School transitions: carrying this year’s support into next year
By Term 4, you may have spent months working with your child’s school to find support that helps.
Perhaps the morning routine is finally feeling more manageable. Your child has a trusted adult they can turn to. Their teacher understands when they need a break, how to explain instructions or what helps them join in.
Some of these changes may be written into a plan. Others may have developed through conversations, observations and a teacher getting to know your child.
As you look towards next year, it’s worth asking:
How will we make sure what we’ve learned this year helps shape what happens next?
Start with what’s working
Transition planning often focuses on what will be different: a new teacher, classroom, timetable or school.
Alongside preparing for those changes, make time to identify what you want to carry forward.
Think about the moments that have become easier for your child. What has helped make that possible?
It might be:
Being greeted by a familiar adult each morning.
Seeing instructions as well as hearing them.
Knowing about changes ahead of time.
Having a quieter place to recover when things feel overwhelming.
Receiving support to get started on a task.
Ask your child what helps them, in a way that suits how they communicate. Their perspective may highlight something adults haven’t noticed.
Capture the details behind the strategy
A handover that says “movement breaks” gives a new teacher a starting point. A more specific explanation helps them understand how to use that support.
For example:
“Offering a short movement break before the afternoon writing session has helped Alex return ready to begin. Waiting until Alex is visibly overwhelmed has made it harder to rejoin.”
Useful details include when support is offered, how it’s introduced and what difference it appears to make.
You can also ask staff:
“What have you learned about supporting my child this year that you’d want their next teacher to know?”
That question can help capture the everyday knowledge that hasn’t yet made its way into a formal plan.
Turn the handover into practical arrangements
Sharing information is an important step. The next conversation is about how that information will be used.
At an end-of-year meeting, you might ask:
What information will be shared, and with whom?
How will the receiving teacher or school have an opportunity to discuss it?
Which supports need to be organised before my child starts?
Who will coordinate those arrangements?
When will we check how things are going?
If next year’s teacher hasn’t been confirmed, ask who can coordinate the handover in the meantime.
A short written summary of agreed actions can help everyone leave with the same understanding.
Allow for a new setting
Carrying support forward also means considering how it might need to change.
A trusted adult may be moving on. A break routine may need adapting to a high school timetable. Your child may have new preferences or feel differently about how support is offered.
Focus on the purpose behind the strategy. If a morning greeting helps your child feel connected and know where to go, how could the new setting provide that?
The aim is to build on what you already know while leaving room to learn.
Agree on a time to review
You won’t be able to predict everything before the year begins.
An early check-in gives you, your child and the school an opportunity to consider whether agreed supports are happening, whether they’re helping and what needs adjusting.
Before this year finishes, ask who your contact will be and when you’ll reconnect.
The time spent understanding your child this year is valuable. Capturing that knowledge and planning how to use it gives next year’s team something meaningful to build on.
Want help finding your starting point?
Join my free online workshop, Set Your Child Up for Success Next Year, on 4 November at 12 pm AEDT.
We’ll explore how to identify gaps in your child’s transition planning and get clearer about your next steps. There’s time for questions, and a replay will be sent if you can’t attend live.
Register for the free workshop.
If you’d prefer personalised support, you can also book a free Connection Call to talk about what’s happening for your family.
