Ensuring smooth transitions
Here at Tadley Court School, we understand that transitions are crucial points in a young person’s journey through education. Whilst every transition will look different, we work to provide the required guidance and support during transitions to maximise our young people’s chance of success. We not only monitor students joining the school, we will also continue to track our pupils for the first couple of years after leaving us to ensure they are settling in well to their new placement.
A co-ordinated approach to transition planning
We strive to involve all interested parties in transition planning to ensure the best outcomes for our young people. Our dedicated full-time transitions co-ordinator acts as an individual point of contact for students and their parents as well as overseeing transitions both in and out of Tadley Court School. Our transitions co-ordinator brings together input from:
- Teachers
- Residential care staff
- Key workers
- The young person’s parents (where they have access)
- Local authorities
Well-planned transitions
We believe that timely and thorough planning is the key to successful transitions. As such, we start planning our young people’s transitions far in advance of when they are expected to leave us. Below, we set out the onward transition process for students at Tadley Court School in more detail:
Age 14
- 14+ Transition Review - Transition Plan initiated
- Parents to contact local careers services
- Parents to start discussions with Social Services re: Post-19 services
Age 15-19
- With each annual review, the Transition Plan is reviewed and updated
- Transition Adviser produces a Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA) which will help with developing the Education Health and Care Plan (EHC).
- Parents advised to start building a portfolio of potential placements
- At 18 years Social Services and Health complete core assessment (needs assessment)
- At 18 years the young person moves from Children’s Services to Adult’s Social Services
- Preferred placements identified by parents and assessment for suitability requested to Social Services
- Placement identified, decisions on funding made by Social Services
- Preparation & Transition to new services start supported by a multi-disciplinary approach
Post-19 options
Tadley Court School supports young people up to 19 years of age. Although our students must move on once they reach this age, we are committed to supporting and planning smooth onward transitions whilst they are still with us at the school. Young people’s chosen onward pathways often involve a combination of one or more of the following options:
- Specialist College provision (day or residential)
- Further Education (sector college)
- Provisions within mainstream college (including courses designed for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities)
- Supported employment schemes
- Day Centres
- Living within the family home plus possible access to respite
- Supported Living
- Specialist care providers
Where do young people move on to after Tadley Court School?
We support our young people to move on to placements that are well-matched to their interests and abilities. In the past, some of our young people have moved on to:
- Berkshire College of Agriculture, Maidenhead, Surrey
- Newbury College, Newbury, Berkshire
- Young Epilepsy, St Piers, Lingfield, Surrey
- Merrist Wood College, Guildford, Surrey
- The Bridge, Life Skills College, Southampton
- Ambitious College, London, NW9
- Amersham and Wycombe College, Amersham
- Hill View Farm, Thatcham, Berkshire
- Purley Park Trust, Reading
- Chatsworth Care, Sutton, Surrey
- Liaise Loddon, Romsey