Transition planning should begin in Year 9 or 10 at the latest – students are about 14, and can begin to think about options after school. Students should have a Connexions Adviser or Careers Officer, who can give advice and guidance about the choices available.
The procedure for applying to a Specialist College will vary slightly depending on where you live; in particular, the timings might differ, so ask your Connexions adviser or careers officer what should happen where you live. Make sure you know the completion dates for all the steps that are needed, and chase up your adviser if you think it is taking too long.
If a has a statement of special educational needs, your Connexions adviser or careers officer must produce a Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA) for them - it might also be called an S139a assessment. This will identify their hopes for the future, their learning and support needs, and the best place to meet these needs. If the student does not have a statement, but has a new disability, or their disability has become more severe, then families can ask for a Learning Difficulty Assessment. The LDA should include your views about what is best and right for your son or daughter.
If you are thinking about further education, it is a good idea to visit the local further education college to see if it can meet the student’s needs. If not, and you think a specialist college is the best choice, you should arrange to visit one or more specialist colleges. This may take some time, so the sooner you start the better. If your Connexions adviser or careers officer agrees that a specialist college is the best place to meet the students learning and support needs, this must be clearly stated on the LDA. Students can then visit the chosen specialist college for a more detailed assessment. The college admissions team can provide help with your application.
The Connexions (or careers) service will then make an application to your Local Authority. If they approve it, they will apply for funding to the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) in England, or the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales. The YPLA has a budget to pay for specialist college places; this budget will rise slightly in 2011/12. It is important to be clear that the government has allocated funding for this purpose - there is definitely money available to pay for a place at a specialist college.
Once the YPLA agrees to fund the placement, the college is able to make a formal offer to the learner.
New students are offered transition visits to the college during the summer term in order to help them adjust. Overnight stays are offered if they are coming as residential students, these may take place in the summer term or the summer holidays, according to each person’s needs.
For further information please contact the College secretary School/College secretary
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