Post-16 Transitions: a Longitudinal Study of Young People with ...

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introduction of a Children’s Bill. The Every Child Matters agenda proposes a series of measures designed to bring services together: the designation of Directors of Children’s Services offering leadership across the Education-Social Services divide in local authorities, the establishment of more Children’s Trusts bringing a range of agencies together with pooled budgets, the formulation of common targets for children’s services, the development of better informationsharing systems and so on. These developments are being taken forward further in respect of children with SEN through the government’s new strategy, Removing Barriers to Achievement (DfES, 2004b). In addition to proposals for promoting the integration of service delivery in line with Every Child Matters, the strategy makes specific commitments to improve the quality of transition planning, set national standards for the transition from children’s to adult services, expand educational and training opportunities and develop new opportunities for transition to work. The implications for transition are clear. Children and young people who are identified as having special educational needs have increasingly in recent years, been able to expect support to access mainstream pathways and activities rather than segregation in ‘special’ provision. Beginning at school, they are more likely to remain in mainstream settings and to have better-integrated children’s services built around their needs and wishes. As they approach transition, they have begun to be supported through a planned transition process, leading to ‘progressive’ education and training and eventually into the labour market. There, a range of programmes and structures has begun to emerge aimed at enabling them to access employment opportunities. Two of the developments discussed above should have particular benefits for these young people ie the creation of a more coherent and flexible further education and training sector; and the establishment of a supportive Connexions Service more focused on those at risk of ‘fractured’ transitions. In principle, at least, they should be less likely to find themselves channelled into ‘dead-end’ segregated provision and supported much more effectively in making a transition that is recognisably like that of their ‘mainstream’ peers. There are, however, two caveats to note in terms of the cohort who form the subject of this study. First, their final years of schooling and first years in the post-school world coincide with a period of transition in government policy itself. The government’s inclusion policy, for instance, announced in 1997 (DfEE, 1997b) scarcely had time to take effect before these young people’s secondary school placements were decided. Likewise, the Connexions Service, with its staggered start, had no opportunity to make an impact on school-based transition Post-16 Transitions of Young People with SEN: Wave 2 15
planning for the majority of these young people and will only gradually have replaced more traditional Careers Services after they reached the end of statutory schooling. The second caveat is that the new, more inclusive approach to disability and difficulty is located at a particularly challenging time in terms of developments in the labour market and the education system. The restructuring of the labour market, with the consequent shrinkage of demand for unskilled labour (particularly, heavy labour) and the increase in demand for high levels of skill and qualifications places young people with limited skills and qualifications at a significant disadvantage. In turn, the orientation of the school system towards the production of a highly-skilled, highly-qualified workforce (the so-called ‘standards’ agenda) makes schools and colleges highly demanding institutions with a clear focus on achievement which can, if not managed properly, make them alien places for young people who do not achieve highly. At best, young people with special educational needs have enough support and encouragement to enable them to access something like the same opportunities as their peers. At worst, the improvements in the support they receive are never quite adequate for them to be able to meet ever-higher demands in schools and beyond. 16 Post-16 Transitions of Young People with SEN: Wave 2
Page 1 and 2: RESEARCH Post-16 Transitions: a Lon
Page 3 and 4: Acknowledgements The authors would
Page 5 and 6: Contents Executive Summary viii 1.
Page 7 and 8: Executive Summary Introduction This
Page 9 and 10: help or information from the young
Page 11 and 12: profound difficulties and those whi
Page 14 and 15: 1. Introduction This report present
Page 16 and 17: Main-stage fieldwork The aim in the
Page 18 and 19: Table 1.2: Estimates of the number
Page 20 and 21: • Chapter ten draws together the
Page 22 and 23: when educational options have a str
Page 24 and 25: of work-related training schemes. I
Page 26 and 27: without very considerable effort on
Page 30 and 31: 3. Characteristics of Young People
Page 32 and 33: difficulties. The less common forms
Page 34 and 35: Table 3.6: Statement of special edu
Page 36 and 37: Table 3.10: Change in SEN status N
Page 38 and 39: severe learning difficulties/profou
Page 40 and 41: 4. School and Outcomes A primary ai
Page 42 and 43: Table 4.2: Young person’s recall
Page 44 and 45: Table 4.5: Reasons why transition p
Page 46 and 47: Table 4.7: People involved in the t
Page 48 and 49: Table 4.9: Coverage of transition p
Page 50 and 51: Table 4.10: Coverage of transition
Page 52 and 53: Figure 4:3: Reasons why Year 11 dis
Page 54 and 55: Table 4.13: Provider of help to pre
Page 56 and 57: Table 4.15: Most helpful person whe
Page 58 and 59: Table 4.18: Extent to which school
Page 60 and 61: In cases such as these, transition
Page 62 and 63: were choices but young person and f
Page 64 and 65: Figure 4:6: Young People’s views
Page 66 and 67: “In school he had quite a lot of
Page 68 and 69: Figure 4.7: Whether gained qualific
Page 70 and 71: Figure 4.11: Level of qualification
Page 72 and 73: • Over three-quarters of all youn
Page 74 and 75: Table 5.1: Current main activity Al
Page 76 and 77: Table 5.4: Current main activity, b
Page 78 and 79:
Table 5.6: Current main activity, b
Page 80 and 81:
college for people with LDD, and we
Page 82 and 83:
transition plan to have sought advi
Page 84 and 85:
5.2.3 Ease of transition The majori
Page 86 and 87:
Table 5.14: Occupation/training typ
Page 88 and 89:
5.3.3 Method of jobsearch and advic
Page 90 and 91:
• help to progress into work/trai
Page 92 and 93:
Table 5.21: Reasons for current ina
Page 94 and 95:
Table 5.24: Advice received when lo
Page 96 and 97:
However, he was finding this new co
Page 98 and 99:
years, often in quite productive ac
Page 100 and 101:
Table 5.25: Parent/carer view on ex
Page 102 and 103:
employment or a training placement
Page 104 and 105:
Figure 6:2: Benefit receipt, by SEN
Page 106 and 107:
had not had any subsequent contact
Page 108 and 109:
Table 6.3: Type of support lost sin
Page 110 and 111:
Table 6.5: Additional support recei
Page 112 and 113:
met by his special school sixth for
Page 114 and 115:
education since their child left Ye
Page 116 and 117:
• colleges (33 per cent of parent
Page 118 and 119:
published information against just
Page 120 and 121:
who had a statement of SEN and/or h
Page 122 and 123:
Table 6.12: Parent/carer knowledge
Page 124 and 125:
Figure 7:1: Qualifications gained (
Page 126 and 127:
Parents were also asked to reflect
Page 128 and 129:
“(He is) a bit more independent;
Page 130 and 131:
immaturity and the fact that she is
Page 132 and 133:
8. Leisure Activities and Social Li
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Figure 8:2: Weekday evenings spent
Page 136 and 137:
For some young people, the involvem
Page 138 and 139:
For Li, who has found his own way o
Page 140 and 141:
Figure 9:2: Parental views on young
Page 142 and 143:
Table 9.1: Views on the future, all
Page 144 and 145:
Table 9.5: View (4) on the future,
Page 146 and 147:
9.3 Next activity Almost three-quar
Page 148 and 149:
plans for their futures but for var
Page 150 and 151:
10. Conclusions 10.1 Introduction T
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Transition planning is purposely fo
Page 154 and 155:
needs in both the academic and the
Page 156 and 157:
and most reported that they had mor
Page 158 and 159:
the most severe and complex difficu
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Appendix One: Wave 2 survey Summary
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Table A.1: Profile of participating
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10.5.2 Weighting Table A.3 reports
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• Economic factors • Structural
Page 168 and 169:
gave their consent and who lived in
Page 170 and 171:
Gareth is a young man with learning
Page 172 and 173:
she does not succeed, her Connexion
Page 174 and 175:
examples here are Maria who wants t
Page 176 and 177:
time to themselves. The problem for
Page 178 and 179:
here. He is one of the nicest peopl
Page 180 and 181:
Appendix Four: References Bignall T
Page 182:
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