Click on questions for answers
How do you meet the individual needs of each child?
Every child has a key carer who ensures that the children in their care are observed, assessed and planned for regularly, giving regard to their interests, abilities, needs and learning characteristics. We work within the EYFS Framework and ensure we meet the Statutory Framework requirements. The development of children’s learning is continuously tracked and assessed according to age and stage of development. Next steps are carefully planned to move each child forwards using their interests as stimulus.
How do you promote inclusive practice?
E.g. How will my child be included in activities outside of the setting including trips? How do you involve parent carers in planning activities and trips?
All activities including external trips are risk assessed and the needs of all children considered as the event is planned. Parents are asked to give written consent for all outings and given advance notice of bigger events. Any comments or observations are always welcome. Our staff to child ratios are higher on visits off the premises and parents/carers are welcome to accompany us.
E.g. Will he or she be able to access all of the activities of the setting. How will you assist him or her to do so?
We aim to fully include all children in all activities and with your input we will ensure your child to access the activities as fully as is possible. Activities and resources can be adapted to meet the range of needs of our children and this is considered throughout the planning and assessment process. If necessary, the layout of the room could be reorganised to improve access and room for mobility. The key carer system enables a close adult to assist and model play and adapt if necessary (for example, a table top game could be moved onto the floor). We will, with your permission, follow advice from outside professionals if appropriate. We can provide aid or medication that your child may need, and undertake training if necessary.
How do you involve parents?
How will both you and I know how my child is doing?
Through on-going daily dialogue with key carer and development of a learning journal, which is available at all times for the parent/carer to see. Also regular parents evenings when the journal is shared more fully. Staff are always on hand to provide feedback, answer questions, have discussions and reports are sent home termly, with a section to be completed by the parent/carer.
If required, we can introduce a home/school diary to aid communication.
How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
We welcome and encourage parental in-put, letting us know about your child’s interests, likes and dislikes and with your key carer discuss your child’s next steps to progress. Upon registration, parents are asked to complete an ‘all about me’ form with their child. This gives us an insight into the individual needs, likes and dislikes of each child. We also display a weekly ‘Our week’ sheet on the notice board. This is to inform parents of some of the activities going on throughout the week. It also offers a suggestion on how this can be supported at home. This could be expanded upon if desired. Each term, we ask parents to inform us of any events/interests from home, which we incorporate into the planning.
We encourage parents to come in and help within a session.
In addition to the normal reporting arrangements what opportunities will there be for me to discuss his or her progress with the staff?
As above plus staff are available every day at the start and end of the session to discuss further if needed. A more formal meeting can be arranged if necessary, and we have a quiet room which can be used if necessary.
How will I be able to raise any concerns I may have and who do I contact in the first instance?
Your key carer is available to discuss any concerns, or the group’s Manager or Deputy. The door is always open and we are here to listen. More serious concerns or complaints that are unable to be resolved can be raised using our Complaints procedure …
How will you facilitate my contribution to multi-agency meetings?
The group’s Special Needs co-ordinator will support your role, discuss the process and share all information with you. She will encourage your full involvement in order to achieve the best outcomes for your child. She can also liaise with other professionals and will talk to all staff to gain an accurate assessment to take to the meeting. We are there to support you and your child through these processes. We can try to arrange for meetings to be held at a place where you feel comfortable.
What support will there be for children with SEND?
How do you identify children with SEND?
First and foremost we listen to the parents.
Through on-going observation, planning and assessment.
Using the on-entry/ 2 year check assessment.
Communicating with parents and any other agencies already involved with the child, with your permission.
By seeking advice from other professionals, again with your permission.
Who will provide the additional support for children with SEND?
E.g. additional support provided by setting and or externally funded support via Early Years Access Funding (EYAF) .
Staff will support, as with all other children, working with each child’s interests and targeting next steps based on continued assessment. If additional needs are identified requiring extra intervention, funding and support will be sought through EYAF .
What contingency plans will be put in place? E.g. if support staff are absent or leave.
All staff are aware of/ and work with all children within our setting. If a key carer is absent, there is an established support system in place. Although key carers make an effort to bond with the children in their group, we work hard as a staff to forge relationships with all children, and discourage dependency on one particular member of staff.
What is the pastoral, medical, social and emotional support available in the setting for children with SEND?
We use a visual timetable to give children ‘a picture’ of how the day runs. This is simplified to a ‘now and next’ display if needed.
A key carer system is in place. The key carer is available at the start and end of each session to share information and offer support to parents and/ or carers There is a quiet room available for children who need a more relaxed environment to help them to settle or at moments of unease.
We also observe body language and levels of involvement, to determine children’s views and well-being. Some staff have undertaken training in Makaton, and use of this is built into the day. For example, we sing our good morning song with our voices and our hands. We present visual cues using symbols on lanyards worn by the staff and aural cues to announce transition times.
The parents of any child with medical concerns will be asked to have a detailed dialogue with staff over administering medicines etc. and written records will be kept to support this procedure.
What support is there for managing children with social and emotional difficulties?
We have a behaviour policy which aims to support every child with or without SEND.
This policy can be viewed on our website at www.wavertonpreschool.co.uk.
All staff have attended positive behaviour management training and keep up to date with current good practice.
Our staff are welcoming and friendly. We provide positive role-models for the children, and offer a consistent and planned approach to behavioural issues which arise, in partnership with the parents.
Our group has a daily routine which gives a sense of security to each child.
Our visual timetable can be broken down into smaller components when necessary and is limited to 2 items at a time (Now and Next activities) to support any child struggling with the routine.
The key carer will be close at hand and supportive for any child who struggles with transitions e.g. going in or out of doors/ using toilet areas/ snack time etc.
We encourage and support independence in personal care.
What measures do you have in place to prevent bullying?
Our policies and procedures ensure that all practitioners are aware of and deal with issues of undesirable behaviour promptly and sensitively for all involved. This policy can be viewed on our website www.wavertonpreschool.co.uk .
Bullying is not tolerated. The needs of both the victim and the perpetrator are considered and dealt with, along with full communication with the parents concerned.
All staff have had positive behaviour management training.
How does the setting manage the administration of medicines and providing personal care?
We have fridge space and a lockable cupboard available to store medications.
We ask parents to supply full details before any medicine is given. These details are recorded in our medication book and every medicine administered is supported by a second member of staff to ensure no mistakes are made. Both staff and a parent, or carer, sign these records on a daily basis. Medicine will only be administered if prescribed by a doctor and fully labelled.
How will my child be able to contribute his or her views? How will the setting support my child to do this?
We value the voice of each child and their parent’s verbal or written wishes are considered. We try to accommodate these, as much as is practical, in line with our policies and practice.
We also consider each child’s ‘characteristics of effective learning’ and use these to enhance learning opportunities.
We share the learning journey with each child and encourage their comments and try to capture a comment from the child to include on the termly report.
Children’s interests are considered when ‘next steps’ are planned, to ensure interest and engagement.
How do you access external specialist support?
Health
During the registration process, we ask parents to let us know who their doctor and HV are. From September 2015, we are hoping to have stronger links with Health visitors.
Education
We liaise directly with Speech and Language therapists, if there is a need, to provide an assessment of need and a programme of activities to support these needs.
Social care
We liaise with Early Years Consultants and also directly with social workers and other professionals involved.
How do you implement the advice of external specialists?
Plans and interventions are implemented and then carefully evaluated.
Feedback is given to professionals when requested, along with parents.
Have you had experience of holding multi-agency meetings e.g. Action for Inclusion Meetings, TAF?
Our manager has attended and contributed to multi-agency meetings
How would you support a request for an Education, and Health Care Plan?
We would liaise and coordinate information from different professionals if necessary, including staff within the setting to create a plan.
What training have the staff had or plan to have to support children with SEND?
All current staff have attended bespoke behaviour management training. The manager and SENCO have attended basic Makaton training, which is used throughout the session.
Are there any staff that have undertaken any Special Educational Needs and Disability specific training?
Our SENCO has attended 3 day training regarding new legislation (2014) and the launch of the Local Offer (2015).
Is there any other training staff have attended in relation to SEND? How will training/awareness/knowledge be disseminated and monitored?
Staff will attend specific training as and when needed to cover use of specific medical support/ equipment etc.
How accessible is the setting?
Is the building fully wheelchair accessible? If not how would you meet the needs of a wheelchair user?
Wheelchair access including ramps and wide doors at main entrance.
Standard width doors and ramps at back of building and through kitchen access.
Have there been improvements made to the auditory and/or visual environment? If not. What adaptations could be made?
A visual timetable is used, which has been simplified to a ‘now and next’ board when needed.
We use a clacker to alert the children that they have 5 minutes left to play and then a tambourine sounds to indicate a transition. We have a ‘tidy up’ song to indicate to the children that they need to help tidy up.
If necessary, a visual path could be used to define specific areas with tape. Furniture can be arranged for ease of access.
Are there adapted changing and toilet facilities?
We have an electric changing table with variable height control.
We have low level toilets and hand wash basins.
We have wheelchair accessible toilet, with a larger space.
How do you resource specialist equipment and facilities to support children with special educational needs?
We research current equipment being sold to keep up to date with resources.
We would seek advice from a SEN consultant.
What provision will be available for children to access quiet time/space?
We have a quiet room available, which is kept calm and quiet. Blankets and cushions are available for children who wish to rest or sleep.
How does the setting support children whose first language is not English?
Our first point of contact is the parents/family to find out any specific needs. We would research their culture and translate signs around the setting into their language, checking that they are correct with the family. We would follow the research through by providing books/stories/music/information from their culture, using the parents as a resource if appropriate. We would be able to translate documents sent to parents into their own language, using translation technology. We would use Makaton, symbols and the visual timetable as communication tools.
How will the setting prepare and support children to join the setting/ move within the setting /transfer to a new setting / school.
What preparation will there be for both the setting and my child before he or she joins the setting?
We offer as much induction time as necessary to settle each child into our group, through visits with their parents or carers.
We offer a full information pack to parents as soon as possible to give a full picture of how our group operates.
An ‘Including Me’ plan can be completed, with a home visit if necessary to enable us to plan for the individual needs. With permission, we will contact previous settings to share information.
We would ensure the environment is fully accessible.
How will he or she be prepared to move onto the next stage in the setting?
We take children from 2 ½ to 5 years, as a mixed age setting, so there are no transitions of this kind. We use assessment tools and trackers to identify individual needs/next steps based on their current interests.
How will he or she be prepared if there is a change of staff?
As we are a small setting, we work hard at building up a good relationship with all of the children.
What information will be provided to his or her new setting / school?
When a child transfers to another group or school, the learning journey which has been prepared with parents is passed on to the next setting with the parent’s permission.
All assessments are passed on to other settings and, ideally, a person to person discussion will take place. Staff from the new setting are invited, and encouraged, to visit the child in our setting before they leave.
Any documents from other professionals will be given to the next setting, such as their Education and Health Care Plan.
How will you support a new setting / school to prepare for my child?
The key carer or Manager will discuss and offer support to next practitioners/ teachers over child’s successes, needs etc.
Staff from our setting will actively attend an action for inclusion meeting with staff from the new setting.
Who can I contact for further information?
Who would be my first point of contact if I want to discuss something about my child?
Your child’s key worker
Who can I talk to if I am worried?
Your child’s key worker, our Manager or Deputy
Who should I contact if I am considering whether my child should join the setting?
Amanda – Preschool Manager
Who is the SEN Coordinator (SENCO) and how can I contact them?
Katie Brunt is our SENCO & is contactable in person, at wavertonps@yahoo.co.uk or on tel: 01244332579
What other support services are there who might help me and provide me with information and advice?
The local authority Livewell website has a broad range of information and signposting
Your GP
Where can I find the local authority’s Local Offer?
What is the complaints process?
Please see our policies and procedures on our website
