Transition into adulthood has been identified as a critical period in the lives of young people with learning disabilities, with national guidance and legislation emphasising the role of participation and inclusion as central to the transition process. In this article, Steven Carnaby, a clinical psychologist working with adults with learning disabilities in London and a lecturer in learning disability at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent; Patricia Lewis, head of the sixth form and SENCo; Di Martin, senior teacher and former SENCo; John Naylor, deputy head of the sixth form and head of arts; David Stewart OBE, headteacher, all from the Shepherd School, Nottingham, report the outcomes of a small‐scale case study exploring these issues. The project ran for four years and, in Phase 1, evaluated the ways in which students with learning disabilities were involved in their transition review meetings as they entered their final year at school. This first phase found that many students were excluded from meaningful discussion in their planning meetings, highlighting students with more severe disabilities as being more vulnerable to exclusion. After a series of recommendations were made for improving practice in terms of inclusion and participation, Phase 2 of the study assessed ways in which practice in these areas had improved. The school had developed more individualised ways of working using person‐centred techniques to enhance meaning for students. At the close of this article, the authors summarise these improvements and propose further strategies for enhancing the participation process.

A BSTRACTThe education of pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) has gradually improved, due to a range of new initiatives and the introduction of the national curriculum. However, it is widely recognised that some pupils have a wide range of early specific and complex needs that are not always met.This paper describes a new early curriculum for selfdevelopment being implemented at the Shepherd School, which is unanimously supported by therapists, parents and teachers. It is suggested that,for pupils with PMLD, the new revised framework could provide a more relevant broad and balanced curriculum, fulfilling individual needs, and ultimately lead to effective access to the national curriculum.

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