The Butterflies pre-school and Priory Kids club welcomes all children and we aim to provide appropriate play and educational opportunities for each child.
It is the belief of the pre-school and club that all children with a special need have the right to develop alongside other children in a safe, secure and caring environment. This helps children
share opportunities and overcome any disadvantages they may face.
We follow principles and policies as laid out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of Practice 2015. This includes the Children and Families Act 2014. We also have regard for the Equality Act 2010 and Children Act 1989.
The name of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Jo Atkinson, who is qualified to a level 6 in Early Years and has completed special needs training.
The role of the SENCO.
Principles underlying the Code
The SEND Code of Practice describes the principles that should be observed by all professionals working with children and young people who have SEN or disabilities. These include:
The Code of Practice emphasises the importance of early identification, assessment and provision for any child who may have special educational needs.
A child is regarded as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) if:
If a child’s difficulties prove to be short term, early identification/intervention will enable the child to learn and progress normally over a period of time.
See Admissions policy, which states the pre-school and club will welcome all children and families with and without disabilities.
We will ensure that the needs of all the children in our care are met. We will do this by liaising with parents/carers and any other persons who have an interest in the development of the child. The child’s views will also be taken into consideration where appropriate. We will make reasonable adjustments to the setting or routine as required. We will write APDR’s which identify short term targets for individual children.
We will identify if a child has a special need by closely observing and monitoring the child’s progress, keeping individual records and regular consultations with parents/carers.
Staff will receive regular training in the care and education of children with special needs.
If after consistent monitoring and assessment we feel no or little progress is being made we will liaise with the family to see if extra support would be needed, to do this we would follow the
graduated approach.
Assess — Plan — Do — Review
The Graduated Approach
Assess:
In identifying a child as needing additional support, the early years practitioner, working with the setting SENCO and the child’s parents, will have carried out an analysis of the child’s needs. An Early intervention form will be completed with targets. This initial assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist and other professionals e.g. health visitor, speech & language. Where professionals are not already working with the setting, the SENCO should contact them, with the parents’ agreement.
For more information and links regarding other professionals see Hull Authority Local offer
Plan:
Where it is decided to provide additional support and having formally notified the parents, the practitioner and the SENCO should agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans should take into account the views of the child. Parents should be involved in planning the support identified and implementing activities at home to contribute to their child’s progress.
Do:
The child’s key person remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis – with support from their colleagues, parents and SENCO. This will include group work, individual work, observation and assessment.
Review:
The effectiveness and quality of the support and its impact on the child’s progress should be reviewed regularly – working with the child’s parents and taking into account the child’s views.
Any changes to the outcomes and support needed for the child in light of the child’s progress and development should be agreed. Parents should have clear information about the impact of the support provided and be involved in planning next steps. At each stage parents should be engaged with the setting, contributing their insights to assessment and planning.
Targeted Intervention
The setting use observations as a way of monitoring and recording children’s development. Observations help us to identify children’s interests and achievements but also outline areas for
concern. If we feel that a child is not achieving to their full potential the SENCO will gather any relevant information about the child and make an initial assessment with the aid of the child’s key worker. The Area SENCO may be informed at this point. The SENCO will talk to the child’s parents explaining that we have some concerns and we will ask the parents for their views and opinions. We will also discuss ways in which we can help at nursery and give ideas for how parents can help at home. We will provide the child with additional help at nursery, using different resources and methods to meet the child’s needs. An Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) will be written with the aid of the parents/carers, the child’s key worker and where appropriate the child. The child’s progress will be monitored and parent will be kept informed. APDR’s will be reviewed at least termly and new targets agreed as appropriate. APDR’s are used to help children with special educational needs to achieve and develop. APDR’s are specific to a child. They should: identify children’s successes and achievements, record the nature of the child’s difficulty.
Intensive intervention:
If on review it is felt that more specialist assessment and support is needed, the SENCO and child’s key person will talk to the child’s parents and with their permission will contact the Area
SENCO. The Area SENCO will observe the child and discuss concerns before deciding on the appropriate outside agency to contact for advice and support. A referral will be made and a new APDR will be written based on the advice of the relevant agency. Progress will again be regularly reviewed and monitored.
Requests for Education, Health & Care Needs Assessment:
For some children the help given through targeted and intensive support will not be sufficient for the child to make expected progress. Where there are significant concerns the SENCO will consult with the Area SENCO to discuss whether an Education, Health & Care Needs assessment might be appropriate. The Area SENCO will meet with parents, nursery staff and any outside agencies to discuss the need for an assessment. If it is decided that an assessment is needed the Area SENCO will put the referral to the Educational Psychologists at Kingston upon Hull Local Authority. The Educational Psychologist will make an appointment with the parents to observe the child and to talk about their child’s development. We will work closely with the Local Authority throughout the assessment process to ensure the child receives the best education and care for their needs.
In exceptional cases, children with severe or complex difficulties (visual or hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, etc) can be referred through the psychologist for an Education, Health & Care Needs assessment without passing through targeted and intensive support. Parents/carers are always consulted before this happens.
Education, Health Care Needs Assessment Request (EHCNAR)
The purpose of an EHCNAR plan is to make special educational provision to meet the special educational needs of the child or young person, to secure the best possible outcomes for them
across education, health and social care and, as they get older, prepare them for adulthood.
Facilities available to children with SEND
We have an accessible indoor and outdoor area. To help the children build social skills and communication we have friendship groups and Early Talk Boost groups. We use visuals for
timetables and first and then strips. To aid communication we carry out intensive interactions, choices, Picture, exchange, communication, system (PECS). We will reflect on what has been
observed and plan according to need.
Transfer to new setting
When a child with special educational needs moves from the pre-school/club to another setting, we will, with parent/carer consent, forward copies of all relevant paperwork to the new setting to ensure that they are fully aware of the child’s needs and for the support that has been provided.
Working with Parents/carers
Throughout every step, we will work closely with parents/carers, we will make them feel welcome into the setting and value their comments on their child’s development. The pre-school and Club offers these opportunities through the open door policy, open days/evenings and day to day contact with parents. We will signpost parents to other agencies for more specialist support.
See Complaints policy for details of how to complain, if required.
See sign sheet as ‘confirmed as read’