Support with transition to primary school
If you live in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and your child is starting primary school, you can check:
- how to choose a school if your child has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- how to apply for a primary school place
- when to apply for a primary school place
If you want more help, get advice and support for families from the Families Information Service. They run sessions to help you choose a school and fill in forms.
Each school has details about how they support children with special needs in their Local Offer/SEND report.
Choosing a school if your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
A SEND Assessment and Review Officer will help you choose a school.
They’ll contact the schools you prefer and tell you the outcome.
You’ll have to make a final decision in January.
By 15 February, you’ll receive an updated EHCP with the name of the school your child will attend.
Support to transition to primary school
Primary schools will have their own transition arrangements which may include:
- home visits
- classroom visits for your child
- parent meetings
Ask your child’s nursery or preschool what their transition plans are.
Children with additional needs
We give additional support to help children who:
- have SEND, especially those who get SEN support
- are in our care, also known as looked after children
- have received behaviour support
This support may look like:
- meetings between parents, nursery staff and the new school
- allocating a Lead Professional to manage your child’s transition
- sharing important information between the nursery and school before September
- organising transition meetings
Children with an EHCP
If a child has an EHCP, there will be a Team Around the Child meeting.
In this meeting, we’ll choose a Lead Professional who will arrange and lead a transition meeting to support your child as they move to primary school.
About transition meetings
These meetings usually take place during the summer term and include parents, professionals and staff from the nursery and school.
During the meetings, we’ll:
- plan support and goals that will help your child transition and build independence
- create tools like photo books or profiles to help your child adjust
- facilitate visits between nursery and school staff to get to know your child
- decide which professionals will continue to support your child
Making sure your child is doing well in their school
There may be another meeting in the autumn term to check how your child is settling in.
Depending on how they're doing, we may set new goals.
Children who need more support
Most children go to mainstream schools and do well. But some children with higher needs may go to:
- Local Authority Resource Provisions (LARPs) in mainstream schools
- specialist schools for very complex needs
These placements are decided by the SEN Admissions Panel. You should let the SEND Assessment and Review Service know your preferences during the autumn term after your child’s annual review.
Moving into specialist schools or resource provisions
Specialist schools may offer:
- supported visits
- exchange visits between schools
- transition books or passports to help your child adjust
How your child’s needs are shared with their new school
It’s important for schools to know a bit about your child when they join, especially if they have SEND. This can help the school support your child when they start.
Nursery staff will complete an Early Years Transfer form and share this with the primary school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo).
The nursery will ask you for permission before they share this.
If our Early Years Inclusion Service has supported your child, we’ll create a one-page profile for them. This gives school staff a quick overview of your child’s needs and is created together with parents, the child and nursery staff.