Transition Policy
Introduction
In Lisanally Special School, the process of formal ‘Transition’ begins during the school
year in which a young person’s 14th birthday occurs. Pupils transfer to our Vocational
training Unit (VTU) at 16 and we work alongside them and their parents on the finer
details of individualised Transition Plans in preparation for life after leaving school.
Close attention is paid to deciding upon the options which best suit their individual needs
as they prepare to leave Lisanally at 19. The wide range of programmes on offer provide
opportunities to develop Functional Life Skills and to prepare each of our young people
for adult life.
Aim
To provide a high quality collaborative and fully inclusive service for all our young people
at 14+ and beyond.
Annual Review /Transition Plan Meeting
Article 19 of the Education (NI) Order 1996 requires that an Annual Review is
completed for all pupils who are subject of a Statement of Special Educational Needs.
Parents are invited to submit comments and/or attend Reviews. All professional
disciplines involved with the pupil may be involved in these Reviews. At these meetings
the various elements of the Annual Review of a Statement of Special Educational needs
are considered by everyone in attendance (see list below).
A consensus on the following points is then recorded on the Annual Review form (AR):
 Curriculum: how it meets the pupil’s current and future needs;
 The young person’s perspective: how the young person can be involved in setting
the learning outcomes;
 The views of the family;
 Short, medium and long-term plans for school and other relevant
bodies/agencies;
 Timescales for action; and
 The person/people responsible for monitoring and evaluating progress.
The AR form and any supplementary documentation are subsequently forwarded to the
SELB with copies circulated to parents, all attendees and advice givers.
Annual Review- Transition Planning (14+)
Article 19 of the Education (NI) Order 1996 requires that a Transition Plan is completed
for a child with a Statement of Special Educational Needs during the first Annual
Review after he/she becomes 14 years of age.
In addition to those who are invited to the Annual Review meeting, there are additional
requirements for the Transition Plan meeting. The following must be invited to the
meeting:
 A representative of the Health and Social Services Trust (the Senior Medical
Officer /Consultant Paediatrician will act as a point of contact);
 Transition Co-ordinators from the Health Trust and SELB ;
 The careers service (who must also be invited to all subsequent meetings)
 Service Providers from Adult services (relevant to an individual’s options Post
19);
 School staff- Principal, Teacher, Therapists;
 Parents;
 Pupil.
This review is a particularly significant one in the life of each individual as it is at this
point that formal preparation for their move into adult life begins.
All of those listed above attending this review will work collaboratively to support our
young people to participate fully in the Transition Review. They also contribute to the
Transition Plan which is drawn up during this meeting. The Board Officer attending this
first Annual Review after a young person’s 14 th birthday will very often be the Education
Transition Co-ordinator who can support young people to participate fully in transition
meetings and can also assist the school in drawing up the Transition Plan and in
completing the Annual Review Report.
Transition Co-ordinators
Lisanally has well established links with both Education and Health Trust Transition Coordinators. We promote collaborative working practices, whereby Transition Coordinators can play an important and meaningful role in acting as advocates for our young
people. They also provide support to our school throughout the Transition Planning
Process and Transition Annual Reviews (14+).
The Education Transition Co-ordinator’s role also extends to supporting multi-agency
links and working closely with colleagues in the Careers Service, Health and Social Care
Trusts, colleges, training providers and community-based organisations. Together they
can assist the on going education and social inclusion of our young people and pursue
appropriate post-school opportunities for them.
Careers Service
At Lisanally we collaborate with the Careers Service, so that they are also involved in
easing the transition for our pupils from school to adult life. The Careers Service can
help our young people and their families make informed choices to assist with planning
for their future. Making this early link allows as much time as possible for plans to be
developed and implemented well in advance of our young people leaving school.
Transfer to Further Education and/or Training
Permission is sought from the young person and their family to transfer relevant
information to the Careers Service, Colleges of Further and Higher Education and other
training providers. A Consent Form is completed at the final Annual Review meeting. A
copy is then forwarded to the SELB and a further copy retained by the school.
Monitoring / Evaluation/ Review
The whole school Transition Policy will be monitored, evaluated and reviewed on an
ongoing basis through consultation with pupils, staff, parents and the BOG.
Signed: ___________________Chairman BOG
Date: _________