A secondary school environment is very different to primary school and there are many additional demands on children. Schools are generally much larger, and unlike primary where they stay in a classroom and with their teachers, they will have multiple classrooms and teachers. There is an expectation that your child will become more independent in their learning and be responsible for managing their timetable and getting themselves around the school.
This is a big change for any child, but can be particularly challenging for a child with spina bifida or hydrocephalus who may have difficulty with planning and organisational skills or may tire easily when moving around a large school. Gaining the right support and forward planning is key to your child having a positive experience of secondary education.
Here are 10 tips to help you and your child make the right choice at this important time.
Make a list of what your child likes or really dislikes about their current school. This might include subjects on offer, class sizes, the layout of the school or concerns about transport to/from school. As a parent, you probably already know these things, but it can be a good way to involve your child fully in the process. Person-centred planning has your child at its heart, focusing on what matters to each child or young person and their family, and is key to decision-making during the process of changing schools.
Some children who have difficulty expressing choices may prefer visuals, such as using pictures to sort into lists of likes and dislikes.
The Autumn Term is the time of year when secondary schools have Open Days or Evenings but you can often gain a better idea about a school by arranging a visit during normal school hours.
If there aren’t any schools which can meet your child’s needs within your area, look further afield. Many children whose SEND (special educational needs or disabilities) cannot be met within their local area are educated in another local authority.
If possible, talk to other parents of children with SEND who go to the schools. Make a list of questions with your child and ask for meetings with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) so you can discuss your child’s needs and ask any questions you may have.
As with the Primary Schools Admission Process you are not choosing a single school, instead you are listing the schools you would like your child to attend. If your child has SEN Support then your Local Authority Admissions Guide will explain how to apply and lists the admissions criteria for schools in your area.
If your child is one of 3% of children who have an Education, Health and Care plan then the admissions process for secondary school will follow the EHC plan route. The charity IPSEA has guidance on EHC plans and parental preference of school.
Collect as many professional assessments as you can because the local authority and schools will rely on evidence in order to plan for your child’s needs. Also, document everything such as phone-calls, meetings, emails, notes and reports regarding your child’s education and health needs.
If you don’t have all of these you can request a full unedited copy of your child’s school file from their current school. You can also contact your local authority and ask how to request a copy of your child’s file from them.
Make sure your share relevant information so it is a three-way communication where the current school, the new school and you as a family can make contact.
Good transition planning gives a clear handover to a new educational setting and their services so that your child and you will feel confident in who you are working with and where you need to go in need of help.
It may help your child to have a full map of the school, which details where toilets and classrooms are. If it will help your child, ask for a list of school staff, their roles, names and, if needed, their photos. Request a detailed timetable for your child to have before starting school. Daily checklists and a list of the school rules may help to ease anxiety around the transition. It may be appropriate to have photos of the classrooms and other areas of the school to make your child a social story that they can refer to in order to reduce any anxiety.
See our Guide to Transition for more information.
Effective support can really assist your child in a new school, especially if they do not have an Education, Health and Care plan.
If your child has SEN Support rather than an EHC plan, then see Shine’s Guide to SEN Support for more information about how support may need to be enhanced at different times in your child’s school life.
Ask the class teacher and SENDCo for regular meetings to plan targets and to discuss what is working well or not so well. If your child has SEN Support then these meetings are usually every term.
If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan then meetings with your child’s SENDCo may be more often.
Many secondary schools make ‘personal passports’ with brief descriptions about teaching and learning styles, health alerts or photos of something a child likes, dislikes or needs help with. Some passports contain passes for visiting the toilet or for other additional needs.
Medical Alert cards are also useful in a big school environment where not all teachers and support staff will know your child or their needs.
At the end of Key Stage 2, your child is about to enter what is sometimes referred to as Early Stage Transition 12-14 years. This is seen by many parents and carers as a good time to introduce your child to self-advocacy, where a child or young person starts to take charge of describing their own condition, learning to speak up for themselves and making their own decisions about their own life.
This can be a worry for parents at first but, with support, many children and young people learn about their rights, responsibilities, who to turn to and how to take charge of their own needs.
Disability Rights UK have a wealth of information on why self advocacy is so important, and how to do it
Preparation is key to finding the right secondary school for your child. If you need help or advice during different stages of your child’s education, you can contact Shine firstcontact@shinecharity.org.uk or phone us on 01733 555 988
There’s also Contact’s SEND helpline, funded by the Department for Education, offering advice about education.
Schools may also need advice during Transition stages so a useful guide can be found at Nasen, the National Association for Special Educational Needs.
When visiting a school you may wish to use Shine’s School Visit Checklist and add any further questions specific to your child’s needs.
Downloadable resources
