EBSA-Informed Transition Planning

The Year 6 to Year 7 transition can be the point at which school stops feeling possible for vulnerable learners. This session explores what makes that transition so hard for some children and what SENCos can do, starting now in Year 6, to reduce the risk of emotionally based school avoidance taking hold. Using the five domains of safety as a practical framework, we look at the specific challenges transition brings across physical, sensory, social, emotional, and cognitive safety, and what proactive, person-centred planning actually looks like in practice.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the difference between anxiety and overwhelm as drivers of EBSA, and why that distinction matters for how we respond
• Identify what makes the Year 6 to Year 7 transition a risk point for vulnerable learners across all five domains of safety
• Spot the early warning signs that a student may struggle with transition
• Know what practical steps to take now, before September, to reduce that risk
• Feel confident that small, well-timed changes really do make a difference