Transfer between places of education for pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) must be reviewed before a child or young person moves between key phases of education.
This needs to be done in time for:
- any amendments to the EHCP to be agreed and;
- planning for and, where necessary, commissioning of support and provision
Key transfer points include movement between:
- early years and primary school
- infant and junior school
- primary school and secondary school
- secondary school and post 16 provision, work, college or university
- Elective Home Education and school
It is equally important to have a smooth transition from:
- class to class
- key stage to key stage
- setting to school
For children transferring into or between schools the review must be completed by 15 February in the calendar year of the transfer.
The review deadline for young people moving from secondary school to a post-16 institution or apprenticeship, is 31 March in the calendar year of transfer.
In preparation for the transfer an annual review meeting is held in the autumn term. The review gathers all relevant information about:
- the pupil's current needs and;
- the provision they require
An amended draft EHCP is then issued. Parent carers and the child or young person are given the opportunity to:
- respond to the draft plan and contribute their views
- confirm their preferred educational setting to be named in the Plan
The SEND Team will consult with the preferred setting before a final amended EHCP is issued.
Once the new setting is confirmed transition planning should begin.
Questions families can ask setting staff before, during and after transitions:
- will there be a transition plan? How will we be involved in this as a family?
- how are our views gathered, used and recorded?
- what extra opportunities will my child have to support a smooth transition?
- what documentation is kept and how is this managed?
- how will the effectiveness of the transition plan and additional support be reviewed?
- what do we expect the impact to be?
- what strategies will be used?
- how can we support at home?
- what support services will be involved and how?
- what are the timescales for paperwork being passed to the new setting?
- how will support be reviewed so we know it is making a difference?
- who do we need to speak to if there is a question or difficulty?