5 key steps moving to mainstream

Considering a move

Either you or your child’s special school can suggest a step into mainstream when it is felt your child is ready for a wider educational experience. This plan can be raised at your child’s Annual Review as something that could happen in the future, or you or your child’s school can suggest a transition by raising this outside the Annual Review.

Through these discussions, your child’s special school SENDCo will refer to any relevant assessment information, for example, supported by the Derby Inclusion Tool, to help you make an informed decision about a move to mainstream. Your child's views will also be very important.

In addition, your child’s SEND Officer will offer you more advice about how your child's needs could be best met in a mainstream school.

Identifying a mainstream school

Once you and your child have decided on a step into mainstream, your child’s special school SENDCo or headteacher will contact the SEND Officer. They will meet with you and discuss what type of mainstream school you are looking for, the support that will need to be in place, and any other relevant information to support the transition.

No consultation paperwork will be sent at this point. The SEND Officer will contact the mainstream school that you have in mind to confirm availability and the next steps for your child’s enrolment. They will also be able to support with identifying any other mainstream schools that you may not be aware of or thought about. The SEND Officer will confirm with you once a mainstream school place has been agreed, at first just for a trial period.

Planning a smooth transition

To ensure the move to mainstream school is as positive as possible, the SEND Officer will organise a transitions meeting. This can be held at either the mainstream school or the special school, whichever you prefer.

The purpose of the transition meeting will be to set out some agreements so that everyone knows what everyone else is doing to ensure the move is a success. Everything, from the new uniform and how to get to the school, to what support will be provided so that your child feels safe and supported at their mainstream school, will be planned out.

You may also wish to do your own research, such as visiting the school or speaking to other families with children who attend the school to better understand their experience.

Progress reviews and dual registration

Once your child has started their move to mainstream, our Senior Education Welfare Officer will regularly check in on how things are going and will arrange a review of the transition plan every six weeks.

At any point, you have the option for your child to return to their special school. Equally, you may want to try another mainstream school and the Pupil Reintegration Team will support this as well.

For the first 12 weeks, your child will be dual registered at both the special and mainstream schools, which means that your child's place at the special school will remain, and they can return if necessary. After the 12 weeks, only when you are fully confident that your child’s needs are being met in mainstream, your child will be removed from the special school’s register.

A successful transition

At the end of the transition period, the special school will hold a review of the current situation to ensure all parties, and importantly you and your child, are happy with the arrangement. This review will be supported by your child’s SEND Officer along with the Senior Education Welfare Officer, to confirm the ongoing support provision needed to meet your child’s needs in their new mainstream school, or agree a return to special school, if necessary.