Moving to Secondary School for Children with ASN: a systematic review of international literature

This paper presents the findings, from a systematic review of international literature, of the existing research into the transition to secondary school of children with additional support needs (ASN), which happens for most children at around 11 – 12 years of age in Scotland. It brings an original contribution to the existing literature through its focus on the holistic transition experience of this group of children.

From an initial 52 texts that met the inclusion criteria, further scrutiny led to the identification of only 22 empirical studies published in the last 15 years which contained findings meeting the review objectives. Transition is an ongoing process however only five studies were longitudinal. There remains a paucity of international literature to inform good practice in a consistent manner, and a need for further longitudinal, qualitative research to support the development of inclusive education internationally. Implications for educational policy include personalisation of this school move.