These pages will be up-dated – always look on the websites for up-to-date information

What is the Local Offer?

The Local Offer is a new term to describe the services available to children with SEND..

This information is collated by the Local Authority – but should also be available in individual settings as a hard copy and/or on their website

The Local Offer is described by your answers to 14 questions – designed to help parents/carers understand what services and support your setting can provide.

The questions are:

  1. How does the nursery know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
  1. How will nursery staff support my child?
  1. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
  1. How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
  1. What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?
  1. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the nursery?
  1. What training do the staff supporting children with SEND have?
  1. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
  1. How accessible is the nursery environment?
  1. How will you prepare and support my child to join the nursery, transfer to a new setting or school or the next stage of education and life?
  1. How are the nursery’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
  1. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
  1. How are parents involved in the nursery? How can I be involved?
  1. Who can I contact for further information?

The benefits of the Local Offer

  • The same format will be used by all providers of services for children with SEND – this includes all voluntary organisations, all educational establishments, and all Health and Local Authority services – in all areas of the country.
  • Parents/carers will be able to easily find and compare information about education, health and care providers.
  • You will be able to see what services other organisations provide. This will include transparent information about decision making, access and eligibility for services

The process for completing your Local Offer is described on the website:

  1. Answer the questions about your service (templates on You should answer the questions as if you are talking to a parent about what your setting provides/does.
  2. The ‘virtual panel’ document can then be used to get feedback from other practitioners, parents using the setting, committee, owners etc
  3. Revise and agree your offer with owner/committee etc
  4. Send your service or setting offer to
  5. They willedit theoffer to make sure it's easy to understand andconsistent.
  6. They will return it to you with comments for you to consider before you publish it.
  7. Publish your Local Offer. You should do this on your website if you have one. You can also email your local offer to who will also publish it.
  8. Set a date to review and up-date your Local Offer – following the same process

Local Offer Questions and prompts

  1. How does the setting know if children need extra help and what should a parent do if they think their child person may have special educational needs?
How do you identify children with special educational needs?
How will a parent be able to raise any concerns they may have?
If the setting is specialist which types of special educational need do you cater for?
PROMPT:
On-going assessment; 2 year check Summative Assessment on transition to school; observations/Learning Journeys; Early Help; parent partnership; SENCO and Key person roles; inclusion/SEN Policy;
  1. How will the early years setting staff support my child?
Who will oversee and plan the education programme and who will be working with my child and how often?
What will be their roles?
Who will explain this to me?
How are the setting’s committee, governors or trustees involved and what are their responsibilities?
How does the setting know how effective its arrangements its provision for children and young people with special educational needs are?
PROMPT: Role of Key Person and SENCO; 1:1 SEN support and Key person, use of outside agencies, Team around the child meetings, assessment and monitoring of child, transition, Advisor support from EYCS.
  1. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
What are the setting’s approaches to differentiation?
How will that help my child?
PROMPT: Planning for individual children and stages of development and environ, IEPs, additional support.
  1. How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
In addition to the normal reporting arrangements what opportunities will there be for me to discuss his or her progress with the staff? How does the setting know how well my child is doing? How will I know what progress my child/young person should be making? What opportunities will there be for regular contact about things that have happened at early years setting eg a home school book? How will you explain to me how his or her learning is planned and how I can help support this outside of the setting / school? How and when will I be involved in planning my child’s education? Do you offer any parent training or learning events?
PROMPT: Meetings with parents, use of learning journey and summative assessment, 2 year progress check, COP and IEPs.
  1. What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?
What is the pastoral, medical and social support available in the setting for children with SEND? How does the setting manage the administration of medicines and providing personal care? What support is there for behaviour, avoiding exclusions and increasing attendance? How will my child being able to contribute his or her views? How will the setting support my child to do this?
PROMPT: Administrating medicines policy and care plans. Consulting with children, behaviour management and policies. East Sussex’s guidance on intimate care and toileting.
  1. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?
Are there specialist staff working at the setting and what are their qualifications? What other services does the setting access including health, therapy and social care services.
PROMPT: Staff training and skills, Early Language team input, Early Support, Advisors, outside agencies (SLT, OT, SEYS), multi-disciplinary meetings, E-help (CAF).
  1. What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?
This should include recent and future planned training and disability awareness.
PROMPT: Staff training and qualifications e.g. SENCO, Makaton, ELKLAN, INSET, Inclusion Support Groups.
  1. How will my child be included in activities outside the setting including trips?
Will he or she be able to access all of the activities of the setting and how will you assist him or her to do so? How do you involve parent carers in planning activities and trips?
PROMPT: Planning for trips out to include all children, adaptations and additional support.
  1. How accessible is the setting environment?
Is the building fully wheelchair accessible? Have there been improvements in the auditory and visual environment? Are there disabled changing and toilet facilities? How does the setting communicate with parent carers whose first language is not English? How will equipment and facilities to support children and young people with special educational needs be secured?
PROMPT: Current and possible changes to your premises, including all families, translations, visual support, extra funding (Inclusion grant, etc.) Equality Act, making reasonable adjustments.
  1. How will the setting prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?
What preparation will there be for both the setting and my child before he or she joins the setting. How will he or she be prepared to move onto the next stage? What information will be provided to his or her new setting/school? How will you support a new setting/school to prepare for my child?
PROMPT: Transition meetings and links with other settings and schools, TAC and multi-disciplinary meetings to prepare for a child. Photo books and visits, Info passed on to new setting, Learning journeys, assessments, etc.
  1. How are the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
How is the setting’s special educational needs budget allocated?
PROMPT: Deployment of staff in setting, additional funding e.g. Inclusion grant, discretionary funding, EHC Plan.
  1. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child person will receive?
Describe the decision making process. Who will make the decision and on what basis? Who else will be involved? How will I be involved? How does the setting judge whether the support has had an impact?
PROMPT: Meetings with families and all professionals involved with child, EHCP, allocation of 1:1 support.
  1. How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?
Describe the setting’s approach to involving parents in decision making and day to day school life including for their own child or young person.
PROMPT: Consulting with parents in planning for each child, home visits, EHCP.
  1. Who can I contact for further information?
Who would be my first point of contact if I want to discuss something about my child? Who else has a role in my child’s education? Who can I talk to if I am worried? Who should I contact if I am considering whether child should join the setting? Who is the SEN Coordinator and how can I contact them? What other support services are there who might help me and provide me with information and advice? Where can I find the local authority’s Local Offer?
PROMPT: SENCO, Key person, Keyworker for child. Information about local service on Local Authority website.