OUR LOCAL OFFER

We operate a key person system in the nursery, where each child will be assigned a key person. The key person gets to know the child and will observe them regularly and complete assessments, which helps identify any support if the child may need it. We try to identify children with SEND as early as possible. Our indicators for SEN help include:

• Concerns raised by a parent.

• Concerns raised by the key person.

• Delays in progress is being made.

• Changes in the child’s behaviour or progress.

The key person is responsible for observing, assessing and planning the child’s learning to meet his/hers individual needs. They will also make a judgement about whether the child is making good progress for their age or there may be a risk of delay.

When a child appears to be falling behind in their age bracket criteria, or where a child’s progress is a cause for concern, the key person will discuss this with the parents. Together they make a plan how best to support the child. The child’s views are acknowledged. The nursery SENCO will be asked for advice in order to support the key person and the child. They will work closely with staff in practice to plan, implement, monitor, review and evaluate the special needs practice and the policy of the nursery, always making sure plans and records are shared with parents.

If a child is working with SENCO support, this means reviews will be made and communicated every three months to monitor progress closely. The SENCO will produce an individual support plan (ISP) for the child with the support of key person and parents. The SENCO will make the necessary referrals to the appropriate agencies with parental consent.

Each child that requires additional support has an Individual Plan. During the planning stage, outcomes that we will be working on to support your child will be written in the plan and it will be based on their individual needs and interests. The environment that they play in will be appropriate for their needs and additional support and resources will be supplied if necessary. We try to be as inclusive as possible and give each child the same opportunities. We also listen to the child’s choices in our decision making.

It is very important that a good relationship is formed between the nursery and parents. Parent’s communication is valued and crucial to their learning journey. The key person will work together with the parents to ensure that every child’s learning is supported to the best of their ability. If you need to speak to a member of staff face to face this can be done by arranging a meeting for a time that suits you, additionally we have termly overviews. This enables us to communicate the child’s progress at home, in setting and keep us informed of new interests, so that can be incorporated in the activities planned. Our assessment tools enable us to identify if additional support is required. Each child that requires additional support will have an Individual Support Plan, which with their key person, SENCO and parent’s involvement will be updated regularly.

With parental consent, if your child has attended another setting before starting with us, we will communicate with them and assess your child’s development and requirements. Transitions are a key time for any child, the key person will ensure that these transitions are supported. When your child is ready to transition to school, we will complete a report and contact the school to ensure smooth arrangements take place for all children.

The nursery will deploy staff where required, if a child requires 1:1 support we will apply for any relevant Local Authority funding on your behalf to accommodate this where possible. We pride ourselves with being a small ratio nursery, however there may be a delay in providing 121 support while we wait for funding to come through. This may cause a delay in your child starting at the nursery until this support is put in place.

Meetings will be held with parents, your child’s key person. Nursery SENCO and other professionals can be invited to the meeting as well e.g., a speech and language therapist. The SENCO and the child’s key person will agree appropriate next steps for the child to work towards. The decision is made through ongoing and regular assessments. Individual Support Plans will be monitored and regularly reviewed by parents and other professionals.

We strive to provide a happy, safe and secure environment for all children to flourish. Our team aims to provide a welcoming environment with appropriate learning opportunities for all children in our care. The environment around them is organised and planned relevant to each child’s age and stage of development. Resources are always available at child level. 

We ensure Health and Safety procedures, and detailed risk assessments are completed where appropriate.

We have an indoor area and outdoor area, please contact the nursery to discuss specific accessibility requirements. Our Access Statement can be found here.