Support for Transition for all Children with SEND
Early Years (EY) to Primary Transition for children with SEND:
Primary to Secondary Transition for children with SEND:
There is comprehensive support for children with SEND in early years provisions to ensure that when they transition into school support is planned ahead of their start date.
Early Years to Mainstream Support Poster (PDF, 445.2 KB)
Throughout Early Years Foundation Stage in a Kent setting children’s needs are identified
Early Years and Childcare Quality Team (for all settings) provide advice and support to all settings that includes the identification and support for young children presenting with additional needs and requiring support for their inclusion.
Children with complex needs may be supported by Portage Practitioners.
Portage Practitioners (for children with complex needs)
SEN Support & Inclusion Practitioners (supporting pre-schools and nurseries)
The team of SEN Support and Inclusion Practitioners ( SSIP) provide support in pre schools for children with SEND and they may work with multiagency teams to support transition into school.
Early Years Outreach (supporting children in their mainstream provisions with complex needs)
Early Years Outreach Intervention Service
Local Authority special schools provide outreach for children with complex needs in their mainstream pre school setting.
Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (specialist teachers offering advice and support for transition to school )
Early Years specialist teachers work jointly with other teams to provide advice and support for successful transition for early years children with SEND. They will continue to work with schools to ensure that children with SEND are supported successfully.
Support for Phased Transfers for all children with SEND
There is transition support for all children in early years with SEND.
SEN Inclusion Advisers and Specialist Teachers offer support and advice for schools and work together with colleagues in Early Years SEN Support and Inclusion, and our SEND teams who manage children’s Education Health and Care Plans
Spring Terms ( in year of entry into school)
April – May
District Planning Meetings take place to identify all children with SEND and their school for September:
These meeting are multi agency and discussions are held about children who are already known to professionals and receiving some level of support or who have done so.
Planning meetings with schools:
Schools are offered meeting dates to discuss the transition of children with SEND to their school. Some children will require a number of professionals to be involved in these planning meetings. Some schools will benefit from a multi-agency approach to provision planning for their Year R cohort. Some schools might decide to use their School based Review for planning.
There will be school led meetings with parents/carers.
Ongoing training and support agreed for reception class teachers:
There is a variety of training available for schools in preparation for children with SEND starting with them in September.
Setting and School's core training offer - KELSI
Schools invite parents and professionals to transition events
Schools offer bespoke transition activities for children with SEND who are starting school with them in September. These are often discussed with advice of professionals, parents/carers who know the child.
Summer terms ( June to end of July for schools)
Multi-agency planning with schools and families for those children with complex needs:
Transition planning meetings between schools, parents/carers and professionals may continue into the summer term. Schools will lead these meetings.
Training continues
Joint planning continues for those children whose SEND are still be identified and assessed.
Autumn term
Monitoring of the transition for children with SEND:
Following the start of the new school year the SEN Inclusion Adviser will provide a variety of opportunities for schools to liaise about their new children with SEND. These will include Joint surgeries with specialist teachers and SEN Inclusion Advisers.
Feedback from families and schools:
Our surveys provide feedback on the support received by schools and what they would like to receive in future. Individual feedback is gathered from families and from work of early years SEN Support and Inclusion.
In autumn 2025, 121 schools provided feedback in response to receiving our survey.
- Key Findings
- Transition Events
Schools widely valued the district transition events, especially the opportunity for face-to-face information sharing with nurseries and multi-agency professionals. However, inconsistent nursery attendance, overcrowding, and unclear event structure were commonly cited challenges.
Transition Support (STLS, SENIA, Portage)
Where accessed, extended transition support was described as invaluable. Schools particularly noted specialist teachers’ modelling, advice, and environmental recommendations. There were some challenges, particularly supporting children who were not previously known to services.
Impact on Transitions:
A majority of schools who responded to the survey reported smoother transitions, improved staff confidence, and better coordinated approaches when timely information and support were available.
Conversely, several schools described a more complex cohort with higher SEND needs and noted that incomplete nursery information contributed to transition challenges.
Conclusion
The feedback demonstrates strong appreciation for the transition processes and professional expertise provided by STLS, SENIA, and Portage.
However, systemic challenges—including nursery attendance, funding pressures, delays in support and increasing levels of need—require coordinated action to ensure the continued effectiveness of the EY to Year R transition process.
Transition for school age children in primary school moving to secondary school
Early intervention of SEND
Right from Year R KCC Early Years Specialist Teachers work in schools with school staff to identify children’s SEND at the earliest opportunity so that they receive the right support at the right time.
The Professional Resource Group ( PRG) support inclusion of children with SEND and actively promote multi-agency intervention and planning for SEND
Schools use the PRG to provide early intervention for children with emerging SEND
The PRG includes
Link SEN Inclusion Adviser (SEN IA)
Link Educational Psychologist (EP)
Link KCC Specialist Teacher meetings to discuss SEND pupils
Link NHS Speech and Language Therapist or School speech and language therapist for SLCN
School staff training in SEND:
Schools plan for their staff professional development about SEND, accessing SEND training from commissioned services readily available for Kent schools
Attendance
Good attendance at school is everyone’s responsibility and when children are struggling to achieve good attendance at school they, their parents/carers and schools can access advice and support
Kent Pru and Attendance Service support for attendance matters ( KPAS)