Transition from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5

The step up from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 is a significant one and it is really important that both you and your child fully understand what the options are. There are 3 pathways:

• Pathway 1: Key Stage 5@Grange Park School (Wrotham) 

• Pathway 2: College Patnership:  Grange Park@Mid-Kent (Medway or Maidstone) or Hadlow College

•  Pathway 3: Another educational provider or employment

Attending college opens up personal horizons and, with the support of Grange Park staff, pupils do well. For pupils not yet ready to access college, we do provide an interim course at the Wrotham Site.

In both pathway 1 and 2 the pupil remains a student at Grange Park for the duration of their study. All students continue to receive the same tailored support regardless of location. 

The college provision is a 5 day provision and further details can be found in the curriculum section of the website.

For pathway 3 we will support the pupil in their next steps.

The transition process

The process begins in Year 9 when we discuss transition to Key Stage 5 in the EHCP review. Over the next two years we work to ensure that you and your child are well informed about the different options and what needs to be done to achieve a successful transition into Key Stage 5.

• Year 9: Transition Review

• Year 10: parents and pupils invited to attend an information sharing session about college.

• Year 10: pupils attend a Taster Day at the colleges.

• Year 11: parents’ visits to Mid-Kent College Medway, Mid-Kent College Maidstone and Hadlow College

• Year 11: Support with College applications and interviews 

• Year 11: Taster Days

Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 Transition Timeline

 

Date	What Happens	What You Need To Do
End of September	1) Pupils talk with staff about College & KS5 options 2) Pupils send questions to College staff and current students
Early October	Information evening at Grange Park@Wrotham for Y9, Y10, Y11	Complete response form to attend the relevant open day Attend
Early December	Open evening for parents and pupils to visit the colleges and attend information sharing session	Complete response form to attend the relevant open day Attend
December	1) Pupils make provisional college course choices 2) Pupils to have created Personal Statements. Pupils’ personal statements and data sharing letter are sent home for parents to approve	Discuss this with your child at home   Check your child’s personal statement and send with an approval form.
January	Teachers provide predicted grades for Year 11-14 pupils. These are sent home. Applications to college made by Grange Park Staff	Complete and return consent form agreeing to course choice.
February/March	Pupils will receive letter inviting them for an interview	Inform the school of time and date as well as any difficulties with appointment time/date.
March/April	Interviews for college courses. Pupils are supported by GPS staff	Take your child to and collect from college.
April/May	Pupils receive a confirmation letter of the offer from college	Share letters you get with school.
May	KCC transport form is sent home to be completed.	Complete and send form with letter
May	Coffee morning for all parents of pupils transitioning into our Post 16 Provision	Attend Coffee Morning
June/July	Pupils have transition days to college/KS5 Wrotham.

 

 

Throughout The Year
EHCP Transition Targets set in Yr10, Yr11 and KS5	Discuss possible transition options with your child and bring those ideas to their EHCP annual review.
Careers Advice for Year 10, 11 and KS5	Reports from career advisor will be sent home

 

Come and look at the provisions

Tours of the school and colleges run regularly throughout the year. These are often at 16:00 so as to provide a quiet opportunity to look around the facilities and more opportunity to ask questions. There is also a virtual tour on the school website in the About Us page.

 

What if Grange Park @ College or Wrotham are not appropriate provisions

You will need to research the local provisions and then, if there is no appropriate local provision, the national provisions. We are happy to discuss the KS5 and Post-19 provisions with you and provide you with support through this process. If you believe a national specialist college or other non-Kent County Council provision will be best for your child then we recommend starting this by identifying it as the preferred placement in the Year 10 EHCP.

Specialist Colleges can be found using www.natspec.org.uk