Little Feet Nursery
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy
The aim of our nursery is inclusion. The nursery aims to work with each child from day one. We will provide support for the child and parent/carer working as a partnership.
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Emily Needham.
Definitions of Special Educational Needs
- A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficultiy or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
- A child has a disability, which either prevents or hinders the child from making use of the facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age.
A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of the home is different from the language in the environment which he/she is cared for.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
From September 2002 the disability discrimination Act 1995(DDA) applies to all early years providers.
The Disability Discrimination Act sets out 2 main duties:
- Not to treat a disabled child 'less favourably'
- To make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled children.
How the SENCO Policy is Practised at Little Feet Nursery & Pre-School.
Each child will be allocated a key person. Each child will be monitored and records will be made. The records will be confidential involving the key persons, SENCO and parent/carers and any other specialist who may be involved with the child. The nursery offers flexible 'settling in' periods, following discussions with the parents/carers about the needs of their family. The nursery will make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that children and young people with disabilities are not at a substantial disadvantahge compared to their peers.
Links with Support and other Agencies
The nursery is committed to working with other support services and other agencies that are involved with the child and his/her development. Any referrals to support services or outside agencies will be made after seeking parental/carer's permission. Any recommendations from outside agencies will be concidered and implimented where appropriate.
Identification and Assessment
The nursery is committed to following the Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0 to 25 years, January 2015. Regular records and assessments are kept for each child, if there are concerns about the child’s development, the SENCO will discuss these initial concerns with the parents/carers in an informal, freindly manor. A meeting will be arranged and this will be conducted in private at a mutually agreed time.
The nursery will work in partnership with parents/carers, if need be the nursery will introduce formal meetings with relevant authorities. The nursery staff will introduce formal meetings with parents/carers in a less formal way to discuss any concerns. Parents and carers views are highly valued as parents and carers are the child's first point of education.
A graduated response form will be completed, beginning with the initial concerns. The
following stages will be: Provision that is different or additional to the curriculum, Involvement of Specific Services, Education Health Care Plan needs assessment, Education Health Care Plan in place. At each stage the parents will be involved and their views included in the record keeping process.
The Graduated Response to Special Educational Needs
Initial Concerns: The staff, in consultation with the SENCO, will gather information to assess the child's learning difficulty. The Early Years Descripters will be consulted and used to identify the child’s need. Provision for extra support is made within the resources of the nursery.
Provision which is additional to or differnt from to curriculum: Based on the results of the assessments carried out at initial concerns, an intervention program will be set up and specifc activities will be planned to meet the needs identified. The activities will be recorded on an intervention record, showing the activity carried out, progress made and areas to develop. This will then be reviewed after 6 weeks, assessed against the targets set and new targets set up. At each assessment meeting the parents will be involved and their insite documented within the new plans made.
Involvement of specialist services:If following the above, no progress or very little progress has been made, outside agencies will contacted by Little Feet nursery regarding the child and their needs. The intervention records and assessments made will be used as support for further intervention. This intervention will be recived by the child as quickly as possible.
Education Health Care (EHC) Plan needs assessment:When outside agencies are involved it is felt that the child’s progress is not sufficent to close the educational gap between their actual abilty and the expected ability of a child their age then a refferal to the local authority will be made for a EHC plan assessment. If it is felt by the local authority that the child does not need a EHC plan the nursery will continue the work already started with the child in the setting.
Education Health Care Plan:
If the local authority decides that there is sufficient need for an EHC plan further evidence will need to be collected by the nursery. The SENCO in consultation with the staff, parents and outside specialists will write a full assessment. The LA considers the need for an EHC plan and if appropriate, makes a EHC plan and monitors and reviews the positionevery 12 months with the parents/carers, nursery and any other agencies involved with the child. At this stage if it is decied the child needs a further EHC plan it will be created at the meeting.
Complaints Procedure
Complaints or concerns regarding special needs should first be discussed with the Nursery Manager. If the parent or carer is still unsatisfied with how the issue is dealt with, then the nursery's complaint procedure can be followed. (See main folder)
The SENCO attends regular and up to date training courses. The training courses are fed back to the remaining staff informing them of any developments and any other up to date issues.
All children are different; however a balance needs to be created to ensure that the best of care is made available for children in the nursery's care. This policy is designed to reflect the SENCO philosophy is implemented and practised as soon as the child is settled into the nursery.
The policy is monitored by the SENCO and the nursery's manager. The policy is reviewed on an annual basis and as and when there are any changes.
Date written:March 2015
Date for review:March 2016
Last update on:18th March 2016