundings. We may also visit them in their current school.

When starting at our school we:

  • Meet with the child or young person and their parents to talk about their needs and answer any questions about our school. This includes a home visit in Reception.
  • Correspond with staff at the child or young person’s previous school or setting.
  • Read reports from people who have worked with the child or young person.
  • Arrange visits to our school so the child or young person gets to see it before they start properly e.g. through a ‘shared lunch’ and story time.
 
Moving to a new year group we:

  • Introduce the child or young person to their new teacher individually.
  • Provide the children with the opportunity to spend a day in their new class, with their new teacher (hand over day) at the end of the summer term.
  • We write social stories with children if transition is potentially going to be difficult.
  • Depending on the individual needs, we provide the child or young person with an updated transition book that has photographs of the key staff and areas around school to look at during the school holidays.
  • Talk to the child or young person and their family so we can answer any questions they may have about the new year group.
  • Give any adults working with the child or young person a copy of any relevant paperwork, such as Pupil Profiles, describing the things that help to support them in school.
 
Moving to a new secondary school:

  • Hold a Pupil Profile transition review and invite key staff from the new school.
  • Talk to key staff at the new school about things that help the child or young person to learn well and be happy at school.
  • Arrange extra visits to the new school with a member of staff from our school if that is what the child or young person wants.
  • Talk to the child or young person and their family so we can answer any questions they may have about the new school.
  • Transfer relevant documents.
 
At our ‘feeder’ secondary school, Bishop Walsh, they run a programme specifically tailored to aid transition for the more vulnerable pupils. The SENCo at Bishop Walsh is Mrs B Dunphy. She can be contacted through enquiry@bishopwalsh.net