How will Pelican Place Nursery know if my child needs extra help and what do I need to do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities?

Pelican place Nursery has a Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-coordinator (SENDCo) who is responsible, alongside the nursery manager and a child’s key person for ensuring that practitioners receive current and relevant advice and support as needed to best meet individual needs of children and their families. The nursery manager and key person are the first points of contact for parents and ensure that they are closely involved throughout the entire nursery experience and that their insights inform any actions taken by the setting.

The nursery SENDCo liaises with parents and practitioners sharing ideas and strategies to support development. While also supporting the completion of specific and detailed care plans.   We have regard to the SEND code of practice, Development Matters, Every Child Matters, the Children and Families Act (2014) and any other relevant documentation. Pelican Place develops practitioner skills to identify a child with SEND as early as possible. We use a programme of referral which enables children to receive the help they need as soon as possible and liaise with external agencies. We work in partnership with parents, sharing information regarding their child’s needs and progress, drawing upon their knowledge of their child and adopt consistent and positive strategies.

All children are enrolled at the nursery after consultation between the parents and nursery manager. The children are invited to attend settling in sessions. A “baseline” assessment is completed with parents by the child’s key person. These provide useful information about your child’s current development levels and provide an opportunity for parents to share their child’s strengths, interests and also any concerns that they may have regarding their child with the key person. Key practitioners and the nursery SENDCo can then carry out more detailed observations and identify any areas requiring any enhanced support.

All children are made to feel welcome within the nursery family regardless of ability or additional needs.

You know your children best and we listen and understand when parents express any concerns or worries about their child’s development. Practitioners work in partnership with parents and their families with regard to their child’s development and progress and each recognises the importance of effective communication with parents and families.  Parents are invited to be involved during each stage of the SEND process. Parents  are invited to attend any reviews and planning meetings for their child. Their thoughts and tried and tested strategies are included to ensure consistency of care in the home and nursery environment. Information leaflets, web addresses and contact details about local support groups are available for parents.

It is every practitioner’s responsibility to assess the development of their key children and to share any concerns and observations they have with the nursery SENDCo.

How will Pelican Place Nursery support SEND children?

Pelican Place Nursery regularly review and evaluate the quality and extent of the support we offer and have access to for all children with SEND.

Our playrooms, routines and activities can be modified to support children with SEND by using agreed and viable strategies.

We differentiate activities and resources for all children to best meet and support individual needs.

We aim to ensure that children with SEND have full access to the Development Matters. Modifications to developmental goals and enhanced support will be offered if deemed necessary.

Any nursery paperwork i.e. newsletters, observations, six week reviews, end of term reports can be translated to additional languages if required with prior warning. We will support children with SEND by working closely with parents/carers, the child and outside professionals when creating a support plan, applying for additional funding if necessary assuring that desired outcomes are achievable and consistent.

How will Pelican Place Nursery create learning & development opportunities for individual children with SEND?

At Pelican Place nursery we adopt the graduated response to support children with SEND.

The Graduated Response:

• “Assess” in identifying a child as needing SEND support, the key person (working with the nursery SENDCo and the child’s parents) carry out an analysis of the child’s needs through observation and developmental tracking. This initial assessment is reviewed regularly to ensure support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist teachers or from health, social care or other agencies beyond the nursery.
• “Plan” when SEND support is needed the key person and the SENDCo agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put into place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour and a clear date for review. This is recorded and shared with those working with the child.
• “Do” the key person remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. With support from the nursery SENDCo they oversee the implementation by all practitioners involved of the interventions agreed as part of the SEND support. The SENDCo supports the key person in assessing the child’s response to the action taken and advising on the effective implementation of support.

“Review” the impact and quality of the support is evaluated by the key person, nursery SENDCo and child’s parents while also taking the child’s thoughts and opinions into consideration. Any changes to the outcomes and support for the child are agreed with regard to each child’s progress and development. The parents are provided with clear information about the impact of the support provided and are involved in planning and agreeing the next steps for development.

How does Pelican Place Nursery work in partnership with parents?

How does Pelican Place Nursery support the wellbeing of young children with SEND?

Pelican Place nursery offers a welcoming environment that celebrates all children. Our aims are to respond appropriately to each child’s background and individual needs. All children who attend Pelican Place nursery regardless of additional needs, ethnic background or gender are encouraged wherever possible and appropriate to participate in all activities. Modifications are made where possible to ensure that all are able to participate and feel included. We aim to consistently provide an environment where all children are happy, contented, comfortable and healthy. During induction and settling in sessions parents are encouraged to share their child’s specific individual needs with regards to areas such as toileting, feeding etc. with care routines being shared with their key person. With signed permission we are able to administer prescribed medication and over the counter medication from a pharmacy. Any behaviour concerns we have will be discussed with parents and ensure that every opportunity is taken to work together to ensure a clear, consistent, positive approach is in place. Regular risk assessments are completed by all practitioners with modifications being made to the nursery environment as required or possible.

What training & experience does staff at Pelican Place Nursery have in supporting children with SEND?

Pelican Place nursery has a trained SENDCo who has attended code of practice and modular training.

• All practitioners are encouraged to attend any relevant in-house training relating to elements of SEND.
• We complete the online SEND training provided by Essex county council and flick ensuring that knowledge is updated as needed
• We have practitioners who completed the inclusion development programmes for Speech and Language, Autism and Behaviour, emotional and social development. Practitioners are available to support each other, parents and children as needed.
• The majority of staff are trained in the administration of an Epipen
• We have two trained ENCO’s who complete regular inclusion audits and work with the SENDCo and area managers when modifying environments and adapting resources.
• We access child/ diagnosis specific training via our local support network dependent on the needs of the children in attendance, these would include –
• Speech and language
• Behaviour
• Down Syndrome and other diagnosed conditions

 All practitioners complete first aid and safeguarding training. We aim for practitioners to complete these during their induction and update as required.

What specialist services and expertise are available to Pelican Place Nursery?

At Pelican Place nursery we work closely with a range of outside professionals that are able to offer advice, support of suggest strategies that can be implemented to best support individual children. These professional would include –

• Specialist teachers,
• Family support keyworkers
• Physiotherapist
• Speech and language therapist
• Behaviour support
• Health visitor
• Educational phycologists
• Inclusion managers
• Inclusion Partners
• Area managers
• Other SENCO and ENCO representatives within the Child Centred nurseries chain in which we are based

As mentioned previously we regularly review and monitor staff training to ensure all staff have access to wide range of knowledge and up to date information regarding all aspects of child development. Following staff attending training the information is then fed back to others via meetings, memos and cascaded within the nursery as appropriate. Specialist coordinator roles are in place as already mentioned.

How does Pelican Place Nursery include young children with SEND in community based activities and outings?

Pelican Place nursery likes the children to feel part of the community and takes children on short trips into the locality dependent on being able to maintain a maximum 1:2 ratio. For any outings that the children take part in-

• Outings forms completed- contain child names, practitioner name and qualification
• Risk assessments are completed and shared with practitioners involved.
• Written permission from parent/carer sought.
• Relevant medication, first aid kit and care plans are taken with us.
• Emergency contact details taken and shared with the nursery.
• Drinks, change of clothes, nappies taken.

Any visitors to the nursery present a DBS check if they have one and are never left with the children when completing activities with the child. These visitors can include-

• Family members
• Dentists
• Doctors
• Emergency Services

Nursery photographer

How accessible is Pelican Place Nursery?

Pelican Place nursery is based across 2 buildings a converted conservative club and house. There are nine playrooms. There is a ramp up to the main access point. There are 6 playrooms on the ground floor for children aged 6 months- 1 year and 2 – 3 years. There is a wide corridor that links all rooms with wider doorways to enable wheelchair access. The 3 preschools (2 1/2 – 5 years) are based upstairs. There is a child and adult sized hand rail on the wide stair case that can be used to support stair mounting and descending. There is a wheel chair accessible disabled adult toilet on the ground floor. The garden is easily accessible from the rear of the building. If there was need to reevaluate our playrooms in order to accommodate children so they could access the preschool this would be considered, and relevant risk assessments and reports would be completed. We have a car park on site.

How will Pelican Place Nursery prepare and support my child to join the nursery or transfer into a new setting or school?

How are Pelican Place Nursery resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

At Pelican Place nursery we provide a variety of specific aids to promote and celebrate individual learning and understanding.  Visual strategies are used as a matter of cause in all playrooms and include –

• Visual routines
• Timetables
• “First” and “then” boards.
• Choice boards
• Home learning bags
• Golden rules

Knowledgeable practitioners are able to adapt their approach, level of support, environment and resources accordingly so that all children are able to access all activities. They differentiate the learning resources as necessary and also organise our rooms to ensure that access to the resources is appropriate to the children’s abilities and needs.

Ratios are consistently maintained with practitioners being positioned appropriately to ensure that children with SEND can access the environment and learning opportunities freely.

Nursery SENDCos from within the chain meet regularly to  support each other and share new information, resources and different successful strategies.

Regular SEND audits are completed with these being stored centrally for all SENDCos to access and amend as needed. Resources can then be shared between settings accordingly.

Time is allocated to the SENDCo to enable monitoring, reviewing and assessing of the effectiveness of provision. They are afforded time to work with key practitioners and meet with parents to plan, write and review outcome focused plans.

When it is appropriate to do so, we are able to apply for funding from Essex county council.

Members of the specialist team can recommend enhanced support when a need to do so has been identified. They can suggest resources that would support the development of individual or groups of children.

How do we decide on appropriate support for young children with SEND?

The setting has a Special Educational Needs and disability Co-coordinator (SENDCo) who is responsible, alongside the nursery manager and a child’s key person when liaising with families and outside professionals to ensure various SEND initiatives are implemented within the nursery.  All involved with the child are invited to share opinions and strategies for development. These will always be considered by the nursery with safeguarding and children’s health and safety being paramount in all situations. Through regular observation of the children in our care, liaising with specialist agencies and with parents we are able provide and implement the appropriate levels of support for each individual child with SEND.  Next steps and developmental outcomes can be discussed and broken down as needed to best meet individual needs. A one page profile and / or one planning may be implemented with specific and detailed next steps for development included. These are created by the key person, nursery SENDCo parents and outside agencies. A selection of support strategies, observations and reviews are included along with specialist reports.We work in partnership with the local Children’s Centre and other local education providers to explore how different types of need can be met most effectively.

How are parents involved at Pelican Place Nursery? How can I be involved?

As mentioned previously parents know their children best and will be involved in every aspect of their care, learning and development. Through the completion of detailed outcome focused plans, one page profiles and one plans parents will be involved in every stage of development. Parents are encouraged to contribute towards these regularly. Various activities are sent home for parents to complete with their child such as ‘At home I enjoy’ ‘During the nursery holiday I....’ Holiday, work, weekend bears and ‘Home Learning Bags’. These are used to help support learning and development within the setting and help practitioners compile next steps for each individual child. Every child has profile via the online iConnect, which parents can access at any time and contribute via the Parent Zone app.

Parents are invited into the nursery to engage in different activities, share experiences with practitioners and at other times during the year as previously mentioned.