1. Belinda Blank
Transition Liaison Officer, TreeHouse School
Ambitious about Autism

2. Transition at TreeHouse School:
Curriculum
Parent information
& support
Pupil voice
(PCP &
Multi-Me)
Assessments
e.g. LDA
Attend meetings
with LA,
FE colleges etc.
Talks series
Transition Support
Group /
Parent lunches
Liaison with adult
services
Online transition
Guide
(currently
in production)
Work experience,
vocational
placements
Introduction of person centred planning for all Annual Reviews from Year 9
Use of Multi Me a secure electronic platform for social interaction (social networking), pupil voice, communication, and person centred transition planning – many safety features including buddys etc.  
Introduction of Vocational Pathways across the upper school curriculum
Support for students in scoping vocational pathways
Support from all school and allied professionals with assessment paperwork and LDAs
Support for parents in LA meetings and assessment procedures through transfer to adult services
Visits for parents and carers to FE Colleges, and support with assessments for LDAs
Emotional and practical support for parents and carers on a one to one basis and through Transition Support Group
Parent Information series inviting high level speakers to the school to cover legal, educational health and other relevant issues
Ofsted LOVED IT! 2

3. Transition in the curriculum at TreeHouse School
Life skills, daily living skills and continued emphasis on academic skills
Vocational training focus including internal and external work placements
A variety of vocational and leisure options including
Horticulture
catering and hospitality
Digital Media
retail and enterprise
Construction
performing arts
sports and leisure and
ICT
Vocational specialists have been employed including a Digital Media Specialist.

4. Pupil Voice at TreeHouse School
Person Centred Planning:
a process of understanding what it means to put the person at the centre of decision-making - a way of thinking which says the person does not need to be squashed into the system, the system needs to listen to the voice of the person.
We use headings in the Year Nine annual reviews including:
what do people like and admire about me?
what is important to me now and in the future?
what needs to be in place to keep me safe
what is working or not working in my life, from my point of view and others?

5. Person Centred Planning at TreeHouse School
is a way of adding to the evidence that students’ views needs to be taken into account and be at the centre of decision-making and commissioning. For example, saying that any future placement should take account of the desire of the young person to work and have his work needs met.
At Treehouse we have found different ways to include pupil voice in PCP annual reviews where it is not appropriate for the young person to attend for very long. These include:
showing pupil work folders,
pictoral charts indicating their likes and dislikes,
pictures and videos showing the favourite activities the young person chooses to do.
Many students present these folders themselves.

6. Pupil Voice at TreeHouse School
We wanted to find a system that would:
Combine external plans such as those done by parents, local authorities, other settings
Use the school communication passport
Use all the data we have on pupil choice and pupil interests.
We wanted to make the system even more pupil-based and pupil appropriate however, so have introduced Multi Me

7. We use the buddy system to ensure pupils access and download only those materials which reflect their tastes and interests in an appropriate fashion, and socialise with others appropriately.
Pupils can use the system to create their own folder of work and materials – e.g.
you tube clips,
favourite videos
music
which truly reflects their own interests, and then access this at home and in other settings.
We are looking at using it to provide schedules and visual timetables and – hopefully – to link with calendars. These are all really important features for young people with autism.

8. We are starting a parent pilot project, where parents have been given family accounts so that students can access multi me at home, thus uniting family, outside interests and so on with what happens at school. A whole of life system not just a school system.
We are looking at using the system to do other tasks such as the home/school book for those parents that would prefer to update electronically.

9. We are currently working with Charlie to enable more detailed documentation such as those documents needed to keep pupils safe and understood. For example
behaviour plans
risk assessments
medical information
communication passports
At each step parents and carers have been consulted and confidentiality and security is our utmost priority.
We always keep in mind the need to comply with the Mental Capacity Act, and Data Protection laws

10. We hope the system will be portable and transferable so that it can go on to be used in settings outside of school following transition to next placements.
We hope that we can eventually move away from current paper based systems so that plans remain active and easily updated.

11. How Multi Me works at TreeHouse
Used with classes from Years 10 to 14 (aged 15 to 19).
Each class gets 30 minutes allocated Multi Me teaching time a week
The 30 minute session is split into two:
Week 1:Pupil A – 15 mins - Pupil B – 15 mins
Week 2: Pupil C – 15 mins – Pupil D – 15 mins
Week 3: – Pupil E 15 mins – Pupil F – 15 mins
(rotational basis)
Students can use Multi Me throughout the week with their tutors

12. Example – lesson plans/ Visuals
Taking and uploading a profile picture
Choosing and uploading a background image
Choosing and uploading pictures for profile page
Creating a story

13. Stories Weekend diary – with photos and text
A Day at School- with photos and text
Things I like – with photos and text
Stories
My favourite music – with YouTube videos and text
What I have done at Avon Tyrell/ Lee Valley – with photos and text
How I help people at school – with photos, text and recorded videos
Typing up class activities e.g. how to make a smoothie
Typing up stories read in class with tutors

14. Anything else?
There have been additional benefits – literacy skills have been encouraged. It is a system that suits a wide variety of users from the very able to those with more complex needs.
This is new work – we needed a developer who would listen and learn