Transition
Post-16 Transition
Post-16 Transition – Moving schools, settings or into Adulthood
Transition is a word that is used a lot in SEND. It simply means moving from one setting, stage or phase of education to another.
Examples of transitions for young people are: Moving from secondary school to post-16 education and from post-16 education to adulthood.
Transition can also be used in a more general sense to talk about daily changes such as the transition from home to college each morning or moving classrooms between lessons. Any change or move is considered a transition of some kind.
For many children and young people with SEND, changes and moving places can be a challenge so it is important that careful planning is put in place as early as possible. There are lots of strategies, techniques and support that can be given to help children and young people with SEND manage change and adjust to their new environments.
Please use the resources and website links below to help you and your young person to a smooth transition.
If you require any transition information or support please contact Charlotte Strugnell by email c.strugnell@hollywater.hants.sch.uk or phone the school office on 01420 474396
College and further education opportunities
Mainstream further education (FE) colleges
Mainstream colleges offer a wide range of courses to suit all levels of learning. For example:
- Academic courses (A Levels, GCSE’s).
- Vocational courses (such as BTECS) and foundation learning.
- “Stepping stone” courses in Maths and English.
- Courses which combine study with on - the- job training or work experience; Supported Internships
- “Life skills” courses to help young people prepare for adult life, work and participating in the community.
You and your son or daughter will receive information and advice about suitable courses in good time to make the right decision. As well as getting information from the school, also check the post-16 section of your local authority’s Local Offer site Hampshire Local Offer Colleges. The National Careers Service might also be useful.
This discussion will be part of their annual review from Year 9. Your child’s needs and wishes are important.
Once your child has chosen a suitable college, we work with the new setting to ensure a smooth transition into the next stage of their study.
What support is available at college?
Mainstream further education (FE) colleges support students with special educational needs in a similar way to schools. There should be a named person in overall charge of SEN provision, similar to the school special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), and the college must make sure that students with SEN know who they can go to for help.
Extra help your child receives should be detailed in a SEN support plan. The college should involve your child in planning their support and keep records of the additional support given and progress made. This should be reviewed at least three times a year with your child and where appropriate, your family. Colleges should refer to specialist services for further advice and support, for example from education psychologists.
Young people who need more help than a mainstream FE college will have their required support outlined in their EHC plan.
Many young people with SEN will also be disabled. Under the Equality Act 2010, mainstream FE colleges must do everything they reasonably can to remove all the barriers to learning for disabled students.
Support might include:
- Accessible information, like symbol-based materials.
- Mentoring.
- Assistive technology, specialist tuition or note-takers.
- One-to-one and small group learning support.
- Access to therapies.
- Housing/independent living training.
Specialist further education (FE) colleges
A specialist further education college provides education for young people with SEN only. Some have residential facilities and provide what is commonly called a “waking day” or “24-hour” curriculum. Some specialist colleges help their students to attend courses in mainstream colleges.
Your son or daughter would need an EHC plan to go to a specialist college. You or your child can ask the local authority to name a specialist college in their EHC plan following the annual review. The local authority may refuse your request on the grounds of cost, and it may be necessary to show that there are no alternative cheaper education options available.
For more information about asking for a specialist college to be named in an EHCP, see our webpage Applying for a school place.
Other education and training options
Education does not have to be all classroom based learning in a school or college. There are also training options, which give a young person the chance to experience a workplace and develop the skills they will need in a particular job while continuing to study.
Apprenticeships
A programme that combines study towards qualifications with paid-on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are open to young people over 16 with or without EHC plans, and they can lead to qualifications from GCSE level up to degree or diploma level.
Apprenticeship providers receive funding for all young people, and the amount is increased for a young person with an EHC plan.
You can search for an apprenticeship at https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Traineeships
This is a programme that helps young people gain skills to get a job or apprenticeship. It includes work experience and study. Traineeships are unpaid and usually last for six months or less.
The programme is aimed at young people between 16-24, with or without an EHC plan, who have qualifications below level 3. Young people who do not have GCSE grade C or above in Maths and English will need to work towards this. You can search for a traineeship at gov.uk/find-traineeship. More information on traineeships should be available from your local FE college or the National Careers Service.
The STEP programme
Hampshire run The STEP programme which offers support for those who are aged 15-24 and who have struggled to find a post 16 placement. The programme is designed to develop employability skills, interpersonal skills and provide opportunities to gain qualifications in various subject areas. Participants will be encouraged to progress into Education, Employment, a Traineeship or an Apprenticeship.
Supported internship
This is a workplace training and study programme open to young people with EHC plans aged between 16- 24. It is unpaid, based mainly at an employer and lasts for at least six months. The aim is to enable the intern to take up paid employment at the end of the internship, which could be with the same employer. Local colleges will usually offer these to those 18 or over, after achieving accreditations at college.
The intern follows a personalised programme, which includes on-the-job training and support from a work coach and which could include studying for qualifications such as Maths and English if appropriate.
A young person would usually need to apply to a supported internship through an FE college. The college will have links with suitable employers who can offer placements
Open events at colleges happen throughout the year. Please see the individual college websites for dates and registering details for these events.
College Links
Basingstoke College of Technology
Transport
There is no automatic eligibility for Hampshire County Council funded home to school transport after the age of 16. Parents and carers are responsible for making travel arrangements and consider how the student will travel to and from their placement before applying for and accepting a place.
To contact the Transport Team, email school.transport@hants.gov.uk or phone 01962 846924.
Hampshire Transport Information
Useful Links
Life Choices & Support into Adulthood
Post-19 Transition
Post-19 Transition – Moving schools, settings or into Adulthood
Transition is a word that is used a lot in SEND. It simply means moving from one setting, stage or phase of education to another.
Examples of transitions for young people are: Moving from secondary school to post-16 education and from post-19 education to adulthood.
Transition can also be used in a more general sense to talk about daily changes such as the transition from home to college each morning or moving classrooms between lessons. Any change or move is considered a transition of some kind.
For many children and young people with SEND, changes and moving places can be a challenge so it is important that careful planning is put in place as early as possible. There are lots of strategies, techniques and support that can be given to help children and young people with SEND manage change and adjust to their new environments.
Please use the resources and website links below to help you and your young person to a smooth transition.
If you require any transition information or support please contact Maria Butcher by email m.butcher@hollywater.hants.sch.uk or phone the school office on 01420 474396