Working with Children with SEND

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How does the pre-school know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child has special educational needs? 

If you choose Rotherfield Pre-School for your child you will be allocated a key person who, on your child’s first session, will complete a settling in form with you that will give us the information you would like us to know about your child, including any known or suspected special educational needs. After your child joins us and starts to settle, we will complete a baseline developmental assessment. This will inform us about your child’s development and highlight any additional needs. If you think your child has any special educational needs, we would encourage you to tell your child’s key person or our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). 

How will the pre-school support my child with special educational needs? 

Once it has been identified that your child has special educational needs, through initial observations, we will together decide what type and how much support is appropriate to meet your child’s needs. This may be in house support by the Key Person and SENCO with identified strategies or external support from specialised services. If we feel that external support is required, we will discuss this with you and then make a referral to the local Send Early Years Service. A member of the Early Years specialist team will then visit your child at pre-school and observe them, to identify what type of support your child needs. A Setting Based Support Plan (SBSP) will be written, with targets and strategies to support your child’s progress. This will be shared with you and will be reviewed every term to determine if any adjustments need to be made. If your child requires external support, early years professionals such as a speech and language therapist, will be contacted to request an assessment. You will be made aware of all visits and what has been discussed. You are very much part of this programme of support. 

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive? 

We take a multi-disciplinary approach to making the decision as to what type of support your child will be receiving from us. We include the Early Years Specialist Team, health visitor, speech and language  

therapist, and any other specialists involved in your child’s care. Most importantly you as the parent will be invited to attend any meetings so that you have input into any decisions about your child’s care.

How will the pre-school review my child’s progress and how shall they share it with me and help me support my child’s development? 

Within the Early Years curriculum, you, your child’s key person and the SENCO will identify any areas that need to be adjusted in order to meet your child’s needs. To do this we may use alternative resources, undertake small group work, request advice from external services or make a referral to the SEND Early Years Service. We will review your child’s SBSP with you every term and look at what your child’s next steps need to be. We also have an open-door policy for parents and carers, so you will be able to speak to your child’s key person whenever the need arises. 

We will observe and assess your child’s development at regular intervals. Our observations and assessments will be available for you to read and contribute to on our online recording system, Tapestry. Tapestry is a great way to feel a part of your child’s developmental journey at pre-school, especially as it will include photographs of your child’s time at pre-school. 

We will also support your child’s learning by offering suggestions as to what you can be doing at home to contribute to your child’s next steps. 

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing? 

We work in a holistic manner and aim to support all areas of your child’s overall wellbeing. As parents ourselves, we know how hard it can be entrusting the care of your child to others. By developing a strong relationship between your child and their key person, we will learn a great deal about what your child needs in order to feel safe and happy at pre-school. If your child’s key person is absent, a buddy key person will be allocated so you and your child will always have a named member of staff available who will be attuned to your child’s needs. Where needed, we will apply for funding to secure additional support to care for your child. We are also committed to on-going staff development and training. We will seek specialist advice on specific behaviours or needs if we do not have the right experience in house. All our staff undertake safeguarding training. 

What training do the staff have in supporting children with special educational needs or disabilities? 

The majority of the staff at pre-school are parents themselves, so we bring a range of personal experiences. We have a qualified Level 3 Early years SENCO; Laura Adams who has many years of experience supporting families with SEND. Many of our other staff are qualified early years professionals. We regularly access a range of specialist services via specialist early years teachers and other multi-disciplinary services, e.g. speech and language therapy, paediatric services, etc. when required. 

What specialist services and support are available to the pre-school? 

We regularly access a range of specialist services via specialist early years teachers and other multi-disciplinary services, e.g. speech and language therapy, paediatric services, Health visitors, physiotherapists and Occupational therapists etc. when required. 

How will my child be included in activities outside the pre-school, including trips? 

Any activities outside pre-school are planned with inclusion as a focus. Trips and external activities are fully risk assessed and arrangements put in place to ensure all children can be included. This could include extra staff and involving parents and carers as volunteers. 

How accessible is the pre-school? 

The building and external area are fully wheelchair accessible. There are disabled changing and toilet facilities. The building has a hearing loop. Where English is an additional language, every effort is made to secure written material in your own language. 

If your child requires specific equipment, we can access resources from the specialist Send Early Years Service. We can also apply for grants to fund specific equipment. We use visual prompts and Makaton signs.

How will the pre-school help my child move on to school? 

When your child is ready to start at primary school, we will help with the transition. We have good links with all the local primary schools and all reception teachers are invited to pre-school to meet their new children. In term six, we play lots of games about starting at school. The role play area becomes a school and the children are encouraged to dress up in school uniforms. We also practice getting changed for PE. Transition meetings take place with the specialist Early Years Service and the school. We will arrange transition visits with the school. We will share our assessments with the primary school. If your child needs any further assistance with transition to school, we will arrange an individually tailored programme to meet your child’s needs. Our ethos is to be flexible. 

How can parents be involved? 

Parents thoughts and views are very much involved in the decision making and day to day life of the setting, especially for their own child. Parents can discuss these with their child’s key person, SENCO or the setting Manager. There are annual feedback questionnaires, parent’s evenings and social functions throughout the year. Also, parents are always welcome to arrange an appointment to discuss any issues or suggestions they may have. If parents wish to, they can volunteer to join the Pre-school Directors who are a group of parents that commit to volunteer their time on a regular basis to aid the smooth and efficient running of the pre-school. They work with the manager to self-evaluate and drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of the pre-school. 

Date issued: June 2024 

Review Date: June 2025