SEND Transition from Primary to Secondary School: What UK Parents Need to Know

Why is SEND transition particularly challenging?

The move from primary to secondary involves multiple simultaneous changes that are hard even for neurotypical pupils: a much larger building, eight or more teachers instead of one or two, a daily timetable that requires self-organisation, and a social environment that has been reset entirely. For pupils with autism spectrum conditions, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, physical disabilities, or any combination of needs, these changes carry a higher risk of significant setbacks.

Without deliberate planning, a pupil can arrive in Year 7 effectively unknown to their new school — despite years of carefully built provision in primary. Well-managed transitions involve both schools actively, the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) at the secondary school, and a structured handover of information before the child's first day.

What must schools do during the transition?

There is no single statutory checklist that prescribes every step, but the SEND Code of Practice (2015) requires schools to:

• Ensure that information about a pupil's needs is passed between schools before they start
• Amend an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) where necessary to reflect the new school's provision
• Work with parents and the child to prepare effectively for the move

Beyond these requirements, good practice — which Ofsted expects to see — includes:

What is a transition passport?

A transition passport (sometimes called a pupil profile or pupil voice document) is a short document — often one or two pages — that summarises who a child is, what helps them learn, what makes them anxious, and what support strategies work. It is written with the child, not just about them, and is handed to the receiving secondary school.

Not all primary schools produce one automatically. If your child's primary school has not offered one, you can ask the SENCO directly to create one, or you can draft a simple document yourself. Secondary school SENCOs value them greatly — they offer context that a formal EHCP alone does not always capture.

What should parents do if the EHCP needs amending?

An EHCP specifies a child's needs and the provision that must be made. If the secondary school's provision is meaningfully different from the primary's — different staffing ratios, different specialist resources, a different approach to in-class support — the EHCP should be reviewed and amended before the child starts or shortly after.

Parents can request an early annual review of the EHCP in Year 6 specifically to ensure it reflects secondary provision. The local authority is responsible for maintaining the plan, but the school and parents can both trigger a review. If the EHCP is outdated or insufficiently specific for a secondary setting, an amended plan is far easier to enforce than one written for a primary environment.

What if my child has SEND but no EHCP?

Many pupils receive SEND support at SEN Support level — the school provides adjustments and interventions without an EHCP. In this case, the transition still requires careful planning. Ask the primary SENCO to write a detailed handover note for the secondary SENCO, covering what strategies have been used, what works, and what the child finds difficult.

If you believe your child's needs are severe enough to warrant an EHCP and one has never been requested, the transition to secondary school is a sensible prompt to make a formal request to the local authority for an EHC needs assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Can I request extra transition visits for my child?

Yes. Secondary schools routinely offer additional visits to pupils whose teachers or parents have indicated that the standard taster day is insufficient. Contact the SENCO at the secondary school in the spring or early summer of Year 6 to arrange this. Some secondary schools run dedicated transition mornings for SEND pupils before the general cohort visits.

What if the secondary school says the EHCP cannot be implemented as written?

The school is legally required to implement an EHCP once a child is on roll. If a school believes it cannot meet a child's needs, it should raise this with the local authority before accepting the placement. If the school raises implementation concerns after the child has started, contact the local authority's SEND team immediately. You can seek advice from a SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) in your area, which provides free, impartial guidance.

Does SEND support automatically transfer from primary to secondary?

The duty to support a pupil with SEND transfers to the receiving school, but the specific arrangements do not transfer automatically — they need to be re-agreed. This is why active communication between the two schools and the local authority is essential, rather than assuming the new school will simply continue what the old school did.

Should I involve my child in transition planning?

Absolutely. Children who understand what to expect are far less anxious about the move. Involve your child in creating a transition passport, visit the secondary school together before the formal taster day if possible, and talk openly about what they are looking forward to and what worries them. Secondary schools increasingly involve pupils directly in SEND review meetings rather than discussing plans over their heads.

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