At Ellen Tinkham, all transitions are personalised to individual students and their families or carers.

A transition is seen as any change from one situation to the next for a young person, and our aim is for each transition to be well prepared for, and to ensure that the student and their voice is central to every transitional decision made.

KEY TRANSITIONS

Transition from Class to Class

In the Summer Term, our teaching staff meet at bespoke Transitions meetings and undertake indepth "handovers" for students who are moving from class to class.  Key documents are reviewed and shared, as well as information that only classroom staff who work closely with our students, will know.  These meetings ensure that the new Class Teacher and classroom staff know each student as well as possible.  We also try to ensure there is a "familiar face" amongst the classroom staff in each new class each September, to help your young person settle into the new academic year.

Transition from Ellen Tinkham School to Ellen Tinkham College

When students reach Year 6 at Ellen Tinkham School, preparations start for their transition to Year 7 and a physical move to the College.  In the Summer Term, Year 6's begin visiting the College for a series of taster sessions.  These begin with general visits and by the end of the summer, Year 6's join activities with Key Stage 3 students to really experience what College life is like.  Year 6 families are also offered visits to the College so that by September, everyone is familiar with the building and classes.

Transition at the end of Key Stage 4 to Post 16 Provision

By the end of Key Stage 4, students and their families will need to have considered, and planned for, a Post 16 provision which will best meet the young person’s needs.  It is important that all options are considered, not only the Ellen Tinkham Sixth Form provision. We highly recommend families in Year 10 and Year 11 spending time in the Autumn Term visiting alternative Post 16 providers, attending Transitions Fayres and speaking to Devon's Post 16 Learning Participation Team to make an informed choice of the most suitable Post 16 provision.

Support if Moving to a New Provision - If it is decided that a student will transition to a new placement at the end of Year 11, Key Stage 4 staff will support with this in the form of sharing information with the new provision and, if offered by the provider, supporting with transition visits.

Applying for Ellen Tinkham's Sixth Form Department - Entry into Ellen Tinkham's Sixth Form department will require an application form to be completed and a selection process will follow before a student place can be confirmed.  If families feel Ellen Tinkham's Sixth Form department can deliver the right educational pathway for their young person, a completed application form will need to be submitted to us by the end of the Year 11 Autumn Term.  A copy of the form is below.

Who are Devon's Post 16 Learning Participation Team and what do they do?

Devon County Council’s Post 16 Learning Participation Team supports young people as they make important transitions in their lives. The team do this through their network of career development consultants who are all qualified career guidance practitioners. They provide targeted support to young people in education which means they have advisers linked to all schools. The advisers also provide support for young people post 16 that are not in education, employment and training.

The Post 16 Learning Participation Team are required to undertake tracking activities and to provide information to the DfE in respect of personal information; individual characteristics and the current activities of young people aged 13-19.  

Sarah Baker is our nominated Careers Adviser and will meet with students during Year 10, Year 11 and again in Sixth Form.

If you would like to email the Post 16 Learning Participation Team, click here.  Or you can complete their online form.

Transition from Children’s to Adult Services at Age 18

Children’s & Adult Services along with the school, work collaboratively with families to ensure a smooth transition between services.

Families who are unable to identify a member of Adult Services to lead this transition have individual support from our Transition Lead, Luke Millan and Sarah Baker, Post 16 Learning Participation Team Adviser, in order to address this.

All agencies involved in a young person’s transition have an open invitation to visit the students in school and to share school based information which may help with assessment (with parental/carers permission).

The Transition Lead, school advocate and class teams ensure that the student is central to the process and that their voice is heard, in order that what is important to them, and for them, drives the process. Work takes place to decide whether students have the Mental Capacity to make their own decisions (for each specific decision) or whether decisions will be led by a ‘Best Interests’ decision.

Transition to or from Residential Settings/Care Provisions

Some students will move to or from full time residential/supported living provisions whilst in the department. Where this is the case, transition planning takes place to ensure that the student is central to the process.

The school work closely alongside Social Services to ensure that any Mental Capacity assessments are led by those who know the student well.

When provisions are identified, they are invited into school in order to meet and find out more about the young person and share information.

Students are supported by the school, where appropriate, to visit their new providers and plan their transition.

Transition from Sixth Form

Students may spend up to three years in the Sixth Form department.

Transition planning begins when students enter the department. This involves transition related target setting, transition objectives included into their personalised learning programmes, transition planning and advocacy sessions. As the process evolves, the families/carers will be supported to prepare a personalised transition plan for their child.

Students will have opportunities to visit post school provisions and services available to them, supported by their core team. Some students will be able to directly communicate choices and decisions regarding their future provision. For other students, their reactions to places will be observed and fed back at transition planning meetings.

Students are encouraged to be proactive within the transition process.

We organise annual Careers & Transitions Fairs and providers are invited along to share information and showcase their services.  It is our aim to ensure that all students have equal access to opportunities and choices and support to achieve their aspirations, and that families are also empowered in this process.

When students have definite transition plans in place and funding confirmed, the Sixth Form Department support a positive personalised transition programme for them. This can include supported visits to placements to take part in taster sessions, supporting students to choose and appoint personal enablers, providing post school provisions with information, (following consent from families/carers) and provide any relevant training specific to a young person’s needs.