The Lemon Tree Day Nurseries Ltd.
A Nursery Policy for Special Educational Needs
Statement of Principle
The nursery believes that those children with special educational needs should share the same range of curricular experiences open to all children at The Lemon Tree Day Nurseries Ltd. and the methodology and organisational arrangements may be modified to fit the individual needs.
We are committed at The Lemon Tree Day Nurseries Ltd. in providing for those children who require it.
· Access to the curriculum through special equipment, facilities or resources, modification of the environment or specialist teaching techniques.
· The provision of a modified or special curriculum.
· A caring social and emotional climate in which education takes place.
Legislation
Although under the Education Act 1996, exceptionally able children are not defined as having special educational needs, it is the nursery’s duty to ensure that the activities provided are in line with the child’s abilities.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Early years: guide to the 0 – 25 SEND code of practice. We consider that whenever possible children should be able to participate in the normal curriculum. Those children with special needs should develop a healthy self-image through being regarded as worthwhile members of the community who can succeed and contribute at their own level.
Personnel
Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENCO) – Susan Hilton
SEND Specialism
Debbie Mitchell – Area SENDCO – EYDCP
Lisa Stanley – Educational Psychologist – HCC
Gill Anderson – IPASS
Louise Taylor - Tweendykes/Ganton Outreach
Debra Tullock – FASST
Kathy Alterskye – SALT
Sue Nield – KIDS
Educational Provision within the nursery
Each member of staff has the responsibility for identifying pupils who are thought to have special educational needs. The importance of early identification, assessment and provision is recognised and all staff that work with the child are involved in the approach to meeting the needs of the individual child.
Resources
2, 3 and 4 word level programme development pack.
Exercises for lips, soft palate and tongue – The Nuffield Hearing and Speech Centre.
Supporting the Development of Early Speaking and Listening Skills – EY Enhancement Programme
Friendship Groups Programmes
Special box
Chatterbox Programmes
ECAT Programme
PECS
IDP
Autism
Speech and Language
Makaton
Hand Hugger Pencils
Chunky Paint Brushes
Balancing Equipment
Cause and effect toys
Sensory Room
Sensory Toys
A range of toys for fine motor skills and hand/eye co-ordination
Loan availability through Tweendykes and Ganton Outreach
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has a toy library of special needs equipment available on loan to pre-schools.
Toy Library available at The Lemon Tree Children’s Centre, Lothian Way.
Implementation of Policy
SEND support is a single category
All staff are responsible for identifying children who are not reaching the educational and or developmental level for their age.
Cause for Concern
If a child is identified as not making progress, we assess, plan, carry out and review prior to moving the child on to:
Targeted Support - When a child has been identified as not reaching the developmental milestones for their age. The staff make an initial assessment of the child’s needs and ensure planning for that child meets their individual needs. The staff closely monitors and reviews the child’s progress, keeping evidence on a regular basis as a record.
Additional Support at Targeted Support
If it is considered appropriate, the SENDCO, together with the nursery staff, devises small steps, individual learning program to be followed by the staff and or support worker in the group and the work reinforced by the parents/carers at home.
Roles and Responsibilities
At this stage the SENDCO takes the lead in assessing the child’s difficulties. Planning, monitoring and reviewing the provision, working with the nursery staff ensuring that the parents are consulted. The staff remain responsible for working with the child. The SENDCO and the staff review all the available information including the initial assessments of the child’s needs and reports by the staff. The SENDCO decides as to whether to seek further advice and/or draws up an individual education plan together with the staff.
An individual education plan sets out:
§ The nature of the child’s difficulties
§ Action – the special educational provision
§ The staff involved, including frequency of support
§ Specific activities, materials and equipment
§ Help form parents/carers at home
§ Targets to be achieved in given time
§ Any medical requirements
§ Success criteria
§ Review arrangement and date
The child’s parents/carers must always be informed of the action being taken and any help they can give at home. The child should also as appropriate be involved with setting goals and any decisions that will affect them. A review date is set.
Review Procedures
The review involves the SENDCO, the nursery staff, the parents/carers and were possible the child. The review focuses on:
§ Progress made by the child
§ Effectiveness of the individual education plan
§ Contribution made by the parents/carers at home
§ Updated information and advice
§ Future action.
§ The child’s views
The outcome may be:
§ The child will is removed from Targeted Support
§ The child continues at Targeted Support
§ The child moves to Intensive Support
The parents/carers must always be informed of the outcome of the review and it is important that the staff or the SENDCO talk with the parents/carers in person if it is decided to move the child to Intensive Support. Were appropriate the child should also be consulted.
Intensive Support - The staff will consult with the SENDCO who will then consult with the child’s parents/carers to gain permission to involve a member of the Local Authority Special Needs Team.
§ An Individual Education Plan will be put in place.
§ Depending on if there is to be outside involvement the child will move to Intensive Support.
§ A member of staff may need to be appointed if the course of action suggested involves the child having a one to one support worker. The recruitment procedure would be followed.
Review Procedures
§ The review stage involves the staff involved with the child’s care, parents/carers, the SENDCO and the child whenever possible.
§ Progress against the set individual action plan
§ The child’s view
§ Any further concerns regarding the child
§ Future action
The outcome may be:
§ The child remains at Intensive Support or goes back to Targeted Support if required progress is considered to have been met.
§ Further assessment would be carried out if serious concerns or no progress against target has been observed
Roles and Responsibilities
The special educational needs and disability co-ordinator continues to take a leading role, working closely with the nursery staff and external specialist services relevant to the child’s needs. The SENDCO and the staff review all the information gathered over monitoring and reports from previous reviews, the consultation will involve the child were appropriate and the child’s parents/carers
Assessing and Meeting the Child’s Needs
The SENDCO then requests appropriate help from a support service (e.g. speech therapist, behavior therapist, educational psychologist, health workers etc) this is done with the help of the Special Needs Development Worker and or the Area SENDCO form the EYDCP.
§ Seek further advice from other agencies
And/or
§ Draw up a new individual action plan together with the staff of the nursery, including the involvement of support services, parents/carers and the child.
The parents must be informed of the action being taken.
An individual education plan at the Intensive Support stage is developed with help from the external specialists but should normally be carried out in the groups setting.
The plan sets out:
§ The nature of the child’s learning difficulties
§ Action – the special educational provision
§ Nursery staff involved, including frequency and timing of support
§ Specific activities, materials and equipment
§ Help from parents/carers
§ The child’s view
§ Targets to be achieved medical requirements
§ Monitoring success criteria
§ Review arrangements and date
Specific targets are set for all aspect of the plan. Special assessment arrangements are made for those targets – some of that assessment may be conducted by outside specialists – e.g. educational psychologists. The child’s parents/carers must be informed of the action to be taken. A review date, normally within a term, is set.
Review Procedures
The review involves the SENDCO, the nursery staff in direct contact with the child, parents/carers and any external agencies involved. The review focuses on:
§ Progress made by the child.
§ Effectiveness of the education plan.
§ Updated information and advice.
§ Future action.
§ Whether the child is likely in future to be referred for statutory assessment.
The outcome may be:
§ The child is to continue at Intensive Support
§ The child returns to Targeted Support
§ The pre-school SENDCO considers referring the child to the Area SENDCO to organise statutory assessment.
Parents/Carers should always be invited and encouraged to attend progress meetings. They must always be informed of the outcome. If it is felt a referral is appropriate, the parents/carers must be consulted in person and were appropriate the child.
A referral for an assessment is made by the nursery, through the Area SENCO, another agency or through a formal request from the child’s parents/carers.
Nursery Referral
When making a referral, the nursery usually requests the help of the Area SENDCO, they state the reasons for referral and submit information including:
· Recorded views of parents/carers
· Were possible the child
· Evidence of health checks
· Written individual education plans at Targeted Support and Intensive Support indicating approaches adopted, the monitoring arrangements followed and the outcomes.
· Reviews of each individual education plan indicating decisions made as a result.
· Evidence of external professionals with relevant specialist knowledge.
· Observations
· Development Overview
Parental Referral
The LA must comply with a parental request unless they have made a statutory assessment within the last six months of the date of the request or unless they conclude, upon examining all the available evidence, that a statutory assessment is not necessary. The LA will contact the parents/carers in order to:
§ Investigate further the nature of their concern.
§ Ascertain the degree of their involvement and agreement with the nursery educational provision, which has been made for their child at nursery.
§ Give them full details of the assessment process.
Time Limits for Making Assessments and Education, Health and Care Plan
The LA must make a decision whether or not to make a statutory assessment within six weeks of receiving a request from a child’s parent/carer.
Were a decision has been made to make a statutory assessment; the assessment must be completed by the LA within twenty weeks.
When the assessment has been completed, the LA must serve a copy of the proposed EHCP on the parents/carers or given notice of their decision not to make a EHCP within two weeks.
The LA must issue a copy of the completed EHCP within eight weeks of the date on which the proposed EHCP was served.
Were it is necessary for the LA to specify the special educational provision, which the child’s learning difficulty calls for, the LA shall make and maintain a EHCP of his or her special educational needs. The LA will then inform the ‘responsible person’ in the child’s nursery of the EHCP and forward a copy of the EHCP along with all written advice which was obtained and taken into consideration during the assessment procedure. The responsible person must then ensure that the child’s special educational needs are made known to all those who will work with him or her. Informal reviews are held during the year to ensure progress is being made and that the child’s needs are being met by the support given. A formal review is held each year; twelve months form the date of the original EHCP. All those who have been involved with the child during the last year are invited to attend.
Access to the Curriculum
All children with additional needs at The Lemon Tree Day Nurseries Ltd. have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of individual children. Differentiation in the group being achieved in a number of ways:
§ Modification of the activities
§ Differentiation by outcome
§ Use specialist equipment
§ Use of parent/carer support
Integration of Special Needs Children/Gifted and Talented
We aim to fully integrate the children with special needs into The Lemon Tree Day Nurseries Ltd. We modify and differentiate the curriculum to meet the individual needs of all children so that they experience success in their learning.
All staff would be made aware of children with physical difficulties and permission would be sought to modify areas of the nursery if possible and necessary so that the nursery and the curriculum are more accessible.
Children with Behavioural Problems
It is recognised that children who have behavioural problems also require individual assessment of their needs. The nursery staff and SENDCO study the child’s behaviour, looking at the causes and consequences of the behaviour. Reward systems are introduced to encourage improved behaviour with close monitoring of the effectiveness of the programme
See Behaviour Policy.
Evaluating the Success of the Policy
A close working relationship between the staff, parents/carers and the SENDCO regularly discusses progress made by the children, both formally and informally with the staff and the parents/carers. Through keeping careful records which are dated and kept up to date and through regular review meetings, the staff of the nursery can evaluate the success of the policy.
Arrangements for Dealing with Complaints
Should complaints about the special educational provision within the pre-school arise, the parents/carers are asked to speak to the SENDCO as soon as the problem arises. The SENDCO acts on the concern and then asks the parents/carers to attend a meeting to discuss the problem. The action to be taken is outlined and a date for a review set up.