It's important to have plenty of time to think about your future and find out what you can do. You may want to think about going to college, getting a job, going to a day service, or getting involved in community activities. A careers adviser can help you to start thinking about all these things.
Some young people will need extra support to think and plan. This starts in year 9. Your teacher or SENCO will talk to you about some of the people who can help. These may be:
- an inclusion worker
- a social worker
- a health worker
These people will talk to you and your family or carer about the support you need. This is called an assessment.
Making a transition plan
In year 9, when you are 14, your parents or carers, the school, and anyone else important to you, will all work together to create a plan. This is called a transition review or a transition planning meeting.
This meeting is where you can tell everyone about what you want to do. You will be thinking about things such as what you're good at, your hopes and dreams, new things you want to try and the help you may need.
Using your ideas and other people's ideas a transition plan is made. It's important to know that this is just the beginning and that it is okay to change your mind.
Your transition is all about you and what you want and need.
Your plan should include important things like:
- how I communicate
- keeping safe and healthy
- me and my family
- school and college
- transport and travel
- money
- having fun
- friends
- jobs, education and day time activities
You and your parents and carers should have a copy of your transition plan. You will have a review every year that you stay at school to update your plan.
Your head teacher will arrange your review. Before this meeting you need to think about what is working well, what's not working and anything you want to change in your transition plan. It's important that people know what you want.
If you need extra help when you leave school the people who will provide that support should be invited to all your reviews.
Leaving school
Some young people choose to leave school when they are 16 to go into working towards an apprenticeship or other qualification, or to gain employment, and some stay at school until they are 18 or 19.
The most important thing is that whenever you leave school you have a transition plan in place that you understand and is working well.