We Want Our Children To

At Ogley Hay Nursery School we work in partnership with families, the Children’s Centre, outside agencies and the community to raise expectations and aspirations. We believe that a child’s emotional and physical well being are paramount and strive to provide a safe, fun caring environment where children can enjoy learning through play and achieve their full potential.

We want our children to:-

Be Safe.

Be happy at school and have fun.

Actively learn through play.

Take part in a wide range of activities, some with adults and some on their own.

Develop a Healthy outlook.

Solve problems for themselves and make informed decisions.

Grow in confidence and become independent.

Be proud of themselves and with the things that they do.

Know that everybody is special even though we are all different.

Do the best they can at nursery school.

Make a positive contribution to the community.

At our school we use the definition for SEN and for disability from the SEND Code of Practice (2014). This states:

Special Educational Needs: A child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A learning difficulty or disability is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age.

Special educational provision means educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age in a mainstream setting in England

Disability: Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer.

The kinds of special educational needs (SEN) for which provision is made at our nursery:

•Children and young people with SEN have different needs, but the general presumption is that all children with SEN but without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are welcome to apply for a place at our school, in line with the school admissions policy. If a place is available, we will undertake to use our best endeavours, in partnership with parents, to make the provision required to meet the SEN of pupils at this school.

•For children with an EHCP, parents have the right to request a particular school and the local authority must comply with that preference and name the school or college in the EHC plan unless:

it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of the child or young person, or
the attendance of the child or young person there would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, or the efficient use of resources.

•Before making the decision to name our school in a child’s EHCP, the local authority will send the governing body a copy of the EHCP and then consider their comments very carefully before a final decision on placement is made. In addition, the local authority must also seek the agreement of school where the draft EHCP sets out any provision to be delivered on their premises that have been secured through a direct payment (personal budget).

•Parents of a child with an EHCP also have the right to seek a place at a special school if it they consider that their child’s needs can be better met in specialist provision.

The types of need children have can be one or a combination of the following:

Communication and interaction,
Cognition and learning,
Social, mental and emotional health,
Sensory/physical.

Here are the most common questions parents ask:

Who are the best people to talk in the nursery about my child’s special educational needs and disabilities?

Your first point of contact will be your child’s key worker (family group leader) who knows you and your child best. Key workers are available at the beginning and end of each session for informal chats. The key worker will take advice from the nursery’s special educational needs coordinator or Senco for short.
Mrs Holmes is the Senco and you are able to speak to her at any time for an informal chat. If you require a longer time then you can make an appointment.
We have a link governor who you can speak to and discuss your child’s needs or express concerns. Her name is Mrs Blackwell and she can be contacted through the school office.
Mrs Margaret Turley is the Head Teacher and she has overall responsibility for the school. Ask at the office if you would like to speak to her.

How can I let the nursery know I am concerned about my child’s progress in school?

If you have concerns then please speak to your child’s key worker as soon as possible. Ask to speak to the Senco.
If you have raised concerns in the past with other professional such as GP, doctor, Health visitor, Children’s centre or a previous setting then please let us know so we can meet your child’s needs quickly.
If your child has an identified special need before joining the school please talk about it at your child’s home visit. We can then plan your child’s transition into nursery.
We understand that if your child does have Special Educational Needs it can be a worry for you and from time to time you may feel anxious. Please do come and see us at any time.

How does the nursery identify Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and how would they let me know?

Nursery use assessment tools to track your child’s progress against expected development.
If your child is not making expected progress and meeting developmental milestones then we will talk to you about it.
We observe children daily in all situations and staff share what they have seen and inform the Senco of any concerns.
If a group leader or a parent raises a concern with the Senco, then an Early Response form is filled in to find out what the actual concerns are and the strategies already tried. In discussion with parents, the Senco will support the Group Leader in trying further strategies and the impact of these will be assessed and recorded to share with parents.
We also work with other agencies such as health, which may help us identify a special need or disability.
We always share our initial concerns and findings with you by arranging a meeting with you.
We always ask your permission before putting your child’s name on the special needs register.

What are the different types of support available for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in our nursery?

We organise our daily activities with the children’s needs in mind.
This may mean we have intervention groups to develop particular skills; we support children in their daily routine in nursery setting.
We have smaller groups and one to one support.
We differentiate tasks and activities and use resources suited to your child’s leaning need and learning style.
We take advice from experts and outside agencies to ensure we meet your child’s needs based on best practice
We purchase resources and adapt the environment to meet the needs of current children.

How do you decide how much support my child needs?

We follow the special needs Code of Practice 2014 which means there is a certain order that we follow. It is called the Graduated Approach. This is where we assess the needs, plan the strategies, put support in place (do) and review the impact of this support.
Once a concern has been raised and discussed by staff and parents, steps will be taken to help your child to progress. The family group leader will meet their needs through differentiated work. This is called Early Response.
If after this, your child is not making the progress expected we will move the support to a Support Plan to help your child meet specific targets using agreed strategies with staff and parents. This is reviewed each term. Your child will work in a smaller group for some of their time in nursery.
If their targets are not met we will ask for outside help and consider an Enhanced Support Plan. They will have some one to one time with an adult in nursery
If parents and professionals feel your child needs more support and will do so over a period of time then a Statutory Assessment will be requested which may lead to an Education, Health and Social Care plan (EHC plan) being issued.
Wherever your child is on the Graduated Approach their progress will be tracked and reviewed each term in a meeting with parents and other professional and also on a daily basis by staff working with your child so work is always planned to meet their needs.

We aim to work in close partnership with parents and all information is shared and decisions taken jointly. If we have concerns, these will be shared with you and we will talk about whether your child’s understanding and behaviours are the same at home as they are in the setting. This is then taken into account and we work together to decide what support you and/or your child may need to begin making good progress.
Where appropriate, together we will write an Individual Support Plan; this sets simple targets and outlines how your child will be supported. You will always be provided with a copy so that you can support your child’s learning at home.
Sometimes, we may ask you to give permission for other professionals to become involved for example, making a referral to other agencies such as the Speech and Language Therapy Team, Health Visitor or Children’s Centre.
We will then hold an 8-10 week review meeting, where you will be involved in reviewing your child’s progress and celebrating their achievements alongside Nursery staff and any other professionals involved.
We also hold parent consultation meetings once a term, where you can discuss your child’s development and interests with their Family Group Leader.
We also hold Parent Workshops throughout the year, these provide you with an insight into your child’s day at nursery and lots of information and support on a number of important subjects, like Communication & Language, Maths and Healthy eating.
In the reception area, we have a celebration wall, at any time you can fill in one of the labels to tell your child’s Family Group Leader about something that your child did that surprised you or made you feel proud.
When appropriate, some children are provided with Home to Nursery communication diaries. These books provide nursery with daily information from home, such as sleep/eating patterns, interests, behaviour and mood. They also provide the parents with daily information regarding their child’s activities and achievements.

Who are the other people providing services to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in our nursery?

Some services are provided by the health authority and some by the education department in the local Authority.
It is the SENCOs job to bring all the services together that your child may need. The main services we use in schools are:
Walsall Local Authority Special Educational Needs and Disabled services (SEND)
Educational Psychologist (EP)- A doctor who knows how children learn
Speech and Language Therapists (SALT)- A medical professional who knows how children learn to talk and use language
Early Years SEN teachers (EY SEN Teacher)- An early years specialist SEN teacher
Occupational therapists- A medical person who assesses the space and equipment in your child’s environment
Physiotherapist- Helps your child’s physical movements
Hearing Impaired- Advises schools with children with hearing loss
Behaviour Support- Supports children with emotional and behavioural development
Child Development Centre (CDC)- A centre in Walsall with medical and educational workers
Community Paediatrician- A doctor who specialises in children
Community nurses- Give advice on medical conditions
Vision impaired- Advises schools with vision impaired children.

How are the practitioners in nursery helped to work with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and what training do they have?

Training is arranged for practitioners by the SENCO. This is identified from staff appraisals and also as needs arise from the group of children. Specific training has been carried out around Autism Awareness, Makaton, Manual Handling and Speech and language development.
We have additional teaching assistant to support Group Leaders in family group time and to give small group and one to one support for identified children.
Reasonable adjustments are made by tailoring planning and resources to meet needs of SEND and Gifted and Talented children.
If we need to ask for help from professional outside of school then we will discuss it with you first.
We have a policy to support children with medical needs. It is on the website or you may ask for a paper copy from the office.

How will the early year’s provision be adapted for my child with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?
How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

The provision will be adapted by tailoring resources and planning, allocating adult support, grouping children, using space available, the methods of delivery, the type of resources used and training for specific needs.
All resources are labelled with photographs and words.
Children can freely flow between inside and outside.
All areas are clutter free and are accessible to children.
We have ramp access to external doors.
We have visual timelines and Makaton symbols to help with communication.
We access support and resources from outreach centres when specialist equipment is required.
The school receives funding to respond to the needs of pupils with SEND from a number of sources that includes:
A proportion of the funds allocated per pupil to the school to provide for their education called the Age Weighted Pupil Unit.
The Notional SEN budget. This is a fund devolved to schools to support them to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
For those pupils with the most complex needs, the school may be allocated additional educational needs funding from the Local Authorities High Needs SEN Funding allocation.

This funding is then used to provide the equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through support that might include:

Targeted differentiation to increase access to text
In class, adult or peer support aimed at increasing skills in specific area of weakness (learning behaviours, organisation, etc)
Out of class support (relationship building, social, emotional skill development,) Small group tuition to enable catch up (subject or targeted at additional need)
Specific support, advice and guidance is provided to parents and families to improve pupil’s readiness for learning (relating to pupil’s difficulties in attendance, behaviour, physiological and emotional needs etc)
Provision of specialist resources or equipment as appropriate (e.g. use of ICT, sloping board, electronic versions of text etc)
Partnership working with other settings (shared resources e.g. Parent Liaison Worker; shared expertise: support from local special school on action to improve inclusion: shared alternative environments etc.)
Access to the school nurse and wider health professional support (responding to mental and physical health issues, speech, language and communication needs, motor control and mobility needs)
Access to support from in-school sources or from charities (e.g. Barnardos, Relate) and community sources (e.g. Youth and Church groups, local businesses)
Implementation of strategies from support agencies e.g. Behaviour Support/Educational Welfare Support

How will the nursery review my child’s development?

All children’s development is tracked and next steps are identified and planned for.
SEN children also have a support plan that states measurable targets to be achieved in a specific time frame. Practitioners use this plan to work, support children in their play and assess their progress.
Children with EHC plans will have their progress reviewed annually. Parents can also have termly meetings with key workers.
Staff are also available every day for brief informal chats with parents to check on the well-being of their children.

What support do you offer a parent whose child has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

The school based Senco will work closely with families to make sure all needs are identified as they arise.
The Senco will work with all professionals to get the right advice and resources required such as family support, access to Early Years SEN advisory teacher, Educational Psychologist, and children’s centre.
The Senco will liaise with all parties and communicate information to ensure an efficient process.
The Senco is available on a daily basis to discuss needs as and when they arise. If a more in depth meeting is needed then a time to suit all parties will be arranged.
We hold parent workshops and arrange meetings with specialists when needed.

How accessible is our nursery environment for your child?

As a school we are happy to discuss individual access requirements.
Facilities at present include: Ramps to external doors to inside the building, wide doorways. We also have a changing bed that children climb onto independently.
Risk assessments are conducted and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans are in place for children with physical disabilities.
We have an accessibility policy for pupils with disabilities.

How will we support your child when they join our nursery? How will we support them when they move to their next school?

We follow advice from research on transition and at present we hold transition meetings where strategies are planned for.
This includes a home visit to discuss needs and queries in familiar surroundings helping to build a trusting relationship between families and school staff.
We make contact with any other previous setting to share strategies in meeting needs. We follow this routine when your child moves to a new setting and the SENCOs meet to ensure the best for your child.

Where can you find further information and support?

See the SEN policy on the school website
Speak to the SENCO or the Head Teacher. We also have a SEN governor who is the link between school and the governing body.
The Local Authority sends out a SEN newsletter each term to your home address. There is also Parent Partnership which offers impartial advice and support. Their new name is Independent Advice and Support Services

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What can you do if you feel your child’s needs are not being met?
Speak to your child’s Group leader, the SENCO or the Head. If you are still concerned you may contact the governing body of the nursery. If you wish to make a formal complaint we have a complaints procedure, which is available upon request.
What do parents say we do really well for SEND children and families?
Parents have said:
I don’t trust many people with my little girl, but I trust you, I know you treat her like your own child and she has made so much progress.
I know my child is safe.
I can always talk to you and you always help me.
I know you listen to me and you help me to help my little boy, thank you.
What do children say we do well really well for them?
Parents report that their children:
Have done really well at Ogley and learned lots of things
Have started to play with other children
Have learned to talk
Have enjoyed coming and want to come at the weekend
What can we do better?
Comments parents have made are:
I wish he could just stay here and not go to big school.

The date this document was agreed/reviewed