Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND)
The Government has asked all Local Authorities in the UK to publish, in one place, information about the services and provision they expect to be available in their area for children and young people from 0 to 25 who have Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND). This is known as the Local Offer. For Derbyshire’s Local Offer visit: ‘www.derbyshiresendlocaloffer.org’.
At Hadfield Nursery School, we are committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of nursery school life. We recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Further information about the Local Offer can be found on the Derbyshire County Council website.
SEN Provision
If you have any questions about our SEND Local Offer please contact the school and we will try our best to help you.
SEN – Our Statement of Intent for supporting equality
• To provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued;
• To include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity;
• To provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people;
• To improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity; and
• To make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities in the Nursery.
At Hadfield Nursery School we are committed to equality. We aim for every pupil to fulfil their full potential no matter what his/her background or personal circumstances.
SEN – How we support SEN
We understand that children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers and practitioners recognise this and use different teaching styles, resources and plan different levels of work in the nursery to cater for the various ways children learn. However, many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help. Because of this we offer the following support for SEND children:
We talk to parents/carers if they think their child has a special educational need and let them know what special help the school is giving.
Mr Weed is the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
We have a written Special Educational Needs policy – a copy should be made available for parents and is included on this website.
Each child’s key worker will be finding ways to support them such as:
• Adjusting the way activities are planned and delivered
• Matching activities to the ability / needs of each child (differentiation)
• Adapting learning materials such as equipment and activities to suit each child’s needs.
• Offer small group support to promote skills identified in the child’s Education Plan
With the permission of parents we may seek additional advice from outside specialists such as health professionals, specialist teachers or educational psychologists who would:
• Carry out further assessment of the child’s needs
• Provide advice to schools on how to best support the child
• Suggest resources that would help the child make progress
Our teachers, Early Years Educators and Teaching and Learning Assistants work in partnership with parents and the SENCO to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home.
Our school staff will set targets for children with SEND, which will be shared with parents regularly.
If your child has Special Educational Needs our SENCO will:
• Ensure the right support is put in place for each child
• Advise other teachers and practitioners how to help each child and ensure they have an up to date Education Plan detailing how their needs will be met in school.
• Arrange training for staff so they understand each child’s needs.
• Work closely with parents on a regular basis to talk with them about their child’s needs and listen to any ideas or concerns they might have.
• Work with other professionals (if necessary) who may be able to help individual children, e.g. speech and language therapist /medical professional/ educational psychologist.
An Education Plan (EP) / Provision Map details what the school, the nursery nurses and the SENCO plan to do, to help individual children learn. All teachers should be aware that children learn in different ways. Some need to work at a slower pace to ensure they fully understand one thing before they move onto something new.
An Education Plan will be written especially for any child with SEND. It should include:
• Short term targets for the child which are linked to their needs
• Details of any extra support the child will get
• Who will give the child help
• How often the child will get help
• How and when the school will look at the child’s progress again
It is good practice for schools to share copies of Education Plans with parents / carers.
If a child’s needs are very complex and/or severe we may ask the Local Authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care Assessment:
• This is a very detailed assessment of each child’s needs. Parents or carers, the school and a range of professionals will all be asked to provide written reports.
• At the end of the assessment phase the Local Authority will consider these reports to help decide whether or not to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child.
• Parents/carers also have the right to ask the Local Authority to carry out this assessment although it is usually best if you can do this with the support of the school.
• Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children. Your school SENCO or the Parent Partnership Service will be able to advise you about this
SEN – How do we identify and assess children with SEN
Types of special educational needs can include:
• General Learning Difficulties – children whose learning progresses at a slower pace.
• Speech and Language Difficulties.
• Behavioural Difficulties.
• Dyslexia (difficulties with reading, writing and spelling)
• Dyspraxia (problems with motor skills, organisation)
• Autism
• ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder – ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Downs Syndrome
• Cerebral Palsy
• Other Physical or Medical Needs
A special educational need can be a number of different things. For example, a child may be having problems with speaking and communication, physical skills or behaviour and socialising with other children, which can be helped by giving some extra support at nursery and by working in close partnership with parents. Needs could be across several areas. Special need can also be due to a disability, which makes it harder for a child to use the same educational facilities and ratios that the nursery normally provides. For some children the special need may be a temporary difficulty, while others may have a longer term need for special help.
Our assessments for all children include observational records, assessing progress against Early Years Outcomes, specific detailed assessments for speech, language and communication skills, physical development or social and emotional development. Through our assessments and observations we become aware if a child has a particular need and may need additional help.
SEN – Pastoral, Medical and Social Support
At Hadfield Nursery School, we actively seek the involvement of parents and carers and other bodies to support us to meet the needs of children with SEND, this includes external agencies and initiatives. The professionals within these agencies offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise for us to draw upon and ensure we meet the needs of all SEND children, no matter how complex.
We strive to cater for the unique needs of each child with SEND attending our school and ensure they develop a range of skills during their time with us. As a result we have built relationships with a network of external agencies to consult with and offer support to children and staff respectively. Below is a list of the various agencies we may work with but this list is not conclusive.
SEND – Agencies & Partnerships
• ADHD Association
• Autism Outreach
• Behaviour Support Team
• British Deaf Association
• CAMHS Assessment Team
• Children’s Centre Support Workers
• Downs Syndrome Association
• Educational Psychologist
• Epilepsy Nurse
• Health visiting service
• ISCAN team (Integrated Service for Children with Additional Needs)
• Makaton Website
• Occupational Therapy Service
• Parent Partnership
• Physiotherapy Service
• Portage Workers
• Social Care
• Speech and Language Therapy
• The Service for Hearing Impaired
• The Service for the Visually Impaired
• The Service for Physical Impairment
SEN – How we consult with our SEN pupils
The children with SEND attending our school are aged 3-4 years so consulting with them to seek their views about how we are meeting their needs has to be age appropriate, especially when many often have communication difficulties.
We use the following strategies:
• Have regular meetings and discussions with parents about what we have planned for their child and how to link this with interests and passions demonstrated at home
• Make close observations during school to identify the types of activities and experiences that most engage each child so these can be developed further and be used inform future planning
• Involve SEND children with selecting their own activities and encouraging them to select their own resources within activities to follow their interests.
• Extend and develop a range of resources that they show a preference for.
• Most importantly, ensure the children with SEND are happy, motivated and enthusiastic about their learning and progress effectively.
Working in partnership together with families is key to securing success, ensuring that every child reaches their full potential.
SEN – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How can I find out what schools, social care and health should be providing for my child?
A new SEND code of practice has been published and this sets out how decisions should be made for children and young adults with SEND. This is statutory guidance and all schools, local authorities and health providers must have regard to it when providing for SEND children/young adults. The Code of Practice document can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
How accessible is your school?
Our school has ramped access to the building directly from the school entrance. We have a selection of specialist furniture, adaptations and resources within school to meet the needs of a variety of physical conditions. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility.
What specialist services are available at your school to meet my child’s needs?
We work with an extensive range of services and professionals to ensure we meet the needs of each individual child. We encourage these professionals to visit school as often as possible to work with our staff and share their expertise. We implement programmes of work linked to these professionals e.g. speech and language programmes, exercises recommended by Physiotherapists etc.
What training do staff supporting children with SEND have?
All staff have a Paediatric First Aid and Safeguarding Level 1 qualification and are trained in using the Every Child a Talker speech and language and Every Child a Mover physical intervention programmes . The headteacher is a qualified Speech and Language Therapist and our SENTA has a selection of training relating to Makaton, language assessment and autism. Each year the needs of children within our school are carefully considered and training organised to up-skill staff.
How will my child be included in activities outside of the nursery including school trips?
We ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to participate with activities outside of the nursery by making reasonable adjustments to the organisation of these. For example, we ensure children with SEND have an appropriate level of adult support if going out of school, we organise transport that provides appropriate access and staff complete a comprehensive risk assessment of any excursion to ensure all children are safe and included
Can my child attend Hadfield Nursery School and then move to Special School Provision?
When considering the move to Primary aged education, a child issued with an Education, Health and Care plan can be assessed for Special School if a parent wished them to attend this type of setting.
How will your school prepare my child for the transition to Primary/Infant school?
Children with SEND are given an extensive level of support before they leave for a new school. The SENCO will discuss with parents how many transition visits can be arranged over and above those offered to children without SEND. These additional visits to the new school will be carried out with the child, their key worker and parent in the summer term. This ensures that bridges are built between schools, key information shared between staff and the child is given the opportunity to settle into a new routine with the support of a familiar adult.
How are parents involved with your school?
We are fully committed to encouraging parents to be involved with all aspects of school life. We welcome parents into nursery at any time. Parents are welcome at all events during their time in nursery.
Who can I contact for further information?
Please contact Mr Weed if you have any further questions you would like to ask.
Will my child be excluded from any activity?
We are committed to ensuring inclusion for all children no matter what their needs are. Our staff work diligently to include children with SEND in all activities and experiences we offer in school, working in consultation with parents and experts to make any reasonable adjustments required.
Can my child begin school if they are not toilet trained?
Yes! We will work with parents to assess the needs of their child and set up an appropriate toilet training programme to be shared between home and school of we fell they are ready. We ask that parents supply us with nappies if their child requires these when in school.