Transition | Oxfordshire Schools

Transition support aims to provide guidance and tools to promote a successful transition for all learners in Oxfordshire, including vulnerable learners who may need an enhanced transition.

How transitions are managed is central to development and emotional well-being.

Principles for good transitions

A child or young person will experience many transitions during their education journey.

These changes may occur daily between their home and setting or between class and break.

Other transitions, such as a school or year group change, occur less frequently. How transitions are managed is central to the child or young person's development and emotional well-being.

This will significantly impact the child's or young person's capacity to cope with change in the short and long term.

1. Early Years transition

Smooth transitions within the Early Years Foundation Stage depend on all professionals' commitment to developing positive communication links.

A shared approach between professionals is important to promote continuity for all children experiencing transitions between settings.

Twelve months preceding transfer to school

Transition planning is a continuous and evolving process that can be adapted to meet the individual child's needs.

Activities like joint meetings between settings, childminders, and school staff can be ongoing throughout the year.

Transition planning is a continuous and evolving process that can be adapted to meet the individual child's needs.

Activities like joint meetings between settings, childminders and school staff can be ongoing throughout the year.

Early Years SEND transition training

Autumn 1: September/October (before starting school)

Allow for a settling-in period in the setting.
Review the transition process for children who have just started.

Autumn 2: November/December

Continue to establish close links with the main feeder setting/school.
Talk to parents about the school admissions process.

Spring 1: January

Check that parents/carers have completed the school admission form.

Spring 2: March/April

Before school allocation dates, Early Years settings to update all paperwork in partnership with parents/carers for children in their setting who will require enhanced transition support.
After the school allocation date, Schools and settings should start arranging transition plan meetings for children with additional needs/vulnerabilities.

SEND Transition Top Up Funding starting Reception Classes

In some cases, for children with high-level special educational needs who don't have an EHCP or where a complete understanding of the child's long-term needs may still be emerging, additional resources may be required in addition to element 1 and 2 funding to support their transition to school.

The aim of SEND transition funding is to enable schools to provide effective support so that the child can settle successfully and there is time for the school to get to know the child and their family and assess their needs within the school context.

Summer 1 and 2: May-July

School staff to visit early years settings.
Complete the early years' paperwork in the transition pack and share this with parents. Attend induction visits to school with parents/carers and/or setting staff.
Early years summary/transfer form sent to school.
Add extra transition visits for late-notice families

Autumn 1: September/October (starting school)

Allow timely settling-in period and evaluation process.

All guidance is taken from the early years foundation stage transition pack.

2. Transition between primary and secondary school

The transition between primary and secondary school guidance should be used by settings to ensure effective support and coordinated planning, to assist in the successful transition of pupils between primary and secondary school.

Primary settings responsibilities

As a school, consider the provision for vulnerable learners at a universal, targeted, and individual level. The educational psychology service's good practice guidance ‘promoting well-being in schools' may be a useful tool to support reflection and planning.

Start of year 5:

Staff in the primary school who know the pupils well should use the year 5/6 screening tool for transition (section 3) to identify pupils who may need extra support during the transition to secondary school (an 'enhanced transition’).
For each pupil identified, plan and implement strategies to teach the skills the pupil will need for a positive transition. Try using the transition: thinking ahead form (section 5). This identifies strengths and areas to develop to implement strategies early on.

Supporting documents include tips for transitioning vulnerable learners (Appendix B) and helpful transition documents for vulnerable learners (Appendix A).

Term 2 of year 6:

Review the children identified in the year 5/6 screening tool and update accordingly.
Primary transition lead to contact secondary transition lead
Begin collating information on identified pupils to share with the secondary school. Try using the information on pupils needing an enhanced transition form (section 7).

Term 4 of year 6:

Finish collating information on identified pupils using the information on pupils needing an enhanced transition form (section 7). Once school places are known, send forms to secondary schools.

Send forms to secondary schools once school places are known.

Term 5 of year 6:

As soon as possible, meet with secondary staff and parents for each vulnerable learner to agree on a joint action plan for transition.

Use the following to support this planning:

Supporting documents include the enhanced transition action plan, tips for transitioning vulnerable learners, helpful transition documents for vulnerable learners, and special educational needs support in Oxfordshire schools and settings.

Term 1 of year 7:

Build in time to reflect on the transition process between primary and secondary schools and plan adjustments for the following year.

3. Secondary settings responsibilities

As a school, consider the provision for vulnerable learners at a universal, targeted and individual level. The educational psychology service's good practice guidance promoting school well-being may be valuable for supporting reflection and planning.

Term 1-2 of year 6:

As early as possible, the secondary transition lead should start making links with primary schools, e.g., visiting schools, inviting primary schools to attend events at the secondary school, etc.

Term 5 of year 6:

Once the information on pupils needing an enhanced transition form (section 7) has been received and discussed, begin bespoke transition plans.
Plan meetings with primary staff and parents to agree on a joint action plan for each vulnerable learner.

Term 1 of year 7:

Continue bespoke transition plans; monitor, adjust, and review the enhanced transition action plan (section 7) as required. Monitor individual learners and review support regularly, e.g., every 3-6 weeks.
Build in time to reflect on the transition process between primary and secondary schools and plan adjustments for the following year.

Transition support documents

The transition support documents aim to provide guidance and tools to promote a successful primary to secondary transition for all learners in Oxfordshire, including vulnerable learners who may need an enhanced transition.