Moving on from School Next Steps a Guide for Young People Finishing School Who Have Additional Support Needs
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Moving on from school Next steps A guide for young people finishing school who have additional support needs. Introduction Leaving school can be an exciting time and there will be lots of options available to you about what to do with the next step of your life. Although these new opportunities can be really exciting, there are also things you may be worrying about. You will have choice and control about your future and it can often feel like there are some big decisions to make. It is normal to worry about the future and whether you will get the support you need. The aim of this booklet is to provide you with information which might be helpful as you prepare to leave school and for the transition to your next step in further education or training. This guide has been developed based on feedback we have received from lots of young people in Devon who told us about their experiences leaving school, The key questions which the guide aims to answer are: • What can I do to help the transition go smoothly? • What information should I share about myself with my new setting and when? • Can I be discriminated against, when I apply for a course or training, if I tell them I have additional needs? • What extra help can I get to support me during the move and beyond? • What do I do if I am not in education, employment or training? Next Steps 2 Contents 1. Help! What do I do next? Page 4 2. What helps to make a successful transition from school? Page 6 3. What if I have additional support needs? Page 8 4. A handy Transition Checklist. Page 13 Next Steps 3 Help! What do I do next? If you have no idea what you want to do when you leave school, do not panic! This can be a big decision and there are lots of people around who can help you decide what to do. Here are some Top Tips if you are in this situation: 1. Talk to a variety of trusted adults and tell them you are finding it hard to decide what to do after you leave school. You could talk to your parents/ carers and you should tell someone at school, for example your Tutor, head of year or the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). It is also important you have spoken to an independent careers advisor (e.g. Careers South West) and you should ask school for this if necessary. 2. Research your options. Consider making a mind- map or list of all of your options. Make sure you know all of your options and have considered multiple possibilities- this is a good idea even if you are sure what you want to do. Adults can help you consider these and answer questions. Next Steps 4 3. If you are considering going to college, visit the college and gain a better idea of what life would be like there. Visit the website and talk to people who work or attend there if possible. 4. Talk to your friends about what they are doing, but make sure that you choose what is right for you. Choosing a course or setting because a friend doing is the same thing is not the best idea - choose something you are interested in and links to your strengths. 5. When choosing your next steps, it is important that your choice links to your future aspirations. Ask yourself these questions: • What support has helped you, in the past, to overcome challenges during your education? • What are my skills and strengths? How can these skills be developed during my next stage of education and training? • What are my interests? How can I make sure that I choose something that will interest and motivate me? • What do I want to be doing at age 18? At age 25? How can my next step lead me closer to my goals and aspirations? Next Steps 5 What helps to make a successful transition from school? When we talked to Devon young people about the transition from school, they said the following things were most important: 1. Talk to someone Lots of young people in Devon have told us that talking to people they felt they could trust helped them before, during and after their move to further education or training. In particular they found talking to friends, family, tutors and other trusted teachers helped to make their transition smoother. It is also useful to talk to Careers Guidance staff and the school’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Cooridnator (SENDCo). Next Steps 6 2. Know your options It is important to know what your options are and to have considered these in detail before making a decision. Too many young people in Devon have realised after transition that their course or training is not what they had expected and this can lead to difficulties. Make sure you know exactly what life will be like on your chosen path, including the expectations, methods of assessment and the topics/ curriculum that will be covered. 3. Plan early and share information in advance Lack of planning and sharing information can mean that you may end up without the right support at your next setting. To avoid this happening, it is necessary to be proactive in planning your transition and this can include finding out what support you will receive in advance and sharing appropriate information about your additional support needs. 4. Have a back-up plan If your chosen path relies on you attaining certain grades, it is a good idea to plan for a situation where you do not achieve this requirement. This does not have to be a big Remember: Being deal, it may mean re-taking some exams honest with those or changing to a different course. The most around you about important thing is that you have considered what you want from this in advance and know who to talk to if your future is really this does happen. important. Next Steps 7 What if I have additional support needs? Although leaving school can be a challenging time for all young people, students with additional support needs may be particularly worried about the transition. Research in Devon and beyond has shown that many young people benefit from extra help during their transition to further education, training or employment. This could be for lots of reasons, for example due to concerns regarding mental health or emotional wellbeing. Some students may have an identified difficulty such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), a sensory/ physical difficulty or a learning difficulty.To ensure you receive appropriate support, it is important to plan in advance and share information with your future setting. Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing If you experience difficulties with anxiety, mood or another mental health concern, it is good to be open and honest about this with your Further Education/Training provider in advance. Although you may not want to share full details about your personal experiences/difficulties (this is totally understandable), sharing information is a way of accessing support that can help you. Next Steps 8 There are a number of options for getting extra help with social and emotional challenges. The first thing you should do is talk to someone you trust. This could include a trusted member of school/college staff (e.g. your tutor, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator, or a member of staff you trust). Mental health support can also be accessed through: • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (access through the GP service, or you can self-refer http:devon. integratedchildrensservices.co.uk/camhs) • Kooth offers free, confidential counselling support for young people which can be accessed through mobiles, tablets or desktops (see https://kooth.com) • Mind and Young Minds are two charities who offer advice and support for people experiencing mental health needs. There is lots of information on their websites about different conditions and possible help that is available (see https://www. mind.org.uk/ and https://youngminds.org.uk/) Next Steps 9 Alex’s Story Alex had a history of experiencing anxiety and panic attacks and had received support from CAMHS. He had missed some lessons because of this during years 10 and 11. As he was preparing to apply for college, Alex was really concerned that if he mentioned his anxiety on his application then he might not be offered a place because the application would be treated differently to students who hadn’t had the same issues. Alex felt confused however as he wanted the college to know how to best support him. Alex shared his concerns with his head of year at school and this led to joint transition planning between his school and college staff , where Alex was able to be reassured of the support that would be available at college. Alex met staff in the support centre at college before applying and this helped him to feel more confident about being honest and open about his additional support needs. Next Steps 10 What should you do if you struggle with literacy and learning? One of the aspects of further education and training which young people have told us they worry about, is knowing how they will manage with the required reading and writing. If you have had help with these areas in the past, or you feel you need help, it is important you raise this with someone (e.g. your tutor, mentor or the SENCo). This should be discussed and considered before the transition – try and share information about yourself as early as possible so that support can be put in place for when you start.