| Answered Questions: | - Are there any reductions: Yes
- 10% reduction for siblings
- Do you accept childcare vouchers: Yes
- Packed Lunch Required: Yes
- How Do You Involve Parents/carers In Identifying SEND: Yes
- The child’s key worker will share information regarding the child’s progress as often as possible. Parents are also encouraged to share information about how their child is doing whilst outside of the setting. This information shared will give us a holistic view of the child. Where children are doing particularly well, we will aim to challenge them further and where children are struggling we will provide them with extra support in making progress. Next steps are always planned based on children’s individual development stages, ensuring it is age and stage appropriate and steered to child’s response. General feedback is given at the end of the day, and opportunities to have a more in depth conversation are given at parents evening or an alternative meeting can be arranged suited to parent’s work shifts. Staff will discuss areas that children are doing particularly well in and also discuss areas that the child may require extra support in. Through these regular discussions, parents will be fully aware of their child’s development. Staff will share strategies that they implement in the setting which parents can also implement in the home to provide consistencies.
Parents are always encouraged to complete observations of their child. From when the child starts the nursery, parents will complete the baseline assessment booklet which will help staff identify the stages of development that the child is at. Parents are encouraged to carry out next steps in the home and share this information with us. Home observation sheets are given out to parents. This encourages parents to become involved in the process and support the child at home with consistent targets and strategies.
- How Do You Identify Special Educational Needs And Disabilities (SEND): Yes
- Children’s development is monitored following through, close observations, and assessment of all children. This assessment process starts prior to the child starting the nursery as parents will complete an All About Me child’s profile A combination of both the parent’s account and key persons baseline will form an overall assessment of the child. Assessments will then continue on a termly basis. Observations of the child will feed into each termly assessment. Children are tracked each term and summative assessments are completed and shared with parents.
Where children are behind their expected age band, staff will plan next steps to create further opportunities for the child to make progress in the areas. These next steps are planned by the child’s key worker who will incorporate the key child’s interests as well as ensuring that next steps are developmentally appropriate for the child. Next steps are done regularly and consistently adapted to child’s responses and steered to their individual needs. The key worker will then review the next steps and if progress is still not being made over a period of time then the nursery Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) will provide support. The parent and key worker will fill out the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and where necessary reasonable adjustments will be put in place and strategies to support progress. Depending on the results of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, health visitors may need contacting to form a joint integrated assessment /review. Relevant referrals are then made following discussions with parents. If children are behind their expected age bands for Communication and Language, then the WellComm Assessment will be carried out. This will also highlight the areas that the child requires further support. Strategies will also be implemented as a result of the WellComm results. If progress is not made in these areas, then it may be necessary to make a referral to a Speech and Language Therapist. Both these tools help us to determine whether referrals and external support from agencies is required.
Staff and parent’s knowledge of the child combined, play an important role in identification of potential special educational needs and implementation of early intervention. Staff can highlight where children appear to be delayed however we are aware that referrals will need to be made to relevant agencies before children All staff are aware that communication with parents is valid. At Kidz Matter, we recognise that children can at times behave different at home to nursery. We strive to ensure we have good communications with parents and regular discussions help us to conclude whether children are actually behind their expected age bands or whether children have other interests they would like to pursue. We recognise that factors outside of the setting can play a role in the child’s development and behaviour. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the key worker knows the child well before concluding that development is delayed.
- How Will You Help Me To Support My Child's Learning And Development: Yes
- After observing and assessing children, staff will plan next steps and incorporate this into activities, making activities fun and stimulating and using the children’s interests to engage them. We involve parents into the child’s learning by giving them next steps to carry out in the home. Parents will record these on the next step evaluation sheets and share these with the child’s key worker. This encourages working with parents as partners and also gives staff an idea of the child’s progress within the home. Parents are also invited to parents evening to discuss children’s progress and also share any concerns. This is also an opportunity to discuss and implement any strategies, reasonable adjustments, and interventions which will further support the child. Where parents are unable to attend parents evening, staff are flexible in arranging alternative meeting which will accommodate parent’s needs. Children who require additional support will have targets which are SMART which the key worker will plan around with the support of the nursery SENCO. These will be reviewed often and adapted where necessary. If progress is still not being made, then the SENCO will look into making referrals after discussion with the parents. Referrals may be made to speech and language therapy or the Additional and Complex Needs Service. The SENCO will also make contact with the child’s health visitor to invite them to complete the ASQ questionnaire alongside the child’s key worker for an integrated review of the child’s development. Subsequently, Person Centred Reviews will be put into place with all relevant professionals and parents to discuss any concerns and to put targets into place. Person Centred Reviews are held termly and reviewed termly. Meetings are an opportunity to discuss and share information with parents and for parents to also share information with us.
- How Will You Ensure My Child's Educational Needs And Well-Being Are Met: Yes
- Children’s wellbeing is promoted throughout their time here. Children are given opportunities to access a range of activities both indoors and outdoors. Staff aim to promote children’s self-confidence by providing various levels of support to achieve outcomes independently. Children are supported to process emotions positively, staff aim to do this through valuing children’s thoughts, opinions and views. Children are encouraged to talk through how they are feeling and how to deal with any emotions that they are feeling. Positive feelings are shared at news time and negative feelings are discussed and resolved where possible. We understand that children need space at times and in order to allow space we have distinguished quiet areas in each room where children can rest, read a book, or simply enjoy some quiet time to think.
We will support your child’s educational needs by tracking progress and achievements and using this information to plan next steps. Next steps will be reviewed, adapted and steered to ensure that they are realistic and a meaningful experience for the child. We aim to give quality feedback to parents which will ensure continuity and progression outside the nursery setting. We also work closely with other agencies to ensure the child and family are receiving the support that they need. During transition times we will also send out transition documents and invite schools to come and meet children and spend time with their key worker as well as to have a look through their learning journey. A meeting involving teachers, parents and key worker will be arranged for children with special educational needs to discuss relevant information and to ensure that teachers are equipped with as much knowledge which will enable them to provide the best support for the child.
- How Will Both You And I Know That My Child Is Achieving The Agreed Outcomes: Yes
- After reviewing your child’s progress, staff will link observations to the early year’s outcomes and characteristics of effective learning. This will help staff determine what the child’s best fit age band is. Whether a child is emerging, expected or exceeding in their age band, this will be shared with parents and planned for accordingly. If children are emerging in many areas, then additional support will be put into place to support children in meeting those outcomes.
- How Do You Adapt Activities And Resources And The Learning Environment For Children With SEND: Yes
- Activities are adapted to meet all children’s individual needs. Staff are aware of children’s developmental stages, and will steer their language and support based on children’s needs. Where children are meeting the learning objective, activities will be made more complex and where children are not meeting learning objectives, activities will be simplified. Staff are trained to reflect on their planning and evaluate their activities. This enables staff to reflect on their own practice as well as recognise the cohort that they are working with. Activities are differentiated as well as objectives. Staff will also reflect on resources to ensure that they will help children meet objectives. Peer observations are a valuable tool to encourage staff to self-reflect and work with their colleagues to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses which will ultimately enable them to better their practice. Provision Mapping is used in the nursery to describe the various ways in which we differentiate to support children are various levels of development.
- How Accessible Is The Early Years Setting Environment, Both Indoors And Outdoors: Yes
- The setting aims to promote an inclusive learning environment both inside and outdoors, where all activities and experiences are fully accessible to all children.
If a barrier is identified that may restrict a child engaging in a particular activity, all steps will be taken to make reasonable adaptations or adjustments to remove any identified barriers. This will include consultation with the parents, other professionals, external agencies and where necessary specialist agencies or suppliers of adapted equipment and resources. If a specific or specialist resource is identified as a requirement to enable ease accessibility or to remove a barrier to a child’s learning then it will be purchased from the setting’s budget.
The outdoor learning environment is accessed via a ramped access so is considered fully inclusive for all children.
- How Will My Child Be Included In Activities Outside The Early Years Setting Including Trips: Yes
- Children with identified additional needs are included in all activities, including activities outside the setting, outings and visits within the wider community and learning environment. Risk assessments are carried out for all external activities and outings involving all children and if risk factors are identified or increased dependant on a child’s level of need then the necessary action will be taken to minimise the risk level. This can sometimes include arranging additional staffing levels, specialist transport arrangements, parental involvement so no child is excluded from any activity or extra -curricular experience.
- How Do You Work With External Agencies To Support Children With SEND: Yes
- The setting works in partnership with several external agencies to support SEND children.
Partnership work and a co-ordinated approach to supporting a child and family is firmly established from the onset of identification of need to ensure early intervention and support packages are put in place for the child and family. For example if a child is referred to the nursery via the Local Authority Children’s Centre or Family Health Visitor due to identified needs then a transition, planning meeting will be co-ordinated. All professionals involved with the child and family will be invited to attend the meeting with the setting SENCO and the child’s identified key worker at nursery. At this initial meeting discussions will take place regards the child’s needs and a person centred plan adopted with agreed targets and strategies aimed at supporting the child to work towards the agreed outcomes.
A similar process is followed for children whom needs are identified once they have already started nursery. If a concern is identified and it is considered that the child would benefit from external support and other professional involvement outside of the setting a meeting will be arranged to discuss these concerns with the parent, in a sensitive manner. If the parent agrees that the child requires additional support, consent will be obtained to commence the referral process. Examples of referrals that may take place can include Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), Local Authority AEN Advisor, Child Development Service or it may also include completing a joint Ages and Stage Questionnaire (ASQ) with the child’s Health Visitor.
Children attending the nursery with additional and complex needs will continue to be supported through a multi professional and co-ordinated approach, throughout their time with us. Regular review meetings known as Person Centred Planning meetings will be held to ensure targets and strategies put in place continue to be reflective of the child’s current level of development and identified needs. If further support is identified from an external professional or specialist resource then this will be actioned as part of the child’s plan. This may involve the setting having to provide evidence to support an application to the Local Authority for additional funding. The setting will also initiate the Education, Health, Care (EHC) process for children in preparation for them transitioning to school.
- How Do You Support Children Starting And Leaving The Setting: Yes
- Children starting the setting with identified SEND are supported through a gradual transition process as discussed above in Q9.
For children who are leaving the setting they are also well supported through the transition to school process. This process will involve inviting the key personnel from the school into the setting to plan for the transition. Planning includes the child’s forwarding teacher observing the child in their familiar routine and environment, discussions with setting SENCO, parents, key person and the child where applicable. To help ensure the child has a seamless transition to school visits will be arranged for the parent / child’s key person to visit the school, books, props, photographs etc utilise to help the child be as prepared and familiar for the transition to school as possible.
- How Are Staff Trained Regarding SEND: Yes
- The setting has an identified SENCO who is a super-numerate member of staff over and above the normal staffing ratio requirement, allowing them allotted time to ensure the required time and support is given to support children with SEND. In addition to this we also have further staff trained in the role of the SENCO and practitioners will access other training opportunities where considered appropriate and tailored to support a child’s identified need.
- Who Can I Contact If I Have A Compliment, Concern Or Complaint And What Action Can I Expect: Yes
- The Complaint and Compliment Policy is made available to parents within the Parent Policy Folder and displayed within the nursery entrance. Complaints and compliments are welcome at all times. Complaints are logged for reflection purposes and depending on the situation, will be addressed within an arranged meeting with the Nursery Manager, SENCO and relevant personnel.
OFSTED details are also made accessible to service users should they feel their concerns or complaints have not been resolved to their satisfaction internally. Parents can escalate too Ofsted who will take the appropriate action where considered necessary.
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