Supporting Successful Supporting Successful
Transition to Secondary Transition to Secondary
School School ––
A group approachA group approach
Sam Hawkesford Sam Hawkesford
and and
Phoebe KentPhoebe Kent
Speech and Language TherapistsSpeech and Language Therapists
Summer Transition GroupsSummer Transition Groups
• Groups typically run on four consecutive days
e.g. First week in August
Monday to Thursday
9.30 – 11.30
WhyWhy
• All children, irrespective of their special
needs status, seem to have the same
concerns at transfer to secondary school,
typically feeling ‘scared, nervous and
excited’. (Communication Trust 2009 –
Transition to Secondary p35)
WhyWhy
•• Particularly for children with SLCN, negative Particularly for children with SLCN, negative
thoughts can develop and positive aspects get thoughts can develop and positive aspects get
‘‘lostlost’’
• Transition is introduced within primary settings
from year five leading to an increased amount of
time to build up concerns and anxieties
WhyWhy
• Anxieties from other pupils, parents
plus health and education teams can
unintentionally have a negative effect
ASD/Other SLCNASD/Other SLCN
• Young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder usually have a clear transition plan with Autism Outreach Services
• Young people with other SLCN do not have access to this and transitional support depends on individual primary and secondary schools
Broad AimsBroad Aims
• Reduce parental and pupil anxiety
– Anxiety linked to the significant number of
changes does not just affect those with ASD
but all children with SLCN
– Parents have their own difficulties in the
process of transition (Communication Trust
2009 – Transition to Secondary p11)
Broad AimsBroad Aims
Gray (2009) summarised these as
– concerns about personal adaptability, about
peers and friendships, about new teachers
and rules, about the size of the secondary
school and getting lost, about coping with
work and about moving around the new
environment. (Communication Trust 2009 –
Transition to Secondary p19)
Broad AimsBroad Aims
• Use a group format as we are looking
predominantly at social interaction
• Hope to establish some new friendships
before starting at a new school
Broad AimsBroad Aims
• Support joint working – AOS ‘feel happier’
knowing groups happening
• Opportunity to discuss any areas of
transition parents or pupils are concerned
about – doesn’t have to fit into SLT
– Education staff not in for quick questions over
the summer
How the groups are set upHow the groups are set up
• Liaison within and across services
• Booking rooms
• Staffing
• Locations and matching to secondary
schools
• Offering alternative groups
• Admin
The SessionsThe Sessions• Key communication skills are practised by
encouraging young people to take the lead
– Negotiation
– Planning and organisation
– Listening to each other
– Giving instructions and information
– Following instructions
– Requesting help
– Social interaction
– Self esteem and confidence
The SessionsThe Sessions
• “Transition planning may often seem a futile exercise by participants and carers…. They are given lots of information but no explanation or practical advice. It’s general … not specific.” (Amanda Batten, SEN Magazine 2009)
•• Groups evolve, with both existing and new Groups evolve, with both existing and new
resources evaluated at the end of each resources evaluated at the end of each
summersummer
Session OneSession OneActivity Equipment Aim Timing
Listen to the music. CD player and music
To settle and relax group. To increase
attention
Introduce and explain the visual time table.
Time tableBlue tac
To aid participants ability to feel
comfortable and be able to predict the
session.
5 mins
Introductions. Each child gives name and one piece of information.
After all have done this, others try to remember
the information.
Name Labels To introduce group members and create
the feeling of a group. To increase listening
and auditory memory.
10 mins
Rules for the group. Set some rules including
attention and listening, interrupting etc.
Pens and paper
To encourage turn taking and problem
solving. Establishing boundaries
5 mins
Discussion about
secondary school.Each
participant identifies 2
+ve and 2 -ve things about
going to secondary
school
Pens and paper
To identify good points and potential
difficulties for discussion
during subsequent
sessions
15 mins
Session OneSession One
The Socially Speaking Game.
Socially Speaking Game –Alison
Schroeder
To encourage problem solving within a small
group.
15 mins
Snack Time Cups, drinks,
plates, fruit.
To encourage turn taking,
problem solving and spontaneous
peer conversations.
20 mins
Session OneSession One
How do I feel?
Participants to identify where they see them
selves on the tree.
Information to be shared – optional.
Tree Pictures
from More than 40 ways to develop
Emotional Literacy –Elizabeth Morris.Pencil
crayons
To encourage participants to focus on how
they feel.To begin to
identify ways of altering how one feels.
10 mins
Session OneSession One
Talking About
Secondary School.
Structured discussion
about specific
scenario’s.
Talking About …
Secondary School.
Black Sheep Press.
To encourage participants to
focus how others might
feel.
10 mins
Session OneSession One
How was today?
Participants answer
questions on what they
liked, would like to do next etc.
Worksheets from More than
40 ways to develop
Emotional Literacy –Elizabeth Morris.Pens
CD player and music
To encourage participants to focus on how they feel and
increase motivation by
identifying own short term
goals. Therapists able to tailor future
sessions to meet individual needs.
10 mins
Session OneSession One
Warm Up. Topic Talk Conversations
Topic Talk Conversatio
ns CardsSusan Pike,Superduper
inc
To create the feeling of a group. To increase
listening and conversation
skills.
10 mins
Discussion about secondary school.Identify, discuss
and problem solve one of the -ve things from Session 1
Pens and paper
To encourage problem
solving within a small group.
15 mins
Sessions Two to FourSessions Two to Four
Sessions Two to FourSessions Two to FourSocial inferences. Social
inferences Fun Deck.
Audrey Prince,
Superduper inc
To encourage problem solving within a small
group.
15 mins
Moving on Up Board Game
Moving on Up – Newcastle City Council
To encourage turn taking and problem solving
skills.
15 mins
What’s Got Into You spinner game
What’s Got Into You –
LDA Learning
To combine emotion words, facial expression
and body language
10 mins
Final SessionFinal Session
Positives and negatives for secondary.
Discuss sheets and solutions
Solution sheets
To encourage participants to
focus on positive aspects of
secondary and realise problems can be solved.
10 mins
Compliments and letters from group
leaders.
Reward stickersLetters
To reinforce skills by praising
participant’s best efforts.
10 mins
What kids go away withWhat kids go away with
• ‘Affirmation story’
• Certificate
• List of positive things they have identified
• List of potential problems with the group’s
solutions
CERTIFICATE OF CERTIFICATE OF
ATTENDANCEATTENDANCExx
has attended the xxx has attended the xxx
Summer Transition 2010 GroupSummer Transition 2010 Group
x was really good at making friends and helping other x was really good at making friends and helping other
members of the group.members of the group.
When x starts x she is looking forward to making new When x starts x she is looking forward to making new
friends and learning new things.friends and learning new things.
August 2010
SolutionsSolutions
•• GirlsGirls -- Some of us are worried that girls might go ‘aaawwww’ at us because we are small and cute.
•• Can we avoid this?Can we avoid this? –– No – it will probably happen but it might not.
•• Will it hurt us?Will it hurt us? –– No but it might be a bit embarrassing or annoying.
•• What we thought we could do.What we thought we could do.
• Ignore them – they won’t do it for long and they won’t follow us around the playground doing it.
• Aaawww back at them – they might leave us alone.
•• Punishments Punishments -- Some of are worried about punishments such as detention and exclusion at Secondary school.
•• Can we avoid them?Can we avoid them? Yes, but we need to find out what sort of things you get
detention, suspension and exclusion for.
SolutionsSolutions
•• How can we find out?How can we find out?
• We could ask our parents, teachers, peer monitors, prefects, other kids at school (older brothers or sisters) and look in the leaflets about the school.
• It is unlikely that you would get a punishment without a warning. Usually the teachers will give you a warning like, ‘If you carry on doing that you’ll get a detention.’ Or ‘If you do that again, you’ll get a detention.’
• If you do something very wrong, or that you have been warned about you might get a punishment.
What parents go away withWhat parents go away with
• Report given to parents to distribute as they wish
• Daily ‘time table of activities’ with rationale
• Suggestions for how activities can be extended at home
• Daily brief ‘report’ on the young person’s contribution
Activity Aim Notes
Go through the visual time table.
Recap rules – add any if necessary from previous
session
To aid participants ability to feel
comfortable and be able to predict the
session.Establishing boundaries.
Warm Up. Topic Talk Conversations
To create the feeling of a group. To
increase listening and conversation
skills.
Talkabout secondary school.
Identify, discuss and problem solve one of the -ve things from Session 1
To encourage problem solving
within a small group.
Measuring outcomesMeasuring outcomes
• Factors affecting outcome measurements:
– Only recent commissioning of Secondary SLT Service
– Discharge post group
– Out of area
• Currently very qualitative
– Young people and parents
– Secondary SLTs
Future directionsFuture directions
• A more robust way of measuring outcomes
• Using our Outcome System
• Parent questionnaires
• Young people’s confidence scale (Watson, Hughes & Sungum-Paliwal 2006 GAP)
• Involving Autism Outreach Services and Secondary SLT Teams in measuring
