This policy has been created with regard to:
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice
The nursery has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE 2015) to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs.
At kinderzimmer, we use the SEND Code of Practice (2015) definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability:
A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.
A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
Statement of intent
We are committed to the inclusion of all children at our nursery. We ensure all children are cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside their peers through positive experiences. We enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs and we work hard to ensure no child is discriminated against or put at a disadvantage as a consequence of their needs. Each child’s needs are unique and we do not attempt to categorise children.
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. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.
We undertake a Progress Check of all children at age two in accordance with the Code of Practice (2015) and statutory framework for the EYFS to support the early identification of needs.
We will also undertake an assessment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage for any children that remain with us in the final term of the year in which they turn five, as per the statutory framework for the EYFS.
We will work closely with the child’s parents and any relevant professionals if we identify any areas where a child’s progress is less than expected to establish if any additional action is required. This may include:
All new children will be given a full settling-in period when joining the nursery according to their individual needs.
We will:
Our nursery has a Special Education Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENCo).
The role of the SENCo in our setting includes:
We will:
Effective assessment of the need for early help
We are aware of the process for early help and adhere to the following procedure:
Local agencies should work together to put processes in place for the effective assessment of the needs of individual children who may benefit from early help services. Children and families may need support from a wide range of local agencies. Where a child and family would benefit from coordinated support from more than one agency (e.g. education, health, housing, police) there should be an inter-agency assessment. These early help assessments should identify what help the child and family require to prevent needs escalating to a point where intervention would be needed via a statutory assessment under the Children Act 1989.
The early help assessment should be undertaken by a lead professional who should provide support to the child and family, act as an advocate on their behalf and coordinate the delivery of support services. The lead professional role could be undertaken by a General Practitioner (GP), family support worker, teacher, health visitor and/or special educational needs coordinator. Decisions about who should be the lead professional should be taken on a case-by-case basis and should be informed by the child and their family.
For an early help assessment to be effective:
If at any time it is considered that the child may be a child in need as defined in the Children Act 1989, or that the child has suffered significant harm, or is likely to do so, a referral should be made immediately to local authority children’s social care. This referral can be made by any professional (Working together to safeguard children 2018).
Graduated response approach
We follow the SEND Code of Practice (2015) recommendation that, in addition to the formal checks above, we adopt a graduated approach to assessment and planning, led and coordinated by a SENCO. Good practice of working together with parents, and the observation and monitoring of children’s individual progress, will help identify any child with special educational needs or disability. This graduated approach will be led and coordinated by our SENCO and appropriate records will be kept according to the Code of Practice.
Assess
In identifying a child as needing SEND support, the key person, working with the SENCO and the child’s parents, will carry out an analysis of the child’s needs. This initial assessment will be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist teachers or from health, social services or other agencies beyond the setting. Where professionals are not already working with the setting, the SENCO will contact them, with the parents’ agreement.
Plan
Where it is decided to provide SEND support, and having formally notified the parents, the key person and the SENCO, in consultation with the parents, will agree the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans will take into account the views of the child.
The support and intervention provided will be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and provided by practitioners with relevant skills and knowledge. Any related staff development needs are identified and addressed. Parents will be involved in planning support and, where appropriate, in reinforcing the provision or contributing to progress at home.
Do
The child’s key person will be responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. With support from the SENCO, they will oversee the implementation of the intervention agreed upon as part of SEN support. The SENCO will support the key person in assessing the child’s response to the action taken, in problem-solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.
Review
The effectiveness of the support and its impact on the child’s progress will be reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact and quality of the support will be evaluated by the key person and the SENCO in full consultation with the child’s parents and taking into account the child’s views. Information will be shared with parents about the impact of the support provided.
Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)
Some children and young people may require an EHC needs assessment in order to decide whether it is necessary to develop an EHC plan. The purpose of an EHC plan is to make adjustments and offer support to meet the special educational needs of the child, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care.
The local authority will conduct the EHC needs assessment and take into account a wide range of evidence, including:
We will then work with the local authority and other agencies to ensure that the child receives the support they need to gain the best outcomes.
We will review this policy annually to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the children, parents and our nursery.
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