9.2 Supporting children with special educational needs

Policy statement

At Thorpe Acre Pre-school Playgroup, we provide an environment in which all children, including those with special educational needs, are supported to reach their full potential.

• We have regard for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014).
• We have in place a clear approach for identifying, responding to, and meeting children’s SEN
• We support and involve parents (and, where relevant, children), actively listening to and acting on their wishes and concerns.
• We work in partnership with the local authority and other external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children with SEN and their families.
• All settings are allocated an Area Health visitor, the setting with liaise with the health visiting team, with parental permission, to help with support with identifying children’s needs.
• We monitor and review our policy, practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments.

 Procedures

• We designate a member of staff to be the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and give his/her name to parents. Our SENCO is

• The SENCo works closely with our manager and other colleagues and has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of our Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs Policy and for co-ordinating provision for children with SEN.
• We ensure that the provision for children with SEN is the responsibility of all members of the setting.
• We ensure that our inclusive admissions practice ensure equality of access and opportunity.
• We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all children.
• We apply SEN support to ensure early identification of children with SEN.
• We use the graduated response system (assess, plan, do and review) applied in increasing detail and frequency to ensure that children progress.
• We ensure that parents are involved at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their children's special education, including all decision making processes.
• We, where appropriate, take into account children’s views and wishes in decisions being made about them, relevant to their level of understanding.
• We provide parents with information on local sources of support and advice, eg Local offer information, Advice and Support Service.
• We liaise and work with other professionals and external agencies to help improve outcomes for children with SEN.
• We have systems in place for referring children for further assessment e.g. Common Assessment Framework/Early Help Assessment and Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment.

• We provide resources (human and financial) to implement our Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs Policy.
• We ensure all our staff are aware of our Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs policy and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for children with SEN.
• We provide in-service training for parents, practitioners and volunteers.
• We raise awareness of our special education provision via our website and or promotional materials.
• We ensure the effectiveness of our special educational needs provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. Action Plan reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agency's views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually.
• We provide a complaints procedure.
• We monitor and review our policy annually.

Admissions Procedures

• Children with special educational needs, like other children, are admitted to the Pre-school after consultation between parents, the child’s Key Person and the Pre-school ~SENCo
• Children’s needs will be monitored through observation and assessment; these observations will be used to note any areas of difficulty and used to help children to progress, on an individual basis, in conjunction with their parents.
• Progress and information is shared, on a regular basis, with staff at Keyperson meetings, with Parents/Carers at Parent Evenings and at SEN liaison meetings and with the Area SENCo and other outside agencies who are involved such as Therapists, Health Visitors, Psychologists, Social Workers, Paediatricians and Portage Workers, through reports and meetings, to meet children’s specific needs.
• A child’s individual needs are planned for by drawing up an Individual Education Plan for all staff to work to and also by differentiating the curriculum to meet children’s individual needs.

Partnership with Parents and Carers

• Staff and Key Persons value the knowledge and views of parents/carers regarding their own children and will be sensitive to the need to be discreet.  All Staff will be aware of the need for confidentiality and will adhere to the settings Confidentiality Policy.  See also Positive Contribution Folder.

Identification and Assessment of Children with SEN

• Information is gathered in a positive way at an initial visit with the Child’s Key Person and with the setting SENCo if appropriate.
• A Risk Assessment will be undertaken to ensure that the setting is well prepared to support the child.
• The Setting SENCo and Staff will be willing to undertake further training if necessary, in order to support a child’s particular needs.
• If a child attends other settings or specialist nurseries, the setting SENCo would liaise and share information with these settings.

Children are helped with transition by completing a transition form and sharing records with the receiving school, liaising with school staff at SENCo Network Meetings and arranging visits with pre-school staff to a child’s school and/or visits from the child’s teacher/nursery nurse to the setting, prior to starting.

The Role of the SENCo

• To Liaise with staff, parents and other professionals, to identify which children may need support and how best to achieve it.
• To monitor, record and evaluate the children’s progress and ensure records are collated and updated
• To support staff in providing or adapting activities so that children with SEN can join in and progress.
• To ensure that individual arrangements e.g. Targeted Plan, is being followed by all those working with the child.
• Co-ordinating liaison between parents, other professionals, e.g. Area SENCo, speech and language therapists, health visitors and specialist teams within education.
• To monitor and review the SEN policy annually.

Resources and Training

• The building is fitted with a ramp for easy access, disabled toilet with handrails and low-level toilet, sinks and drying facilities.
• Staff will work with the Specialist ~Teaching Service and other professional bodies to acquire any specialist equipment that may be required.
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• The SENCo will attend the SENCo network meetings to keep up to date on updates, information and training.

Procedures for resolving a complaint

• Complaints will be resolved following the settings Complaints Procedure Policy in Main Policy Document and also in the Protecting Children Folder, sited in the office.
• Information will be kept on statutory and voluntary organisations that can advocate for a family.

Further guidance

• Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (DFE 2017)
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE & DoH 2014)

Other useful Pre-school Learning Alliance publications

• The SEND Code of Practice for Early Years (PLA 2015)
• Guide to the Equality Act and Good Practice (2015)

UPDATED NOVEMBER 2019