Real world transition

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When planning your child’s education post-16, start early and be realistic.

The first thing to do, when considering your child with SEN’s transition from secondary school, is to begin the process as early as possible, ideally in Year 9. You will need time to assess the future you want for your child (and what s/he wants), time to travel around and see what is available, and time to find (and sometimes chase) the professionals who should be there to help you.

Try to remember that although you will have the clearest possible understanding of your child’s needs, we have to live in the real world and, in the main, make choices from the options which actually exist in it. Facilities cannot be conjured from nothing, at least not quickly and easily. The seemingly impossible might take some of the time you gave yourself by starting your search early.

If you are considering an educational placement, sit down and think about what you are really seeking for your child. Create a list of essential, non-negotiable things that the placement must provide, and another of things you would like but which are not deal-breakers.

There are many different types of provision available post-16, and the choice of which one is right for your child will involve careful examination of the options.

Mainstream sixth forms

These are not just for young people who’ve been educated in a mainstream school to Year 11. Even if you didn’t choose a mainstream school at secondary transfer, look again now. Things won’t have stood still for the last five years. Sixth form classes are usually smaller and pupils often don’t have to be in school all day and every day. Sixth formers often have their own learning suite or block, with a calmer, more focussed atmosphere, and they rarely have to wear a uniform.

Many academies set a high standard for entry, sometimes four B grades at GCSE. However, local authority (LA) maintained schools, where teaching standards and facilities can be just as high, often ask for less. Be warned though, the non-A level offer might be quite restricted.

Specialist colleges can offer huge expertise in SEN.Special school sixth forms

If your child has been educated in a special school that has a sixth form, it is likely that s/he will be offered a place there, unless there is some very clear reason – volatile or dangerous behaviour, for example – why the school may not wish to offer an education beyond the statutory minimum school-leaving age.

You do, of course, have the right to consider other schools but if your child has been reasonably happy, has made reasonable progress and has had his/her needs met there up until Year 11, it is unlikely that the LA will agree to a change unless your child has been learning at an out-of-county or boarding school, when the LA will want you to reconsider its own local offer. This can be very stressful for parents. They may have fought to get their child into the school in the first place and may now face the prospect of having to fight all over again to keep him/her there.

Independent special school sixth forms

Some local authorities do not have many (or any) maintained special schools. Of those that do exist, some do not have 6th forms. Not all independent special schools have 6th forms. If they do and you feel that one or two might meet your child’s needs post-16, go along and visit. Check the school against your lists of criteria. Do not commit to an assessment at the school until the LA SEN Panel has agreed to send the school your child’s papers to consider. It is, therefore, particularly important to carry out these visits before the Year 11 annual review (or before the Year 10 review, if possible). Try to get the Year 11 annual review arranged early in the autumn term. Sometimes, these schools have few places available and the process of seeking the LA’s agreement to amend a statement to name an expensive post-16 option can take time, even if they agree that it is appropriate.

Further education (FE) colleges

Local colleges have an enormous range of courses for an enormous range of students. People of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, genders and abilities are there, embarking on their personal journeys to untold different destinations. Colleges can look large, lively and even a little intimidating from the outside, but get past security and inside the walls and different possibilities can open up. There are some excellent lecturers, committed support staff, and a whole range of support mechanisms, equipment and enabling facilities available. Students can be met at the door and accompanied to classes, be supported or supervised in unstructured times, get access to therapies, or receive specific help with things such as note-taking, dyslexia support and counselling.

A student with SEN can access academic or vocational courses alongside other students, or join courses specifically designed for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These offer routes to further study or employment, or aim to encourage independence, basic living skills, awareness of the community and its facilities, and self-care. They usually build upon the courses students have followed at school. Indeed, school students often take part in link courses at local colleges one day a week, so that they can become familiar with the environment.

As statements of SEN lapse when the student leaves the school system (something that will change with the introduction of personal education, health and care plans in the forthcoming Children’s and Families Bill), access to local FE courses does not depend upon a decision by any LA SEN Panel. The LA does have a duty, however, to provide a learning disability assessment (LDA), sometimes called a Section 139a, that informs FE colleges of a student’s support and learning needs and which must recommend a course. This cannot be sent to the FE college without the student’s signed permission, and it is good practice for it to be prepared after consultation with the school, parents and supporting professionals, to ensure accuracy. The document is usually drawn up by an officer from Connexions (or its successor body).

Some courses fill up very quickly and colleges usually like to have applications in by the end of January, but it is worthwhile checking the position later on. Getting the advice of teachers and professionals at the annual review is generally helpful but, as there is no need for an amended statement, there is no need to wait for the annual review for visits, assessments and offers of places.

Independent specialist providers (ISPs)

Specialist advice is particularly helpful when approaching this sector. Your adviser will often have visited the colleges or have students who have passed through them. It is very important indeed that you listen to the advice and keep your adviser in touch with your progress. The LA has the duty to provide the LDA and it is usually the professional adviser from Connexions that does this work. The LDA requires your signature before it can be shared, so it is very important to review it carefully. Make sure it covers all areas of your child’s needs that will have to be met if funding decision-makers are to get a realistic picture and a placement is to work.

Your professional adviser should explain the local funding process and give you some idea of whether funding will be available, as well as the timescale for accessing it. It can be a very complex area with some tough criteria to meet and a strong presumption that local provision should be, or should be made, appropriate. Budgets are under great pressure; allocations for many local authorities have been cut drastically and some very harsh decisions are being faced as a result. You can waste a good deal of time and money travelling to unsuitable or inappropriate colleges.

Advisers can vary in terms of their expertise and experience and, as a result of budget and management pressure, perhaps in terms of the degree of their impartiality. If you feel the need, you can employ the services of a private independent consultant. The involvement of the appropriate social services team may also be needed, if transport or any exceptional care funding is required.

ISPs usually have considerable experience and expertise in working with the young people with whom they specialise. Some ISPs are quite large, with quite a broad range of students and a wide variety of courses. Others may be very small indeed, with perhaps just 20 students, all having very specific complex needs or disabilities. There is almost certainly a specialist college out there that can meet the needs of any student to one extent or another, and provide a safe and positive experience.

Once again, it is very important to be clear about exactly what your requirements are, especially when considering residential provision, where students spend a great deal more time with care staff (who may not be well-paid) than they do with any individual teacher. As with any college, all the staff need to be properly trained; they need to be engaged with the students and treat them with respect. Communication with home needs to be good; visits should be welcomed, and complaints procedures should be more than mere defence mechanisms.

Sometimes, ISPs have link arrangements with FE colleges in their area, and students spend a day or more being supported to access the much broader range of courses available there. It is essential to be clear about who provides what support and in what circumstances, though.

If, after consulting your professional adviser, you visit an ISP and it meets your criteria, you can apply and your child will be invited for an assessment, usually over two days. If the college can meet his/her needs and provide an appropriate course, they will write to make a formal offer of a place, subject to funding being agreed. If you are happy with the offer, write back and accept it. Forward a copy of your acceptance letter to your LA professional adviser from Connexions (or its successor team). S/he will use it as part of the funding process and add it to the ISP’s assessment and funding paperwork when it is received. S/he will combine this paperwork with the LDA and take it through the decision making process – usually a funding panel. There are mechanisms for appeal but hopefully, if everyone has done their homework and preparation, you’ll get a positive outcome.

Finding the right placement

My advice, then, is to start planning for transition from school at Year 9. Recognise that it is likely to be a long and sometimes stressful process. Give yourself time and seek advice. Draw up and use lists of essential and desirable criteria. Keep in touch with your adviser and social worker, if you have one. They can be vital in the initial transition and subsequently in seeking appropriate living arrangements and care options.

Be prepared for setbacks and dead ends in your search, but try to remain resilient and determined. The outcomes of the right post-16 placements can be astonishing, helping young people to become more independent and preparing them for their next steps into whatever the adult world has to offer them.

Further information

Terry Miles works as a Special Needs Team Manager in a local authority Connexions service in South London. He has worked in careers guidance, information and advice, sometimes in very senior management positions, since 1982. Terry blogs at:
www.reflectivepractice.me

Details of local FE colleges can be found at:
www.ucasprogress.com

Information about independent specialist providers can be found at:
www.natspec.org.uk

Terry Miles
Author: Terry Miles

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