- What Is an Early Years Transition?
- What Your Child’s Setting Must Do
- Choosing the Right School: What to Look For
- Moving into Reception: Key Dates
- EHC Plans, School Naming and Deferred Entry
- How Jimac Cars Helps SEND Families
What Is an Early Years Transition?
For children with additional needs, starting nursery or moving into a Reception class takes more planning than most families expect. Waltham Forest Council uses the word ‘transition’ to cover all of these changes — first day at a childminder, moving between nurseries, or heading into primary school.
The council’s guidance, updated in May 2026, sets out what families should expect from early years providers at every stage. If you have concerns about your child’s development, your health visitor or family doctor (GP) is the right first call. They can refer you to other services where needed. Waltham Forest’s Family Hubs also have experienced Family Support workers on hand to help.
What Your Child’s Setting Must Do
All registered early years settings in Waltham Forest are expected to include children with learning delays, additional needs, or disabilities where possible. Before your child starts, the setting should:
- Talk with you properly to understand your child’s strengths and needs
- Offer a Transition Meeting with professionals already supporting your child, so the right arrangements are in place before day one
- Walk you through their settling-in process and adjust it to suit your child
If extra support is needed, additional help can be arranged through SEN Inclusion Funding (SENIF), which is there specifically for children with additional needs in early years settings.
Choosing the Right School: What to Look For
There is no single right answer. What works for one child with SEND can be wrong for another. Think about how your child manages in groups, whether they need a quiet space, the distance from home, accessible parking, and whether siblings attend the same school.
Once you have a shortlist, check the school’s SEN Policy and Ofsted report, and speak to other parents with SEND children about their experience. Most importantly, contact the SENCO at each school to arrange a visit.
Good questions to ask the SENCO include how staff are trained for your child’s specific needs, how the setting handles therapy programmes, what support looks like at lunchtimes, and how they communicate with parents throughout the year.
Moving into Reception: Key Dates
Waltham Forest’s Starting School Together programme supports families through the nursery-to-school move.
Key dates to keep in mind:
- Application deadline for Reception class: 15 January
- School offers made: 16 April
- For children with an EHC Plan: school named on plan by 15 February in the year of transfer
If your child has an SEN Support Plan, it must be shared between their current setting and the new school. Schools are also expected to discuss flexible start hours for children who need a longer settling-in period.
EHC Plans, School Naming and Deferred Entry
If your child has an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan, you can state a preference for a specific school and the Local Authority must agree unless there is a clear reason it is unsuitable. The school goes into Section I of the EHC Plan, and must be confirmed by 15 February to allow time for any appeal to the SEND Tribunal (SENDist) before September.
For help choosing a school, contact the SEND team at senteam@walthamforest.gov.uk or SENDIASS at sendiasswalthamf@centre404.org.uk.
On deferred entry: you can request a January or April start depending on your child’s birthday, but you must still apply by the 15 January deadline. For children with an EHC Plan who want to delay entry by a full year, a written request to the SEND department is required. A panel considers these in May, and approval does not guarantee the same school the following year.
For more on Waltham Forest’s SEND early years guidance, visit the council’s Local Offer pages or email the SEND team at senteam@walthamforest.gov.uk
How Jimac Cars Helps SEND Families
School visits, SENCO appointments, transition meetings, Family Hub sessions — getting a child with additional needs settled into a new setting involves a lot of journeys. Let Jimac Cars provide safe and reliable transport for families and young people with SEND needs, making every journey easier and stress-free. Whether it is a first nursery visit or the daily school run, Jimac Cars is here to support Waltham Forest families at every step.
