Preparing for arrival

Schools should be fully prepared for new arrivals, even if the notice period has been short. Schools should ensure that responsibilities for co-ordinating arrangements are clear.

Parents and students should be able to access all information about the school via the Internet (it is possible to link to all individual SCE school web-sites from www.sceschools.com). School web-sites should enable contact by parents and access to admission information, school brochure and other key documents, including links to Ofsted reports, school profiles and current newsletters.

Standard practice in SCE is that school records normally arrive with the incoming student, having been entrusted to 'parent post' by the releasing school. In many cases, work-books and portfolios are available.

In line with SCE policy, the releasing SCE schools will ensure that the student and accompanying parent bring a leaving report. For primary schools, this will contain details of:

• Current National Curriculum levels for core subjects;
• The student's current targets in these core subjects;
• Details of attainment and achievement in foundation subjects;
• Summary of special needs and/or gifted and talented;
• DCSF UPN and CTF (Department for Children, Families and Schools Unique Pupil Number and Common Transfer Form). Note that UPN and CTF may not be available for students transferring from countries other than England and Wales.

and will normally be supplemented with a sample or complete set of current school-work.

Full preparation includes space to sit, hang coats and keep work. Academic preparation includes attention to teaching groups and provision of information about timetables.

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