Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Policy statement

Everyone at Apple Tree Nursery values everyone who uses the setting equally. It is our intention to support the needs of each individual child. We work in partnership with parents and professionals from other agencies. We work to remove barriers to children’s learning and participation and to provide every child with the skills, resources and support that will enable them to fulfil their potential in a main stream setting.

No child will be discriminated against or devalued because of a Special Educational Need and/or disability. It is the nursery’s responsibility to provide children with the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

We welcome all children and their families. Children will be admitted in accordance with our Admissions Policy. In accordance with our Settling-in Policy, we are flexible in meeting the needs of each child.  We also take steps to ensure that the nursery is ready to meet a child’s individual needs before the child begins attending nursery and that we can support individual routines.

Working in partnership

We aim to build positive relationships with families.

·        Parents are encouraged to discuss their child with the Key Person, informally, each day.

·        When necessary more formal meetings are arranged.

·        Any discussion with parents, respects the need for privacy.

·        Records are shared on a regular basis in a manner that ensures confidentiality is maintained.

·        Members of staff will liaise with other professionals to obtain advice and guidance that will enable us to support the child and their family.

·        Early Support may be contacted if it is felt that this would be beneficial to the family.

·        Information will be provided to parents about the Special Education and Disability Information and Support Service (SENDIASS). Tel No. 0121 303 5004.

·        Parents will be signposted to the Birmingham Local Offer at www.mycareinbirmingham.org.uk. The key message of the local offer is “most children with special needs can have their needs met within the local community’. The local offer should help families and settings access all the available support and services in order to meet the child’s needs effectively.

Complaints procedure

Complaints are dealt with in accordance with our Making a Complaint policy. Parents may also be referred to the Local Education Authority SENDIASS.

Facilities and building

The nursery is located in a one storey building and we are committed to making reasonable adjustments to enable the needs of children and adults with disabilities to be met. We are able to provide changing and disposal facilities for any child who needs them and the privacy and dignity of the child is paramount.

Staffing

·        Child/staff ratios always meet OFSTED requirements. Flexibility is built into these arrangements to enable us to best meet children’s needs. 

·        Sometimes, for children who meet the qualifying criteria extra staffing can be provided through Inclusion Support in Early Years (ISEY).

·        Every member of staff regularly attends staff meetings where the needs of individual children will be discussed.

·        Members of staff are informed, as part of their induction, of the Special Educational Need and Disability Policy and procedures. They are made aware of who they should talk to about any concerns and are reminded of the needs for confidentiality at all times.

·        All practitioners understand that they are required to treat children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as favourably as any other child and to make reasonable adjustments to meet their specific needs.

·        Staff will be supported to make any reasonable adjustments where necessary.

·        This policy will regularly be reviewed during staff meetings and all practitioners will be encouraged to reflect on the policy and contribute their ideas and suggestions.

Curriculum, learning, environment and resources

·        Activities are adapted to ensure that they are accessible to all children and that every child has full access to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.

·        We review resources and how they are used, regularly, so that they continue to meet the needs of all children.

·        A reasonable budget will be made available for the purchase of additional resources where appropriate.

·        Enquires will be made to determine whether resources required by an individual child are available for loan.

·        The layout of the room is reviewed regularly and where necessary re-arranged to provide the maximum level of access and independence to all children.

Identification and assessment

·        All children’s development is observed and assessed on a regular basis. This helps the nursery practitioners to identify any difficulties as soon as possible.

·        When we suspect a child might have a Special Educational Need we work in accordance with the ‘SEN support’ section of the Special Educational Need and Disability Code of Practice, 2015.

·        A Record of Additional Support (RAS) will be completed for each child and parents signature obtained.

·        Where a child is using Early Support materials or a Family Service Plan we commit to being part of the Team Around the Child. 

·        An Increased Differentiation plan, SEN Support Plan or SEN & Early Support Plan is written and implemented. The child’s progress is reviewed regularly.

·        Children are encouraged to take part in these reviews using methods appropriate to their stage of development.

·        Where an individual plan is required the needs of all the children in the nursery are considered.

·        Where applicable, individual plans are linked to the Early Support, Family Service Plan. All records are kept in a locked filing cabinet.

·        Parents will be asked for their written consent before any referral is made, about their child, to an outside agency and before any information is shared with such an agency.

·        The nursery receives support from the Early Years and Childcare Team from an Areas Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) (a leaflet is available that explains this role).

·        Parents will be asked to provide written consent for us to liaise and share information with the children next educational setting as well as to pass relevant records on to them.

·        We work with this next setting to ensure the smoothest possible transition for the child. In addition, we prepare a detailed transition plan which will be implemented in nursery. We share this plan with parents so that they can support the process at home.

·        Records of assessments, observations and meetings for any child who has an identified additional need or disability will be stored in a Record of Additional Support File. These files are stored confidentially and shared with staff members only where appropriate. 

·        Increased Differentiation Plans are reviewed every six weeks.

·        SEN Support Plans and SEN & ES Plans are reviewed every three months or sooner if appropriate and will take into account the views of the child, parents, practitioners and outside professionals.

·        Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCs) will be written at a meeting which includes parents and representatives from all agencies involved with the child. This process will follow the 20 week EHC pathway for new assessments.

·        A copy of all files will be retained for 25 years.

Named setting based SENCO

The setting based SENCOs for Apple Tree Nursery & Pre-School are Sharon Meah & Alison Richards

The SENCO is responsible for:

·        Reviewing this policy annually or whenever new information is received that requires changes to be made.

·        SEN policy and its implementation in the nursery are the responsibility of all practitioners. 

·        The SENCO supports all practitioners, as well as students, to update their knowledge, access further training and to have access to all appropriate resources and information.

·        The SENCO ensures that her own knowledge remains current and that she develops her skills by accessing trainings provided by the Birmingham Area SENCO ream as well as the Early Years team and others.

·        Such training will be disseminated, as appropriate, to all staff during team meetings or in-house training sessions.

Legal framework:

Equality Act, 2010

Disability Discrimination Act, 2009

SEND Code of Practice, 2014