Dorton College – Transitions
When looking at leaving school and progressing into Further Education, it can be a daunting time. There are many SEN providers around but Dorton College is the only VI specialist FE provider in London and the South East region.
Student recruitment, visits and pre-entry assessments
We recommend coming to Dorton College for an initial visit, to see what we do and experience how we work with out partnership GFE providers. You will get a tour of our specialist VI hub and also get to see the wide range of facilities available at our partnership providers. It will also provide an opportunity to meet the Dorton College students and staff and ask any initial questions you may have.
If you would like to be considered for a placement at Dorton College, you will be invited to attend a pre-entry assessment day. You will spend a day with the Dorton College team at the hub and do various assessments so we can see what level is being worked at. These are not tests, just indicators of whether we are the right college for you to come to. There will also be the chance to socialise with the other Dorton College students and ask them what life is like at Dorton College. If you are offered a placement with Dorton College, staff may come and visit your school to meet you and see what we can do to help the transition in to Dorton College and enable this to happen smoothly. You can also come for taster days at Dorton College, prior to starting with us, so you can become familiar with students and staff. This makes the transition into the college much easier!
Learner Journey
During your time at Dorton College you will take part in baseline assessments at the start of every year. This is to see what levels are being worked at so staff can ensure the best curriculum is designed to meet your needs. During your time at Dorton College, you will have Annual reviews every year which will include family, staff and Local Authority representatives. This process will review progress and EHCP needs and all Dorton College students have targets called Individual Learning and Living Plan’s (ILLP’s) that are directly matched to your EHCP.
Post college transitions
As you are nearing the final year of your time at Dorton College, consideration of next steps needs to be given. The Transition Coordinator will be working closely with you towards the end of your placement to ensure that everything is in place to enable a smooth transition out of college. There will be Transition meetings in the last year of placement (in addition to the Annual Review) to make sure everything is organised. This can include living arrangements, moving to Higher Education, moving into voluntary or paid work, or arranging a social care package of activities and ensuring the correct support needs are communicated to the relevant teams.
All of these processes help to ensure a smooth transition into and during college, mapping and reporting the student’s journey along the way to key stakeholders.