Preparing for transition

A good transition into a setting will have a significant impact on those children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).  

It is important that you work in partnership with parents/carers and children in order to settle them into their new environment.  The list below outlines the key stages in preparing for transitioning a child into a setting.

1. Parents/carers registers child at Early Years setting
2. Parents/carers and child visit Early Years setting
3. Home visit (if possible)
4. Parents/carers invited to meet with Early Years setting
5. Pre-visits to the Early Years setting
6. Flexible and gradual start at the Early Years setting
7. Planned review
8. Related Information (Transition Document & Transition Timeline Checklist)

Home visit

Staff in the setting will arrange a home visit once they are in receipt of information about the child, if possible. This allows them to gather information about the child and enables the child to begin to form an attachment with the key person in a familiar setting to them. The staff will aim to gain a better understanding of the child’s likes and interests.

For parents/carers and children, a visit provides the opportunity to meet the key person in a safe environment where they feel confident and at ease. The visit provides the opportunity to establish early, positive contact, see children in their own familiar setting, meet other family members who are important to the child and understand the learning that goes on at home. It can also establish what equipment/resources/strategies are used at home.

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Invitation to a meeting

This meeting allows for the discussion of the transition into the setting. Ideally this should take place in the half term before the child is due to start to enable sufficient time for any plans or support to be put into place. Parents/carers or any professionals involved and the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) would be invited. The purpose of the meeting is to begin gathering information. This helps establish a further relationship with the family, to offer opportunity to raise concerns and to familiarise the family with the setting.

An 'All about me form' will be used to ensure that parents/carers share important information about their child. At this meeting a key worker would be appointed, a home visit arranged and a flexible transition action plan agreed.

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Transition Action Plan

The transition action plan is a tool by which any necessary adaptations can be identified, planned for and put into place before a child starts. This will be based on the information shared in the initial meeting. The plan will clearly set out what needs to be done, by whom and the time scale of any actions. A copy should be given to all those present at the meeting. See transition action plan (links to a download) for pro forma action plan.

This may involve identifying

• equipment and resources available in the setting
• equipment and resources that would be needed
• training that staff have had
• training that staff will need in order to support the child
• assigning a staff member to carry out a risk assessment
• a consideration of staffing ratios needed to support the child
• activities (planning and differentiating)
• self-care and medication needs of the child and their management
• agreeing a settling in plan with the Early Years provider/setting

It will be necessary to identify who could offer this support within the setting.

A key worker must be assigned to the child. The child may need a second keyworker assigned to support and manage personal care, medication administration and use of equipment. A transition booklet for children, which might include staff photographs, key areas, routines etc. could be provided to families to share with children before starting at the setting. During this preparation time training may be required to challenge stereotypes and promote positive attitudes amongst all children and staff.

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Pre-visits to the setting

Some children may already have a diagnosis or identified SEND. For others, this could be identified when attending the setting. It is therefore important for pre-visits to be made to the setting to help plan for the child’s start. This would be an opportunity for parents/carers to meet key worker/s and meet other staff and for the child to begin to become familiar with the setting.

This would also give staff opportunity to consider accessibility to different areas in the setting. There will be a plan to organise the environment so that it is suitable for those with SEND. This may include ensuring that activities are kept in well-defined areas or setting up space between activities to allow for wheelchair access; to reduce the occurrence of trip hazards; or to create support for those with visual difficulties (EYFS 3.55 & 3.56).

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Starting at the setting

There will be flexibility around attendance, length and frequency of sessions reflecting the needs of the individual child. A graduated start may be necessary where the child attends for a short period each day, or attend for a reduced number of days per week. This is based on the work of Ainsworth and Bowlby (1991) and their theory of attachment and the work of Emmi Pikler (2001, 2003).

1. Initially the child may need support from their parents/carers in the setting.
   During this time, the parents/carers should be available to support their child, easing the transition for their child from home to the setting as well as helping staff get to know the child.
2. The child spends time in the setting room whilst parents/carers are in another part of the building. Parents/carers and the key person will discuss when the child is ready for this step. This allows the child to explore the setting and have her or his needs met by the key person and the rest of the staff. This might be for quite a short period at first, and then for longer stretches of time. It is important that the parents/carers say clearly to their child that they will be leaving the setting room. It is also important that parents/carers do not leave the building without talking with the key person first.
3. Leaving the child at the setting independently will be discussed with parents/carers and the key worker when the child is ready. It will remain important for parents/carers to say goodbye to their child clearly and say when they will return, so that their child knows what is going on and can express how he or she feels about it. Some parents/carers find it easiest to set a limit on how long they will stay at dropping‐off time, for example “I’ll read two books with you and then it will be time for me to go.”

An example of the possible stages in the settling in process is illustrated in the table below: 

Some children will require a longer period  at some stages and this will require monitoring and discussion between setting staff and parents/carers.

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Planned review

A planned review can be used (which could be after 6 weeks or at another agreed time) to discuss how the settling in and transition process has been for parents/carers, staff and the child. This can also be an opportunity to fill in the SEN Early Years Support Plan six week review of development areas if required.

Some children will require an Educational Health Care Plan (EHC plan) to support their ability to be included within the setting and this is the responsibility of all Early Years practitioners to co-operate with this process.