SEN

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy

Rationale

This policy is inline with the requirements of the 1996 Education Act and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice 2001. Our policies and procedures have been reviewed in response to the recent publication of the SEN Green paper.

We provide an environment in which all children, including those with special educational needs, are supported to reach their full potential as “Identifying children’s support needs early is vital if they are to thrive and enables parents and professionals to put the right approach in quickly” (SEN Green paper, March 2011).

This setting ensures all aspects of provision are inclusive, in order to support the diverse and individual needs of babies and children. We work in partnership with parent/carers for the benefit of babies and children with SEN.

Policy Statement

Our mission statement emphasises our dedication to inclusion

“The Governors and staff of Cambridge Nursery School and Children’s Centre are committed to working together to provide high quality integrated care and education for all babies and children and to make the proven benefits available to those children and their families living in the borough of Sefton.

We do this by –

  • Having regard for the DfES Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001).
  • Ensuring our provision is inclusive to all children with special educational needs.
  • Supporting parent/carers and children with special educational needs (SEND).
  • Identifying the specific needs of children with special educational needs and meet those needs through a range of SEND strategies.
  • Working in partnership with parent/carers and other agencies in meeting individual children’s needs.
  • Monitoring and reviewing our policy, practice and provision and, if necessary, making adjustments.

Procedures

We are required to have a designated a member of staff who is named as the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo). Our SENDCo is the Headteacher, Mrs. Debbie Clark. In addition to this Miss.Gail Conway , higher level teaching assistant.

Staff are qualified, skilled and knowledgeable early years practitioners; a number of whom have expertise in working with children with SEND. All staff have access to SEND training through continuous professional development when available.

The nursery school is one of the local authorities 5 resourced nurseries for children with SEND. The nursery receives additional funding which allows an extra member of staff to be employed to support the children who access these places. However, there is a whole school approach to inclusion and all staff adhere to this at all times, as the provision for children with special educational needs or disabilities are the responsibility of all members of the setting.

This is implemented in practice by –

  • Ensuring inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and opportunity.
  • Working closely with parent/carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities to create and maintain a positive partnership.
  • Using a system for keeping records of the assessment, planning, monitoring and reviewing provision for children with special educational needs.
  • Ensuring parent/carers are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning and reviewing of their children’s learning and development
  • Liaising with other professionals involved with children with SEND and their families, including transition arrangements to other settings and schools.
  • Using the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children’s special educational needs.
  • Providing parent/carers with information on sources of independent advice and support.
  • Implementing individual support plans (ISPs for children with SEND) and regularly monitor, evaluate and review them.
  • Having systems in place to support children during Early Years Action, Early Years Action Plus, Statutory Assessment and the Education and healthcare plan stages.
  • Providing resources (human and financial) to implement our SEND effectively.
  • We ensure the effectiveness of our special educational needs provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. ISP reviews, staff and management meetings, parent/carer agency’s views, comments and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually.
  • Ensuring parent/carers are aware of our complaints procedure.
  • Ongoing monitoring and reviewing our practice and our policy and procedures annually.

Arrangements for coordinating inclusion and SEND provision

We aim to work in partnership with parent/carers and valuing them as the first and most important educators in their child’s life. We sensitively deploy staff to ensure that  children with SEND are supported in a caring, confident and professional manner at all times.

We aim to set realistic, yet high expectations for the growth and development of all children, regardless of SEND. We are committed to partnership working and maintain strong links with Speech and Language Therapists, Health Visitors and Sefton Advisory Inclusion Service  through regular visits from Early Years Advisory teacher and Educational Psychologist. Having these strong links helps us in the early identification of children or babies demonstrating difficulties.

Partnership with parent/carer

We encourage parent/carers to work closely with staff to support children’s individual needs. We make time to focus on discussion of the children’s strengths, as well as their needs.

We respect the different perspectives and needs of parent/carers. The Special Needs Coordinators and all other staff ensure that there is consistent communication and consultation with parent/carers. We consult with parents about information that should be shared with others.

Facilities for vulnerable children, those with SEN or those who are disabled

  • We make reasonable adaptations and arrangements so that children with special needs and disabilities can access and join in all play areas of the setting, both indoors and outdoors.
  • We make every effort to organise appropriate space for the children’s supported and independent movement.
  • We ensure that children with special needs have easy access to toilet and eating facilities.
  • We arrange respectful privacy for children with special needs at times of specific medical care or welfare.
  • We have an electric change mat facility and accessible toilet.
  • We work with occupational therapists and physiotherapists to ensure adequate furniture provision. After consultation with the Early Years Advisory Teacher, it may be advised that it would be in the child’s best interests to bring forward the child’s start date into the maintained nursery school.

Annual reviews

Children with SEND will have regular mini reviews according to their needs and/or at the request of parents, staff or partner personnel. Annual reviews will include all involved in the care, education, and welfare of the child; this may include therapists, social service personnel in addition to advisory service colleagues.

Transition Procedures

  • Decisions regarding the transfer to school or another setting will be discussed during transition meetings. All those involved in the care and education of the child will be invited to attend in order to support parent/carers in the decision making process. Where appropriate the help of specialist agencies e.g. autism initiative will be approached to provide expert transition support.
  • It is the responsibility of the Governors, Headteacher and the Senior Management Team to:
  • Once the child has been allocated a place at school/ next setting, staff from the new school will be invited to visit the child in our setting. Arrangements are also made for the child to make several visits to their new school/setting, accompanied by their parent/carers and their child’s key carer.
  • We are fortunate to have a supportive local authority. Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services are able to provide additional items a child may require. The school budget when funds are available ensure that a cost centre is provided for specific SEND resources.

Allocation of resources

Depending on the individual child  we may suggest a more gradual settling in process. A home visit is offered to all children to help build strong links with home and inform assessments.

Admission arrangements

  • Agree a written policy statement, which defines our commitment to the education and care of babies and children with SEND.
  • Identify specific procedures and guidelines that all staff, including students and volunteers, should follow when working with babies and children with SEND.Ensure that a copy of the policy and procedures is given to all staff, including students and volunteers.
  • Information about this policy will be included in the governing body’s annual report. It will describe principles on allocating resources among SEND babies and children, and will be made accessible to the whole Centre community.The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator is responsible for the day to day operation of this policy. The SENDCO will coordinate provision for the children with SEND and liaise with parent/carers, staff and external agencies.


Revised November 2019

Cambridge Nursery : Cambridge Road : Bootle L20 9LQ
Mrs Linda Lomax | Office Manager | 0151 282 5467 |