Starting secondary school can be daunting for anyone, but for young people with additional needs, it can be terrifying. Going from one teacher and one classroom to suddenly having to navigate busy corridors and be taught by multiple teachers each day is often a real challenge.

And with the announcement in the recent schools White Paper of government proposals to review the level of support children receive at points of transition, this challenge looks set to intensify.

What can schools do in advance?

In an ideal world, the transition process would start at least a year ahead of time. In the summer term, get important transition dates in the diary for the forthcoming academic year - open evenings, transition days, and coffee mornings, for example - and share these with your primary colleagues.

Secondary Sendcos should take every opportunity to get to know their primary counterparts at feeder schools, through attending local authority events such as training and cluster groups.

Where primary schools are holding annual review meetings for Year 5 and 6 pupils, secondary Sendcos should ask to be present, or send someone in their place, such as a deputy or higher-level teaching assistant.

The White Paper cites an example of successful transition in which this type of support starts from Year 4. If you can do this, great, but bear in mind that not all parents and carers will have a clear idea of where they want to send their child at this stage.

During your school’s open days for prospective students and parents, ensure that the SEND team is well represented, ideally in a dedicated room with plenty of space to allow for frank conversations.

You should also be open to showing children with SEND and their families around the school at other times, and to do this more than once, if needed.

During visits, demonstrate the interventions you offer by displaying resources, photographs and samples of work (with students’ permission, of course). Talk about any bespoke key stage 4 pathways you offer, such as those that allow students to do fewer GCSE subjects.

Finally, it is a legal requirement that SEND Information Reports are updated annually, but you will be surprised by how many schools do not do this. Ensure yours is representative of what you actually offer, and double-check that the school website’s information about the SEND department is up to date.

What should I do towards the end of the year?

In the summer term, your preparations for transition should step up a gear. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Hold an additional transition day

A few days or weeks ahead of your whole-school transition day, it makes sense to hold an additional transition day for new students with SEND. This is a great opportunity for them to become familiar with each other and with key members of staff.

Keep the group small (no more than 15 students, ideally), and if your cohort is large, consider holding more than one additional day. You may wish to prioritise those students with an EHCP, those likely to need an EHCP needs assessment, plus any other vulnerable students.

In some cases, it might be appropriate for students to attend with their primary school TA or Sendco for additional support - and, in my experience, it helps if the transition day is shorter than the usual school day.

Your new students may also wish to visit the school on an individual basis, or with one or two friends, perhaps accompanied by their Sendco, TA or a parent or carer. This can be particularly helpful for students who are anxious about the transition process.

2. Organise a coffee morning

Alongside this, holding a coffee morning is a good chance to get to know the parents and carers of pupils with SEND in an informal setting.

Invite key staff from your school, such as heads of year, as well as some current parents and carers who are likely to speak positively about the school and their experiences.

You might also consider inviting an outside speaker, such as a representative of the local Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS), to outline any support available outside school.

Hold the session in a spacious room where people can mingle in a relaxed way around “nests” of tables, rather than being seated around a conference-room table as if they’re at a meeting.

Provide food and drinks that are suitable for all parents and carers, and keep cultural differences in mind. For example, avoid hosting this event during Ramadan, when fasting parents and carers could feel left out.

3. Prepare booklets

If new students are feeling anxious, it can be helpful to give them something to refer to, such as an information booklet or video. When creating these, include photographs of key staff and spaces, a map of the school, an anonymised example of a student timetable, an equipment list, information about school uniform, a list of extracurricular activities, and words of advice and reassurance from current pupils.

4. Visit feeder schools

Arranging to visit students at their primary schools will give an insight into where they are coming from. I tend to do these visits between May and July, avoiding Sats week, which is usually the second full week of May.

Aim to spend 30 to 60 minutes on each visit, during which time you can meet with students and speak to their teachers and TAs. You may also have the opportunity to observe students in lessons and look at samples of their work.

These visits can make all the difference to the transition process, and come with the added bonus of helping to build relationships with primary staff, which can prove invaluable.

Gemma Corby is a secondary school Sendco