Introduction

This update focuses on transition support during the new school year 2021 to 2022 for children in care and previously in care, taking into account the ongoing impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic.  

Please also see our earlier transition resources:

School Transitions children in care and previously in care Covid 19 Virtual School May 2020.

Transitions in and between settings – Learning from parents and carers’ April 2019.

         

Reviewing Transition Support

As a more settled school life begins to resume for most children, it will be crucial to examine what further support will be helpful to children in care and previously in care (and at what level) through an ongoing assess, plan, do, review process.  

The level of support required on return to school may well have changed due to the effects of being in ‘lockdown’ – children and young people may have disengaged and will need more support to re-engage or, conversely, they may have had increased support provided by parents and carers which they will miss on return. 

An early child in care or child previously in care Personal Education Plan (PEP), used as a Transition review, will help to identify what is working to engage or re-engage children and young people with the changed world of school. 

It will also highlight what needs adjusting to support their peer and staff relationships, as well as their learning needs in school. 

It will be particularly important to:

  • review with parents/carers how they feel the transition has gone and update the Autumn term PEP - or other planning process - with their views and adjust your planned support as appropriate
  • review with children/young people their support needs – if they developed a transition ‘passport’ how would they update it now? Would it be useful to develop a Student Passport as illustrated in this video (4.5 minutes)
  • create opportunities for re-connection with pupils’ previous teachers, support staff and last setting, if at all possible. You could use:
    • postcards
    • video links
    • visits
    • telephone calls to reassure pupils they are still ‘held in mind’ by the adults they have connected with in the past
  • explore with parents/carers and with children and young people their peer relationships. Include in your transition reviews ways to strengthen their social connectedness with peers, such as buddying arrangements, ‘bubbles’ with key peers, seating plans, nurture groups, accessing school clubs or after school activities that are available etc
  • review the ‘Team around the Child/Young person’ and ensure that recovery and relationship building are prioritised to increase feelings of belonging. See also Team Pupil Support Groups for staff below
  • remember the children and young people who may act as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened – a clue in itself that it will be important to explore hidden needs. See primary and secondary links for helpful descriptions, from Inner World Work, of the states of Fight/Flight/Freeze and Collapse/Submit and what you can do to help
  • ensure relevant staff in school are engaged in ongoing review and planning forward for example
    • class/Form teacher- SENCo/INCo 
    • pastoral Leads
    • Teaching Assistants and that the Designated Teacher (DT) is kept up to date, if not directly involved themselves
  • think through the scaffolding you have in place for young people who had not been attending school before ‘lockdown’ (school refusal) and what you can adjust to support their attendance like:
    •  reduced timetable
    • buddying system
    • time ‘in’ cards for a safe base within school for support outside lessons. Contact BHISS and VS colleagues for support
  • review your provision of home learning to support children/young people who are unable to return to school - due to physical or mental health and well-being reasons and identify key actions to support their sense of belonging – can they be involved in virtual lessons through a video link, increase school to home contact, for example?
  • we can tend to focus on the social and emotional needs of children in care and previously in care and not on other learning needs. See this summary by Michael Bettencourt of ‘small changes that can make a big difference’ which although focused on children in care, could also be useful when thinking about children previously in care.
  • consider a tutor/mentor

Increasing understanding

It will be important to continue to support all staff in their knowledge and understanding of trauma responsive and attachment building practice:

Find workshops and clinics for carers.

Find workshops and clinics for parents.

Lastly, what are the positive experiences of ‘lockdown’ that can be drawn on and replicated as we go through the school year? 

For children who blossomed when school was small - can you enable them to have time working, or playing, in small groups?

Will it be possible to continue to prioritise the levels of home-school contact which strengthened partnership working during ‘lockdown’?

What opportunities can be put in place to strengthen peer or child/adult relationships and build a strong sense of belonging?

As the whole school community adjusts to the shape of school life over the year ahead, a continued focus on transition throughout the year will help us to strengthen the key relationships which make such a positive difference for our children and young people.

Contact the Virtual School to support children and young people in care and previously in care, including on transition. 

Please see the Virtual School website for our contact details and a range of resources including PEPs.