When should NDIS transition planning from school start?

Start early, ideally during years 10 to 12. Beginning a few years out gives you time to explore goals, try different options and gather the evidence your next plan will need. Your school can help through their transition planning, and thinking ahead means supports are ready when you finish rather than organised at the last minute.

What are School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)?

School Leaver Employment Supports, or SLES, are NDIS-funded supports that help young people build skills for work in the years after finishing school. They can cover things like work experience, travel training and building confidence and independence. If employment is one of your goals, it is worth raising SLES in your planning conversation to see if it suits you.

What evidence helps with an NDIS plan after leaving school?

Recent reports from occupational therapists, psychologists or your school are useful, along with an updated goals statement and a clear list of the supports that help you reach those goals. Current evidence that connects your goals to the supports you are asking for makes it easier for the NDIA to understand what you need as you move into adult life.

What options are there after leaving school besides work?

Plenty. As well as employment supports, you might consider further study, day programs, and community participation activities that build connection and routine. Practical goals like independent travel, managing money and social connection matter too. The right mix depends on your goals, so explore a few options before deciding what to include in your plan.

How can I build independence before leaving school?

Practise everyday skills like using transport, budgeting and speaking up for yourself, since these grow best over time. Explore assistive technology that could help you do more independently, and connect with peers going through the same change. Building these skills gradually while still at school means you finish more confident and ready for adult life.

Leaving school with the NDIS (transition to adult life)

The years around leaving school are a big transition. Planning ahead helps you line up the right supports so the move to adult life is smooth.

Start early (years 10–12)

Talk about goals for after school — work, study, community
Ask your school about transition planning
Note the supports you’ll need in your next plan

Explore your options

Look into School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) if work is a goal
Consider further study, day programs or community participation
Think about transport, independence and social connection

Get the evidence ready

Gather recent reports (OT, psychology, school reports)
Update your goals statement for your planning meeting
List the supports that would help you reach your goals

Build independence

Practise skills like travel, budgeting and self-advocacy
Set up any assistive technology you’ll need
Connect with peers and community groups

Good to know

SLES helps young people build skills for work in the first years after school.
Start the conversation early — good transitions take time to plan.

Why this checklist

Leaving school is a big change, and for NDIS participants a bit of planning makes the move into adult life far smoother. This checklist helps you and your family think ahead about goals for after school, the options available, the evidence you will need, and the independence skills worth building along the way.

Starting early matters because good transitions take time. Ideas explored in years 10 to 12 can shape the goals in your next plan and the supports that go with them. Whether your focus is work, further study, community participation or living more independently, planning ahead means the right supports are ready when school finishes rather than scrambled together afterwards.

How to use it

Begin early, ideally across years 10 to 12. Talk about what you would like life to look like after school, ask your school about their transition planning, and note the supports you might want reflected in your next NDIS plan.

Then explore your options. If work is a goal, look into School Leaver Employment Supports, often called SLES. Consider further study, day programs and community participation too, along with practical needs like transport, building independence and staying socially connected.

Get your evidence ready by gathering recent occupational therapy, psychology or school reports, updating your goals statement, and listing the supports that help you reach those goals. Alongside this, keep building independence: work on travel, budgeting and self-advocacy skills, explore any assistive technology that helps, and connect with peers who are going through the same transition.

Benefits of preparing it beforehand

Preparing this checklist early takes the pressure off a milestone that can otherwise feel overwhelming. When goals and evidence are ready before your planning conversation, it is easier to show what supports you need and why, and to make sure nothing important is left out of your next plan.

It also gives you time to build the skills and connections that make adult life work. Practising travel, budgeting and self-advocacy, trying out assistive technology, and linking in with peers all happen best gradually rather than in a rush. Planning ahead means you finish school with a clear direction and the supports lined up to help you pursue it.

Leaving school with the NDIS (transition to adult life) — FAQs

When should NDIS transition planning from school start?: Start early, ideally during years 10 to 12. Beginning a few years out gives you time to explore goals, try different options and gather the evidence your next plan will need. Your school can help through their transition planning, and thinking ahead means supports are ready when you finish rather than organised at the last minute.
What are School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)?: School Leaver Employment Supports, or SLES, are NDIS-funded supports that help young people build skills for work in the years after finishing school. They can cover things like work experience, travel training and building confidence and independence. If employment is one of your goals, it is worth raising SLES in your planning conversation to see if it suits you.
What evidence helps with an NDIS plan after leaving school?: Recent reports from occupational therapists, psychologists or your school are useful, along with an updated goals statement and a clear list of the supports that help you reach those goals. Current evidence that connects your goals to the supports you are asking for makes it easier for the NDIA to understand what you need as you move into adult life.
What options are there after leaving school besides work?: Plenty. As well as employment supports, you might consider further study, day programs, and community participation activities that build connection and routine. Practical goals like independent travel, managing money and social connection matter too. The right mix depends on your goals, so explore a few options before deciding what to include in your plan.
How can I build independence before leaving school?: Practise everyday skills like using transport, budgeting and speaking up for yourself, since these grow best over time. Explore assistive technology that could help you do more independently, and connect with peers going through the same change. Building these skills gradually while still at school means you finish more confident and ready for adult life.

Explore more NDIS resources

Official NDIS sources

Novida is an independent directory, not the NDIA. We explain each form in plain English and link you to the official copy — always download and submit the current version from the official website, as forms are updated from time to time.