Transfer deal

At this time of year many early years practitioners are thinking about the transition to school of some of the children in their care. We feel that this process involves a three-way relationship between the setting, the parents and the school because all have a part to play in a successful transition. Also, recent research has highlighted the importance of parents' involvement in their child's learning. These concepts have led us to develop a system to support this triangular relationship.

Sometimes we have found that the focus of the team's work can shift from working with a child who has been referred to our service to offering more practical support to their parents. Choosing the right school for a child with a special educational need can require a great amount of effort from parents, especially those who have low self-esteem or negative memories of their own educational experiences. It is not the role of the team to recommend a particular school, but where a parent or carer has made a choice we can organise a transition meeting to which they can invite anyone who might be able to contribute information to support their child at this sensitive time.