Guide to help children with SEN move from primary to secondary school

Primary school children with SEN statements and their parents, can find the move to senior school a hugely overwhelming time.

The change from familiar surroundings and people to a whole new and much larger school can create huge levels of anxiety for the child and leave parents incredibly stressed.

Department for Education figures show that more than half of pupils with statements will go on to mainstream secondary education.

To help children make the transition, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has launched guidelines based on a project to support pupils.

Moving On to Secondary School is three new guides for parents, teachers and year 6 pupils to make the change as easy as possible.

The guides were developed from the real experiences of Year 7 pupils, their parents, teachers and SENCOs.

Research Programme Manager at the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, Jill Davies, said: “By working with pupils to identify small, achievable steps in the journey, parents, teachers and SENCOs can work harmoniously to bring a greater sense of belonging to the school community and a positive impact on confidence and self-esteem for even the most vulnerable children.”

The guide can be downloaded for free here: www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/publications