Preparation for Adulthood from the Earliest Years
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015) outlines the concept of preparing for adulthood by focusing on several key outcomes:
- Higher Education and/or Employment: This involves exploring various employment options, including support for self-employment and assistance from supported employment agencies.
- Independent Living: This emphasizes enabling young people to have choice, control, and freedom over their lives, including decisions about their support, accommodation, and living arrangements, such as supported living.
- Participation in Society: This includes having friends, forming supportive relationships, and engaging in and contributing to the local community.
- Health: Ensuring young people are as healthy as possible in adult life.
These are collectively referred to as the Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes. While the PfA outcomes seem tailored for older children and young people, particularly those of secondary school age, the Code of Practice (2015) emphasises that preparation for adulthood should begin in the early years. The foundation for successful transition into adulthood for all children and young people is laid early, through a planned and intentional approach to teaching and learning. This approach should foster children’s ability to make decisions and involve them in shaping their educational experiences. It is crucial that preparation for adulthood is integrated into all educational settings and their curriculum offer.
Contents
Whole School SEND (WSS) have CPD and other resources which will help schools and colleges as they plan to prepare their learners for adulthood. We have grouped these into four categories:
- Upcoming events
- Resources
- Continuing professional development (CPD)
- Blogs
We hope you find these useful.
Upcoming Events
Preparing for Adulthood from the Earliest Years Review Guide
A great place to start is with our refreshed ‘Preparing for Adulthood from the Earliest Years’ Review Guide was trialled with schools in Oxfordshire who found that taking part in the process resulted in:
- A clear focus and drive for school improvement
- More widely shared expertise and good practice
- Better understanding of the rationale of PfAEY
- A clear and strategic vision for embedding PfAEY
- A named PfAEY governor
Resources
Securing Good Transitions: A resource pack to support the next steps of Key Stage 4 pupils with SEND
- General
- 03 Feb 2021
CPD
Improving Outcomes for Learners with Vision Impairment (VI) at post-16 - Access to Learning
- Webcasts
- 21 Mar 2024
This webinar is for staff working with young people at post-16 in education, training or employment to explore how the learning environment & additional support can be put in place to ensure that staff & students feel confident in their post-16 provision.
Improving Outcomes for Learners with Vision Impairment (VI) at post-16 - Learning to Access
- Webcasts
- 12 Mar 2024
This webinar is for staff working with young people at post-16 in education, training or employment to explore how the learning environment & additional support can be put in place to ensure that staff & students feel confident in their post-16 provision.
Twilight Talks: Where I want to Live
- Webcasts
- 12 Jan 2024
An introduction to an emerging innovative digital approach that empowers young people with learning disabilities to make choices about where and how they live their adult lives.
Twilight Talks: Effective collaboration between the Careers Leader and SENCO
- Webcasts
- 08 Dec 2023
This session will be delivered by The Careers and Enterprise Company. Objectives: To identify the roles & responsibilities of the SENCO and Careers Leader and to understand the benefits of the collaboration between the SENCO and Careers Leader
Information summary for transition
- General
- 23 Nov 2023
An useful tool which you could use to summarise and collate the essential information you need about children and young people with SEND at transition points.
Understanding and supporting transitions
- Webcasts
- 16 Oct 2023
In this webcast, we will look at the importance of transitions for young children with SEND.
Preparing for adulthood
- General
- 01 Oct 2023
These slides were presented by Philippa Stobbs at nasen Live 2021.
Blogs
Our Partners
Our Universal Services programme partners have a number of useful resources.
Autism Education Trust
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF)
We would also recommend following links to some our Consortium Partners who work in this area for further information.