Moving between stages of education (transition)

Moving between learning stages is a challenging time. Managing this change well can really help your child or young person to settle in to their new environment.

Find out more about choosing the right schoo l.

Phase transfers

When a child or young person moves from one stage of education to another, this is called a phase transfer.

If your child has an EHC plan, they will start their phase transfer when they are in:

their last year at their early years setting (such as a nursery or preschool)
year 2:
- if they are moving from infant to junior school
- if they attend a through school (reception to year 6), the EHCP will be reviewed and amended but placement will not change.
year 6 if they are transferring to secondary school (year 7)
year 11 when thinking about post-16 options (sixth form or college)

Phase transfer reviews

Your school will hold a phase transfer review. It takes place during the autumn term of the final year.

Deadlines for completing this phase transfer annual review and returning the information to the Local Authority
Phase	Deadline date
Nursery to reception (early years to infant)	Last Friday before October half term
Year 2 to year 3 (infant to junior)	Last Friday before October half term
Year 6 to year 7 (primary to secondary)	Last Friday before October half term
Year 11 to post-16 (sixth form or college)	Last Friday of November

What you need to know

Choosing your child's next school

As part of your child's phase transfer review, it is important that you let us know which school you would like your child to attend next.

You should:

tell us your preferred school for your child
ensure your preference is clearly recorded as part of your views during the annual review
let us know as early as possible, as this helps us plan effectively for your child's transition

If we do not receive a school preference from you, we will consult with the nearest school that we consider to be the most appropriate to meet your child's needs.

Your views are very important and will help us consider the best next steps for your child.

If your child attends a primary school or a through school

If your child is remaining within their current primary school or through school, their annual review will continue to take place at the usual time during the school year.

We will still review and amend the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where needed to ensure it continues to reflect your child's progress and needs.

Why this matters

Planning ahead helps us to:

ensure your child's EHCP continues to accurately reflect their needs
support a smooth and successful transition to their next educational setting
make sure the right support is in place at the right time

If you want to request a Special School placement

If you feel a special school placement may be appropriate for your child, please:

discuss this during your child's annual review with their school
ensure your views and request are clearly recorded as part of the annual review paperwork
tell us your preferred mainstream school as well

A request for a change of placement type (for example, from a mainstream school to a special school) must be considered and agreed by the Local Authority through its decision-making process. If a special school placement is not agreed, your child will still need a mainstream school placement to be named.

If we do not receive a school preference from you, we will consult with the nearest school that we consider to be the most appropriate to meet your child's needs.

Moving from early years to reception

Your early years provider should arrange a meeting in the term before your child is due to start. They’ll invite you and any professionals who work with your child.

At the meeting, you’ll talk about the transition and your child’s needs. They will then have enough time to arrange the right support. This can include training, resources or adaptations.

You can find lots of useful information about support for parents and providers on the Early Years Alliance website.

You can also find out more about early years transition.

Moving from year 2 to year 3

Moving from year 2 to year 3 is an important step in your child's education. During this transition, children move from Key Stage 1 (KS1) to Key Stage 2 (KS2).

They may experience changes to their learning environment, daily routines, and expectations as they become more independent.

Planning ahead helps make sure the right support is in place so your child can settle into their new stage of learning with confidence.

You can find information and support on how to prepare on the Explore Learning website.

Moving from year 6 to year 7

Staff from the current school and new school should work together to plan for a positive transition. It's important that parents are involved to help make transition successful.

The Young Minds website provides information and support on transitions to parents, young people and professionals.

Transition days will be arranged by schools in line with their policy.

Moving from year 11 to post-16 options

Planning to leave school to go to college or work normally starts when the young person is around 14 years old (year 9).

The young person is the most important person who needs to be involved in planning. They should be:

supported to make choices
in control of preparing for adult life

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