School transition plan (Wales)

Once you finish your GCSEs you can choose from a number of options in terms of what you want to do next. You may wish to remain at school until 18 if your school has a sixth form or you might choose to attend a local college to study a course there. Alternatively, you might want to go straight into work and earn a living. There are lots of options but planning for your future will begin in Year 9.

Year 9 review meetings

Before your Year 9 transitions meeting you should

• Meet with your Careers Adviser to discuss which subjects you are enjoying and achieving good grades in, which subjects you plan to take for GCSE and your aspirations for life after school.
• Talk to your subject teachers about your strengths and which subjects you are best at and enjoy most.
• Talk to your Careers Wales Adviser and your parents about what you may want to do after completing Year 11. You might be considering sixth form, a local college, residential college, further training or going straight into work.
• Think about any difficulties you are having in school so that you can talk about these at the meeting.

As well as careers advisers, teachers and your Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired, your parents will also be invited to attend the meeting. If you feel shy or nervous about raising things at the meeting it is a good idea to talk through any issues with your parents or a member of staff beforehand.

A report will be written after the meeting which summarises everything you talked about. Your parents will be sent a copy and you can read through it to check that you are happy with it. If you think anything has been missed out, talk to a member of staff about it. Remember, it's your plan for your future so it's important that you feel it says what you think it should.

Year 10 review meeting

Another review meeting will take place in Year 10. At this meeting you may also be joined by staff from your local college or sixth form staff. There will be discussions about the support that you've had through school and the support that you are likely to need at sixth form or college. You will all need to consider the courses or subjects you are planning to do and what types of support you might need.

After the Year 10 meeting a report will be written and copies will be given to you, your parents, school staff, Careers Wales and staff at the sixth form or college you are planning to attend. This will outline your plans for after Year 11 and will examine

• the support you receive at school
• your level of capability in relation to mobility, orientation and independent living skills
• the support that you will need at sixth form or college.

Again, make sure you read through the report after the meeting to check that you are happy with it.