Supporting students with SEND on their transition through Further Education to adulthood: A SENDCO’s perspective

Transition to adulthood can pose challenges for all young people; however, there are additional barriers for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The move from secondary school to post-16 education is an important step within this transition and, in the UK, many young people with SEND go on to study at a college of Further Education (FE).

Challenges experienced during this transition can lead to disengagement in learning and negatively affect long-term outcomes.

There has been an increasing number of studies exploring the voice of the young person with SEND as they transition to FE.

However, there is a paucity of research understanding the wider FE context and the voice of key facilitators within this transition, such as the SENDCO.

Therefore, the current thesis examines the SENDCO's perspective of supporting young people with SEND as they transition through FE.

A systematic literature review was carried out to explore the experience of young people with SEND as they transition to post-16 education.

Fifteen qualitative studies were evaluated for quality and findings combined using Thematic Analysis.

Four broad themes emerged that reflected their experiences:

• becoming an adult
• the changing nature of support
• accepting difference
• additional pressures

These themes are discussed in conjunction with study limitations and directions for future research and practice.

The empirical paper adopted a qualitative approach using Thematic Analysis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 FE SENDCOs to explore their views of supporting young people with SEND as they transition through FE.

SENDCO's perceived that students experience this transition in a number of ways and four themes emerged:

• pre-transition ambivalence
• differing realities in college
• selfhood
• post-college uncertainties

SENDCO views on the facilitators and barriers to successful transition was reflected by five themes:

• college factors
• student factors
• support factors
• EHCP factors
• SENDCO factors

Limitations of the study were discussed and implications for Educational Psychologists and FE Colleges in supporting young people with SEND were provided including recommendations for future research.