SEN and Disability Local Offer
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The Setting
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Q. What type of setting is it?
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A. What the setting provides
The setting is a full day care setting. Places are available for children 0-4 years, and the setting is open Monday to Friday, 7.30am – 6pm, 51 weeks of the year. The setting is closed on Bank Holidays. The setting is registered to take 12 children under 2 years and 37 children aged 2-4 years.
The setting is organised in age groups. A Baby Room on the ground floor caters for the under two’s. The nursery SENCO works in the Baby Room alongside 3 other key people, and she also takes on the role of deputy in the absence of the officer-in-charge. She also has responsibility for supporting behaviour. The Toddler Suite is situated on the first floor and caters for up to 37 children aged from 2-4 years old.
The Officer-in-Charge works as a key person in the Toddler Suite alongside 5 others, and also takes on the role of nominated safeguarding officer and is responsible for parental involvement. Two key people also have additional responsibilities as nominated safeguarding officers.
The Officer-in-Charge has overall responsibility for the setting and is supported by the proprietors who manage the business aspects of the setting.
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Accessibility and Inclusion
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Q. How accessible is the setting environment? Is the building fully wheelchair accessible? Do you have accessible parking spaces? Have there been improvements in the auditory and visual environment? Are there accessible changing/toilet facilities? How do you improve access to the setting?
Q .How accessible is your information - including displays, policies and procedures etc. Do you have information available in different font sizes, audio information, Braille, other languages etc. How does the setting communicate with parents and families whose first language is not English? How is information made accessible to parents and families with additional needs?
Q. How accessible is the provision? How is the room organised, how can it be changed to meet the needs of children with SEND? How do you make use of resources such as symbols, pictures and sign graphics to support children's access to resources? Do you have furniture such as height adjustable tables or alternative ways of presenting activities so that children can access them?
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A. What the setting provides
The setting is situated in an old building, and due to the nature of which, it is not accessible for wheelchair access. The building is on two levels, with no space available to install a lift. There are four accessible parking spaces at the front of the building, and the setting is accessed via a series of steps with handrails, with no ramp facilities. Entry to the building is gained using a buzzer / intercom system which is linked to each of the rooms. The front door is locked from the inside with a lock at the top of the door. There is a small storage area in the porch for buggies and car seats, but space is limited. All internal doors are solid, standard size and labelled with the name of the room.
There is a parent information board in the corridor at the entrance to the setting which displays information about the setting including how to access information about the policies and procedures, but large print or digital copies are available on request if families require this.
The ground floor has numerous windows providing natural light with central fluorescent bulbs in each room. The first floor is illuminated with strip lighting, but also has an abundance of windows providing natural light. There are no window blinds. The majority of the flooring within the building is non-slip vinyl, but on the ground floor laminate flooring is also used, and the stairs and hall are carpeted. Mats and rugs are used within the rooms to make more comfortable areas for play and relaxation, and all the furniture is free standing which enables it to be rearranged to make space for specialist equipment or to ensure rooms are accessible for children with mobility difficulties.
Within the Baby Room, low chairs and tables are used, but a wide range of activities are presented at floor level. There are eight cots available in a separate sleep room to ensure the babies are able to take adequate rests throughout the day. At mealtimes three different kinds of highchairs are available to accommodate babies at different levels of development. Resources are suitable for children under two, and are presented in specific areas of continuous provision. These include treasure baskets, and toys that light up or make sounds. The outdoor environment for the babies is accessed via the main door of the setting and a side gate, and comprises of a soft surfaced area which steps down onto a grassed area.
Within the Toddler Suite, toddler sized chairs and tables are used, but again a number of activities are available at floor level. The resources are appropriate for children aged 2-4, although resources can be borrowed from the Baby Room to meet the needs of less able children.
The resources can easily be accessed by the children and storage boxes are labelled with words and pictures so the children know where to find them. The resources are organised into separate areas of continuous provision. The children go downstairs to eat their meals, and sit on low chairs at the table. For children needing a sleep after lunch, low wipe-clean beds are available in the music room. The outdoor environment for the over two’s is accessed from the first floor via a bridge and a number of steps, and again comprises of a soft surfaced area and a grassed area. This is mainly flat, but there is some natural unevenness in the ground. There is a vegetable garden comprising of five raised beds which are accessed by a series of wide steps. Resources are taken outside on a daily basis which are chosen and adapted to meet the needs of the individual children attending.
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Teaching and Learning Part 1 – Practitioners and Practice
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Provide a brief overview of the context of the EYFS and the requirements within it – SEN requirements within the EYFS. Organisation of the setting – areas of provision, enhancements to areas of provision etc. How is children's progress and development monitored? (Baseline assessments?, termly reviews?, parent & key person conferences?, 2-3 year development check) What is the role of the key person for all children. What are the setting's approaches to differentiation generally and for children with SEND?
What is the role of the key person where children have additional needs/SEND and senior staff i.e. room leader, the role of the SENCO? What is the setting's provision map and how is it used to support children learning and development? The use of TLPs to support children at Wave 2/3 of the provision map. How will you match provision to the learning and development needs of a child with SEND?
How do you explain to a parent(s) how learning is planned and how can parent(s) help support this outside of the setting? Which staff have a role in this and what is that role? i.e. PICO, SENCO, Key person? Do you offer any parent training or learning events? How do you find out about events provided by others and how do you let parents know about them?
How are children encouraged to express their views? What resources or activities do you use that allow children to express their views? What do you ask children for their views about? How are children involved in the planning of their own learning and in reviewing their progress? |
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What the setting provides The setting works within the framework of the EYFS, which identifies the three prime areas and four specific areas of learning and development. “Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage” sets out the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals and staff have regard to these matters when they assess children and plan for their learning. They also have regard for The Characteristics of Effective Learning when planning and providing activities for the children. Information about the EYFS is available in the setting via a parental information board, and parents can access further information online at http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ or at http://www.education.gov.uk. Parents are given detailed information regarding future and current themes and activities through daily diaries (children under three), their key person, newsletters, posters. Letters and via our Facebook site. The children in the setting are split by age. Our Baby Room caters for children up to the age of two, with the Toddler Suite catering for children aged 2-4. Here the children are split into family groups of up to 12 children, with two key people working with each group. Other staff are available to provide additional support when required. The rooms have clearly defined areas of continuous provision which provide opportunities for children to explore in all areas of the EYFS. Within the Baby Room the focus is on the three prime areas of learning and development, Personal, Social and Emotional, Communication and Language, and Physical, with increasing opportunities to include the specific areas, Literacy, Maths, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design, as the children move up into the Toddler Suite. Activities are differentiated to meet the needs of all children, with specialist resources sought for children with special educational needs.
We operate a key person system, which ensures that positive and trusting relationships can be built both between the child and members of staff, and also between parents and staff members. The key person is responsible for the induction of the family and for settling the child into nursery, planning and delivering a personalised learning experience for each child, keeping developmental records and sharing information with parents on a regular basis to ensure that they are kept up to date, and becoming the child’s primary caregiver. Each key person has a back-up who takes over the key person role in their absence. Homelinks activities are sent home to parents every six weeks to share ideas of activities that they can carry out with their children at home. The nursery also has close links with the local children’s centre, and information is shared with parents about courses on offer at the centre as well as providing opportunities to access specialist support when required. We keep a “Learning Journey” for each child which celebrates their achievements. Both staff and parents can contribute to this record, and it is handed over to parents when a child leaves the setting. A baseline assessment is carried out approximately 5 weeks after a child starts at nursery, and this is updated termly at the end of March, August and December. An annual progress is written and shared with parents at the end of August. |
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Teaching and Learning Part 2 - Provision & Resources
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How does the setting determine what resources are available to support them in meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities? How is the setting's funding allocated? If resources are required how are they sourced and purchased? If additional staffing is provided, how is this organised? How do you work with other professionals e.g. making key staff available to meet with/spend time with other professionals visiting the child? Provision Mapping
Are there specialist staff working at the setting and what are their qualifications? What other services does the setting access including education, health, therapy and social care services?
What adjustment will you make to ensure a child is able to access the activities of the setting and how will you assist him or her to do so? How do you involve parents/carers in planning activities and trips? |
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What the setting provides The Baby Room and Toddler Suite are both resourced with age appropriate toys, but these can be shared where children are developing more slowly or quickly than their peers. Enhancement resources are also available for those children developing at a quicker rate that their peers. When appropriate, additional resources are sourced and provided using AEN money, where children have a specific need that requires specialist equipment. The nursery is staffed in accordance with EYFS guidelines, however, supernumary staff can be used to support children at times if appropriate. Staff work alongside outside agencies, such as speech and language therapy, when they visit children in nursery, and they follow any programmes of advice set. The music room is a quiet room which can be used for 1:1 teaching and learning as it is separate from the rest of the nursery and there are no distractions. This room is also used for review meetings.
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Reviews
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In addition to the normal reporting arrangements what opportunities are there be for parents to discuss their child's progress with the staff? How does the setting know how well a child is doing? How will parents know what progress their child should be making? What opportunities are there for regular contact about things that have happened at in the setting e.g. a home nursery book
How and when will parents be involved in planning a child’s education? How are parents/carers involved in the setting more widely? |
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What the setting provides Parents are provided with information about their child’s development in a variety of ways. Chats at the beginning or end of the day are easily facilitated, but for parents who do not attend nursery, email or telephone calls are both used. Parents can also see photographs of the children involved in activities on a regular basis via our Facebook site if they have given permission for their child’s image to be used. Children under the age of three have a daily diary which provides information about the child’s experiences each day, and this is shared with parents at the end of each session. Parents are invited to share information about their child’s learning at home using “Look what I have been doing...” sheets, and also every 6 weeks when they receive a feedback form to complete as part of the homelinks activities which are sent home to suggest ways in which they can support their child’s learning away from nursery. For parents of children with special educational needs, targeted learning plans are shared, with targets and progress being discussed with parents to provide a united approach.
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Transitions
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What preparation is there for the setting, parents and the child before he/she joins the setting? How will a child be prepared to move onto the next stage? What information will be provided to a new setting? How will a new setting be supported to prepare for a child? (Use of access action plans when children have known needs that may require more significant planning) |
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What the setting provides The nursery has a flexible induction procedure to ensure that every child’s individual needs are met. During the initial pre-visit the child’s needs are discussed, and the timing and duration of subsequent visits agreed to ensure a smooth transition into nursery. Parents are also provided with an information booklet giving details of the child’s key person, the other people who will be looking after them, and other relevant information. After leaving their child, parents are encouraged to telephone and check on their child as required. The nursery has an open door policy which allows parents to drop into nursery at any time. Where children are leaving nursery to start at school, teachers are invited into the setting to meet the children, and a report is shared with school detailing the child’s progress. For children attending the local school, nursery staff accompany them on their pre-visits and induction sessions if this is required by parents. For children with special educational needs, a transition meeting is held prior to the child starting school to share information and discuss how their needs can best be met, and if appropriate, an action plan drawn up. If required, nursery staff accompany special needs children on induction visits to school. Nursery staff help to prepare children for their transition into school by talking to them, and where appropriate, using photographs provided by the school.
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Staff Training
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What number of staff hold what level of qualification? How many staff are in training to move up to next level? What level are the manager, SENCO, room leaders trained to? Do you have any/how many staff with EYPS? What experience does the staff team have of children with SEND? This should include recent and future planned training and disability awareness. In house and external training and 'on the job' experience including input from external professionals that has resulted in staff being 'skilled up' in particular areas. Are there any staff (e.g. within chains of nurseries) that are available to support you? What qualifications/experience do they have? Do any staff have any specialist qualifications? Is the setting recognised/accredited as, for example, an 'I Can' nursery or does the setting have other quality assurance recognition related to SEND? |
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What the setting provides All nursery staff are qualified at level 3 with the exception of one nursery assistant who is level 2 qualified and currently working towards achieving level 3. The nursery manager has a BA (Hons) Degree in Early Years Childcare and Education and is also an Early years Teacher. A regular programme of supervision and appraisals helps staff to identify their training needs and areas for further development. Regular in-house training helps to ensure that staff knowledge is kept up to date. The following training courses have been attended by staff: Using music to support children’s speech and language development Observation, Planning and Assessment Basic Principles of Observation Developing Effective Outdoor Environments Every Child a Talker The Role of the Adult during Outdoor Play Are you Sitting Comfortably? Then I’ll Begin – Exploring dialogic book talk and its impact on young children Characteristics of Effective Learning Being Two Let’s Play Maths! Staff performance and Practice All staff access on-line training sessions to develop their knowledge of the Common Assessment Framework and the Continuum of Need on enrolment as well as modules on safeguarding children, and basic food hygiene. All staff are also first aid trained. Some staff have also training on the use of epi-pens and bolus feeding. Staff have access to a wide range of books and publications enabling staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of additional and special educational needs.
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Further Information
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Who should a parent contact to discuss something about their child? Who else has a role in the education of each child? Who can parents talk to if they are unhappy? Does the setting have an open door policy? What opportunities exist for discussions at drop off/pick up times? Can appointments be made to see specific staff at specific times? How can contact be made with specific staff (eg: Phone, text, email, notes, home-nursery diary etc) |
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What the setting provides The nursery has a concise complaints policy with procedures to follow in the event of concerns being raised by parents. Parents are free to view the nursery at any time, although as the Officer-in-Charge works with the children, appointments are preferred as this ensures that sufficient time is available to spend with prospective parents and answer any questions they might have. We welcome to children to view the nursery alongside their parents.
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