Moving On Up- Parent & Carer Guide

Calm steps to secondary school, together. 🌈

The move from primary to secondary school is a big, exciting step. For children with SEND, planning ahead makes a real difference, and the research is reassuring: most children’s worries fade after the move, and children with SEN often do just as well as their classmates when planning starts early.

The Moving On Up Parent & Carer Guide is a calm, evidence-informed companion to the Moving On Up workbook. It gives you a clear timeline from Year 5 to Year 7, practical ways to make the new school feel familiar, and simple steps for worries, routines, friendships and sharing what helps.

WHAT’S INSIDE (14 pages):
🌈 A Letter to You – plus the best workbook pages to do together
📖 What Changes, and Why It Goes Well – what the research says
🗓️ Your Timeline – key dates from Year 5 to Year 7, including EHCP deadlines
🏫 Getting to Know the New School – visits, maps, timetables, new words and a visit checklist
💭 Worries and What Helps – the worry scale, what-ifs and helpful phrases
🎒 Practising New Routines – the journey, uniform, bag, lunchtime, homework and a summer practice plan
🤝 Friends, Old and New – making and keeping friends, and chats that open up
📋 Sharing What Helps – the profile, passport, key adult and help cards
⭐ The First Weeks – calm evenings, check-ins and when to talk to school
📝 Our Transition Plan – a fill-in plan to keep everything in one place
☕ You Matter Too – looking after yourself, and where to get help
⭐ Top 10 for Moving On Up – a fridge-friendly poster

HOW IT HELPS:
✔ Calm, positive and easy to read
✔ Based on research and statutory guidance
✔ A clear timeline so nothing gets missed
✔ Practical checklists for visits, routines and the first weeks
✔ Helps you share your child’s voice with the new school
✔ Pairs with the Moving On Up workbook

PERFECT FOR:

• Parents and carers of children with SEND in Year 5, 6 or 7

• Families of children with an EHCP or SEN Support

• SENCos and family support workers looking for a resource to share with families

WHAT YOU GET:

• 1 printable PDF file, 14 pages, A4 size

• Prints on US Letter too: just choose “Fit to page” in your print settings

• Print the transition plan and Top 10 poster as many times as you like

• Instant digital download, so no physical item will be posted

PLEASE NOTE
This guide is for information and support. Admissions and EHCP rules described apply in England at the time of writing (2026).
© 2026 The SEN Advocate. For personal and educational use only. Not for resale or redistribution.