Parent Hub sessions for transition advice - Physical and Medical Team

Please pass on the following information to parents:

The Physical & Medical Team Specialist Teachers are pleased to offer Parent Hub Sessions on Monday 23^rd May 2022.

These are 30 minute 1:1 slots that can be booked for you to speak to a Specialist Teacher; they are available to you if your child has Physical/Medical needs and is:

• in Nursery about to transition to Reception

• in Year 5 considering options for Secondary school

• in Year 6 about to transition to Secondary school.

It is open for parents of children about to transition who have physical or medical needs who attend mainstream schools or nurseries. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide advice in these sessions for children who have sensory processing difficulties or needs in relation to an autism diagnosis.

Advice will be available for all matters relating to transition:  equipment, accessibility, hygiene, care plans/ risk assessments and any other considerations there may be for your child when transitioning to a new setting.

The sessions will be either via telephone or Whatsapp video call.

Please email julie.vaughan@bradford.gov.uk for more details and to book your place.

Please see below our transition advice for schools and parents:

Y6 Transition Guidance for Primary SENDCOs

For all children with Physical & Medical difficulties with or without an EHCP

It is important that parents are able to make a fully informed choice about the secondary school they would like their child to attend in Y7 September 2023.

This choice has to be made by October 2022 and as such we strongly recommend that parents who have children with a Physical and/or Medical condition have the information which will enable them to make an informed choice with regards to the secondary school they chose for their child, and its suitability in terms of it being able to meet the needs of their child.

We have had incidences where schools have been allocated and subsequently have been found to be not appropriate.   A consequence of this could be a delay in starting school whilst a more appropriate setting is found, and there are no guarantees that this would be a preferred school.

We would advise that parents make contact with secondary SENDCOs in the summer term their child is in Yr5.  Each secondary school will have their own protocols for parents who wish to seek advice around transition.  Both primary and secondary SENDCOs will talk to parents and reassure them that support will be available for them to make the correct choices for their child.

Areas which need to be considered:

1. Summer Term Year 5/ Early Autumn Term Y6.

Children with an EHCP: 

• Hold a Review meeting, either annual or early review, and discuss possible preferences for Secondary Schools.
• Include any preferences within the review paperwork.
• If a change of setting to Special School or a School Led Resourced provision is being considered, please discuss this with your Senior Education Officer as soon as possible as the appropriate paperwork will need to be submitted to Panel at the earliest opportunity, in order for it to be considered.
• Arrange to speak the SENDCO or Inclusion Coordinator of the Secondary School.
• It will be useful for the Secondary SENDCO to have sight of a copy of the child’s Education, Health Care Plan and or any Care Plan.

 Children without an EHCP:

•  Hold a transition meeting with parents.
• The Physical & Medical Team can advise on the accessibility of most Secondary Schools.

All children with or without an EHCP

• If you are unsure about the accessibility of preferred schools, the Physical & Medical Team can advise on the accessibility of most Secondary Schools.
•  Arrange for parents to speak to the SENDCO or Inclusion Coordinator of the preferred secondary    

 schools.

• Schools have a legal obligation to make ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ to accommodate pupils, however in some schools, adaptations are not possible.
•  Where there are mobility difficulties or if the child is a wheelchair user, parents will need to discuss   

 specific issues such as fatigue levels/ wheelchair access etc. with the school’s SENDCO to make  

 sure the site is fully accessible for their child.

• If the child requires lift access, check this is available.
• If the child requires hygiene facilities and/or hoisting, check this is available.
• Discuss with the secondary school any additional support that may be needed to meet the child’s physical needs, particularly in relation to health and safety, writing/ access to ICT, PE, DT science labs etc. and movement around the building.

If significant building adaptations would be needed in order for your child to access all areas of the school, please involve the Physical & Medical Team as these often take time and may not always be feasible.

2. School Led Resourced Provision Places/ Special School

Some children will have a higher level of needs and may meet the criteria for a Resourced Provision (RP) place. Within the authority, Bradford Academy and Beckfoot School have a small number of School Led RP places each year for pupils who meet the relevant criteria.

The  Physical & Medical Team will be able to advise further whether the pupil would meet the criteria for a RP Place.

• There are also Resource Provisions for other needs e.g. Learning and Cognition, ASD. These will have different eligibility criteria.
• If a Special School place is sought, please involve other professionals such as Educational Psychology as soon as possible as their advice will be needed when the application goes to the SEND Panel.

3. Applying for a place using the common application form

• • Include all relevant information about the physical/ medical condition.
• SENDCOs should ensure that parents do not apply for schools which are not able to meet their child’s needs.
• SENDCOs should actively encourage parents to speak to the secondary SENDCOs of their preferred schools to talk about accessibility and if needed, they should be supported with this conversation.

For children with an EHCP: 

• Parents can specify which school they would like their child to attend (dependent upon it being able to meet their child’s needs) but they still need to talk to the SENDCO before making any decisions.
• The SEND team will consult preferred schools to see whether they can meet need.
• Transport for children with physical and medical conditions will only usually be provided to the nearest school which can meet their needs, regardless of whether or not it is named on their EHCP. Transport should be applied for through School Transport at Margaret McMillan Towers, only after a school place has been allocated.

4. Places are allocated Spring Term Year 6 (usually February)

           Once schools have been allocated in Year 6, SENDCOs will need to:

• Hold a Review meeting, either annual or interim, during the early part of the summer term in Y6.
• Arrange a transition meeting with the secondary school and their school nurse (if appropriate), along with any relevant health professionals to discuss medical needs.
• Flag up any training the receiving school will need to organise before September. For children with an EHCP, this will often be included in their Review meeting.
• Share the child’s current medical care plan (where applicable) with the receiving school.