When is the right time to start planning?

A good time to begin planning for your child’s entry into secondary school is the Autumn Term of Year 5 at primary school. You may want to consider the secondary schools available in your area and arrange to visit to see for yourself what is on offer at individual schools. If your child has a statement you may want to talk with staff at the Year 5 Annual Review.

Choosing a school is very much an individual preference. It will depend on a number of factors specific to your child and your own circumstances. For example: the size, stairs, distance and the Special Educational Needs provision.

There will undoubtedly be different opinions on schools which may have better facilities than others. It is useful to arrange to visit the schools you are interested in, keep an open mind and make a note of specific questions you wish to ask. This will help give you a better understanding of what individual schools offer and will help you make an informed choice.

In Year 6 you will be sent a preference form asking you to name preferred schools. November in Year 6 is the deadline for returning this form.

When you hear about school places - if your preferred school is not offered there is a deadline for forms to be completed for your case to be reviewed. Contact Parent Partnership Service if you would like information about appeals.

Choosing a school

You may find it helpful to look at the Ofsted report for a school by going to http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/
or phone 07002 637833 to ask if a printed copy is available.

You can also ask a school to send you information, which might include the special educational needs policy and anti-bullying policy.

You can go to open days or evenings or you can contact the school direct and arrange a visit. Contact the schools you are interested in and find out who is the best person to talk to about your child’s particular needs. You should also find out the name of the school Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

You may also want to consider:
• are you made welcome?
• do the staff you talk to seem interested in your child?
• are the other children positive about school, is there a friendly atmosphere?
• do the class rooms and the school environment seem calm and well organised?
• are other cultures and religions represented in the school?

 
Questions you may want to ask on a school visit.

What special needs provision does school provide? In class support, a small unit, in small groups?

Who can my child go to if they are worried about anything?

Does school specialise in a particular area, science, music?

Are the staff experienced/trained in additional needs?

How will my child be helped in school?

Can the school arrange additional visits before my child starts?

How will they find their way around school and will there be help with coping with different rooms and classes?

Is there a place at lunch/ break times where they will feel safe?

What happens when my child needs the toilet?

What can be done if my child has difficulties carrying their bag?

Timetables– can my child have a visual time table?

How will I be involved with their learning?

Does school have a buddy system?

Can my child access after-school clubs?

If your child has a statement

During Year 5, statemented children’s Annual Review should include information and some discussions about secondary school. Carefully consider your local schools, as your child is most likely to get a place at one of these schools. You and your child need to collect as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision about which school you would like your child to go to.

Before visiting the school, make a note of the things you want to talk about at the meeting. Take your child’s statement and the last annual review reports. When visiting a school, think about how the school can meet your child’s particular needs. If you have questions, talk to the school staff about what arrangements might be made.

In year 6 your child should come home with a booklet and an application form. Within this booklet there will be information about open evenings for the secondary schools within your area. Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have very informative websites on admission to secondary schools.

As your child has a statement then the SEN inclusion team at the Local Authority will be involved. By 15th February you will receive a proposed amended statement showing which secondary schools are being asked to consider your child for a school place. Please check the proposed statement carefully and contact the SEN inclusion team within 15 days if you have any questions or comments. Parent Partnership Service, school and the Local Authority can provide more information and will be able to offer you more guidance.

Teachers from your child’s primary school and the future secondary school should meet to plan the best way to help your child move from primary school to secondary school. Both schools should work closely with you to share information about your child. Your child will go on visits to the new school as part of their planned move.

Your child will start secondary school at the beginning of Year 7. After a period of settling in, if your child has a statement they their progress will be reviewed. If there are concerns, the school will be able to deal with these and look at adjusting the support provided if necessary. This may need to be done with consultation with the Local Authority.

Time-table for a child with a statement

Year 5

Annual Review - think about what help your child will need in a larger environment.

Start collecting information about Secondary Schools and arranging visits.

Year 6

Autumn term you are sent a booklet about schools with letter from SEN inclusion services and preference form.

You will be invited to local school Open Evenings.

November - deadline to return preference form with three choices.

January - The proposed amended statement is sent out. This shows which secondary school is being considered. If you do not agree then discuss with local authority.

February - The statement will be finalised naming the new school by 15th February. You may appeal the school or type of school named.

March onwards - Additional visits to the school may be arranged and you may wish to meet with SENCO to share information.

Who’s who in school

Some schools use different terms. If you aren’t sure you can ask who somebody is and what they do.

Dinner supervisor -
will work in the lunch room and may be involved if there are any issues about lunch or lunch-time activities.

Form Tutor –
responsible for a set of children in one year group (will take the register every day).

Governors –
committee responsible for governing the school. There should be a special educational needs governor.

Headteacher –
responsible for the whole school, may be involved particularly in issues around behaviour and discipline.

Head of Year –
responsible for all children in a particular year group, may be involved in decisions around behaviour and personal issues.
 
Learning Support Assistants/Individual Needs Assistants –
give extra help to children with special needs, individually or in groups.

Learning Support Teachers –
give extra tuition to children with special needs, working together with the class teacher and SENCO.

Office Staff –
day to day running of school administration, including dealing with absences and may organise meetings.

School Nurse –
responsible for routine health checks and healthcare advice.

Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) –
the member of staff responsible for special educational needs within the school.

Teaching assistants (TA) –
support and assist class teachers, may give extra help to children with special needs.

Teacher –
will usually teach one or two specialist subjects. May also have a form group, be head of year, or have special needs responsibilities.

Who’s who in education

Case Clerks and Education Officers –
work in the Inclusion team at the local Council dealing with the statutory assessment and statementing process.

Educational Psychologist –
advises on children's special educational needs and plays a key role in the statementing process.

Education Welfare Officers –
work with schools, children and parents on attendance problems.

Named Officer –
the officer in the SEN (Special Educational Needs) team at the Council who will deal with your child's case.

Outreach or Learning Support Teachers –
are based with learning support services or special schools. They travel from school to school working offering assessment and advice.

Parent Partnership Service Officer –
impartial, confidential service offering information and support to parents / carers of children with special educational needs.

Council –
responsible for children's services including education. Also known as the local authority or LA. It is responsible for deciding on statutory assessment and issuing statements.

Sharing what you know

You know your child best and will have important information you can share with the new form teacher and SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who will help support your child to settle in.

You can prepare information about your child’s strengths and interests, strategies that have worked well in the past, how you and others have been able to help, who else is involved with your child and which professionals have supported your child. CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), medical professionals, TAC (Team around the child process),etc.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice

Schools and local authorities have a duty to follow special educational needs procedures that are described in the government's SEN Code of Practice.

You can download a copy of this from the Education page on the Parent Partnership Service website
www.pps-shropshireandtelford.org.uk

or order one from the Department of Education by phoning
0845 60 222 60
 

Supporting your child

Many children can be anxious about the move to secondary school, but there are lots of ways in which you can help them prepare for this change during the previous year.

Have practice sessions going to the new school in Year 6.

Remind them that all the children in their year will be going through the same thing and will have similar worries.

Get them into routines. Work out with them when they need to get up in the morning to get to school on time.

Go through the journey with them so they know how long it takes and are familiar with the route. If there is a friend going to the same school, they could do this together.

Get school things ready the night before.

Have a copy of the timetable so you both know when certain equipment, books or sports kit are needed. Some children find it useful to have colour coded folders for individual lessons.

It may be useful to have a copy of the lunch menu, to make choices together.

Make sure your child knows who to contact both in school and at home, if there is a problem.

Settling In

Once your child has settled in their new secondary school you may wish to meet with school staff to discuss any issues which may have arisen, or to establish how your child is managing the changes.

Some commonly asked questions are: -
• How often does the school assess my child’s learning, how is this done?
• Has any significant information about my child been passed from primary school, is there any information which I could provide school which may help them identify appropriate support?
• My child was supported by school action/ school action plus/ a statement in their primary school, how will this continue in secondary school?
• How can I be involved in my child’s learning?
• What external support agencies are available to school.

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Parent Partnership Service - Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin
Telford & Wrekin CVS - Registered Charity Number 702589