SEND Local Offer

How will you know if my child needs extra help or has Special Educational Needs and/or a disability?

Prior to visiting the nursery, you will complete an online enquiry form, which asks if have any developmental concerns. If you have indicated concerns, we will discuss this further with you during an initial telephone call or when you view the nursery. Prior to your child starting you complete a registration form that requests you provide details of any professionals currently involved in supporting your child’s needs. If any medical investigations or concerns are highlighted, you will be asked to complete a child health care plan. This then allows us to begin developing a support plan by first conducting a risk assessment with you and your child. This will help us assess how best to support your child within our unique setting and help identify any areas of concern where additional safety control measures may be required. As we are predominantly a challenging outdoor setting with a large undulating landscape, muddy puddles and mud mound hills, close monitoring and an ongoing responsive risk assessment is required to keep everyone safe. Children are grouped in mixed ages of varying abilities, which works well as they enjoy supporting and learning from each other. This creates a lovely nurturing environment for all and promotes high levels of wellbeing. An initial Key Person meeting is arranged with the parent/carer during free introductory sessions. This allows information to be discussed relating to the child’s current needs, likes, dislikes, sleep pattern, dietary requirements etc. The Keyperson will complete an initial ‘look what I can do’ and observational checklist during this visit too.

How will you support my child’s learning and development and how will I be involved in this?

We provide an individualised approach to support each child and work in partnership with the family and any professionals involved to meet each child’s needs. Prior to starting with us, each child is allocated a key Person (their main carer) and a backup Key Person (to cover breaks, holidays etc) within a little buddy group too. This ensures a seamless approach and that the children (& families) develop strong bonds with staff, which helps support then to develop a strong sense of belonging during their time with us. They quickly feel very settled, safe, supported and nurtured. Staff complete regular observations of the children’s learning and development. This allows staff to monitor their progress and arrange further support where needed. An initial baseline assessment is completed by staff usually around 6 weeks after a child starts nursery and this is discussed during a progress meeting with the child’s keyperson, parent/carer, the nursery SENCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) and any additional agencies if required. Progress meetings are held termly and regular two-way exchanges of information, with home learning ideas frequently shared too. We often plan activities based on the child’s interest to extend and develop their learning. We can make referrals to additional agencies for support and implement support plans where needed. We hold regular stay and play sessions where we invite family members to join us outdoors and share in their child’s interests and play.

We implement the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) set by the Department for Education that sets standards to ensure all children learn and develop well. We support and enhance children’s learning and development holistically through play-based activities. We review all aspects of learning and development and ensure a flexible approach is maintained, which responds quickly to children’s learning and developmental needs. We develop tailor-made activities based on observations, which inform future planning and draw on children’s needs and interests. This is promoted through adult-led and child-initiated opportunities both indoors and outdoors.

If we are concerned about a child’s progress in any areas of learning, staff will discuss this with the child’s parents and agree how best to support the child. Staff will consider whether a child may require any additional support, or if they may have a special educational need or disability which will require specialist support.

How will you support my child to settle into nursery?

We recognise that starting nursery may be difficult for some children and their families. We have a Settling in policy to support the child and their family. All new children are given a full settling in period when joining the nursery according to their individual needs. We work in partnership with parents to help them become familiar with the setting and offer a settled relationship for the child. We know children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, we build positive relationships with parents to ensure we can meet children’s individual needs and help them settle quickly into nursery life. All our staff know about the importance of building strong attachments with children. They are trained to recognise the different stages of attachment and use this knowledge to support children and families settling into the nursery. 

Prior to starting nursery, we invite the parent/carer into nursery with the child and introduce the child and family to their allocated Key person. The key person welcomes and looks after the child, ensuring that their care is tailored to meet their individual needs. They offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with the parents during the settling in period and throughout the child’s time at the nursery, to ensure the family has a familiar contact person to assist with the settling in process. Working with parents to gather information before the child starts on the child’s interests, likes and dislikes and their favourite things available at settling sessions, e.g. their favourite story or resource, as well as completing a baseline of the child’s current development to plan, and meet, the individual needs of the child from the first day. We also assign a buddy or back-up key person to each child in case the key person is not available. Parents are made aware of this to support the settling process and attachment. We provide regular updates and photos of the children settling for parents too.

What specialist services and expertise are available or accessed by you?

We work with a range of multi-agency professionals from a range of boroughs including SEND quality and development officers, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) and occupational therapists (OT), Physiotherapists, Educational Psychologists, continence advisory team, Community Nurses, Early help team, Portage. We consistently work with the professionals to ensure implementation of strategies is accurate and progressing for specific children. A staff member is trained in Makaton, and others enjoy learning this alongside.

What experience and training do practitioners supporting children with SEND have?

We develop and maintain a core team of staff who are experienced in the care of children with additional needs and identify a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCo) who is experienced in the care and assessment of children with additional needs. Staff are provided with specific training relating to SEND and the SEND Code of Practice.

At Sandfield Natural Play Centre we have three staff qualified in the role of Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCo). The role of the SENCo in our setting includes: Ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND; Advising and supporting colleagues; Ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting; Liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting; Taking the lead in implementing the graduated response approach and supporting colleagues through each stage of the process.

How will you cater for my child’s medical and/or dietary needs?

Prior to attending any settling in sessions, all medical or dietary needs are captured within a variety of forms, and a child health care plan is completed by parent/carer if necessary. If a child has specific needs, we will also complete a very detailed Individual healthcare plan for staff to follow in agreement with the parent/carers. If identified, staff will undertake additional training prior to the child starting with us, from other professionals or complete it online e.g. Epilepsy Awareness, administering emergency medication and the use of auto-adrenaline injectors if a child has been prescribed this for severe allergies. We hold regular meetings with parents and any professionals involved in supporting the child.

How will my child be included in trips and other additional activities?

We are committed to working in partnership with parents in order to meet each child’s individual needs and develop to their full potential. We are committed to working with any child who has a special educational need and/or disability and making reasonable adjustments to enable every child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities and trips. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment. We complete risk assessments for all activities and prior to trips take into consideration any additional needs of children participating to ensure activities are inclusive and suited to each child’s individual needs. Parent/carers are consulted in advance and consent is required. All staff are Paediatric First Aid L3 qualified, which is renewed every 3 years.

How will your resources be allocated and matched to my child’s individual needs?

We provide a broad, balanced, aspirational early learning environment for all children with SEN and/or disabilities and differentiated activities to meet all individual needs and abilities. Where possible, we make reasonable adjustments to our physical environment to ensure it is, as far as possible suitable for children with disabilities using the facilities. Resources are risk assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure they are suitable for individual children.

How will you prepare and support my child’s next steps into a new setting/school?

Starting school or moving to a new setting, is an important transition and some children may feel anxious about the move. We will do all we can to facilitate a smooth transition and minimise any potential stresses.

Where applicable, working with the parents, nursery SENCO, other services and professionals we ensure we fully support the child’s individual needs by exchanging information with the new setting in advance of the child starting there.

If a child is identified as ‘more able' and/or 'talented' we also work with the child’s future primary school to provide activities that will stretch the child further in line with the child’s future curriculum.

This following process relates to children going to school. However, wherever possible, we will adapt this process to support children moving to another childcare provider, e.g. childminder or another nursery.

• We provide a variety of resources that relate to the school, e.g. uniform to dress up in, a role play area set up as a school classroom, photographs of all the schools the children may attend and of the teachers. This helps the children to become familiar with this new concept and will aid the transition.
• We have strong relationships with local schools and invite teachers into the nursery, where possible, or invite them to talk via online platforms such as Zoom, so they have the opportunity to introduce themselves to the children.
• Where possible we use other ways to support the transition to school, e.g. inviting previous children from the nursery who have moved on to school to come back and talk to the children about their school experiences.
• Where possible we plan visits to the school with the key person. Each key person will talk about the school with their key children who are due to move to school and discuss what they think may be different and what may be the same. They will talk through any concerns the child may have and initiate activities or group discussions relating to any issues to help children overcome these.
• We produce a comprehensive report on every child leaving the setting and with parental permission will share this with the school to enable teachers to have a good understanding of every child received. This will include their interests, strengths and level of understanding and development in key areas. This will support continuity of care and early learning.
• With parental permission around school allocation day, we may share details of the schools children are going to so parents can see which children may be going to the same school. This can offer some reassurance for the children to know that are moving with some familiar peers.
• We hold a parent information evening in the summer term for all school leavers parents to further support their child’s transition and to speak to those whose child is also moving to the same school.