SEND 

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Intent

The intent is to provide an environment in which all children including those with special educational needs and disabilities are supported to reach their full potential

Aim

The aim of this policy is to offer an inclusive practice for children with special educational needs and disabilities to develop their Early Years Foundation Stage skills

Method

• We have regard for the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework and the Children and Families Act 2014

• We are an inclusive setting caring for children who are able/disable and have special needs

• We work to support families of children with SEND

• We identify specific needs of children with special needs or disability and meet those needs by setting up special targets and aims

• We refer children that may require additional external help of other agencies like the speech and language therapist, community paediatrician, pre-school teaching team via the referral system

• We observe, plan and monitor the progress of children and then invite the other agencies and parents to review the targets

• We will set new targets at reviews for children with SEND if they have met all the previous ones

• We will invite schools to attend transition meetings so that we can provide continuity of care for them

• We work in partnership with parents and carers to give each child the best possible start in life

• We inform and invite parents to assessments, keep them updated on their child’s progress and value their contribution

• We have a designate member of staff with Special needs co-ordinator (Baidehi) who is responsible for over seeing all the SEND requirements. Our parents are informed of this via the noticeboard

• We ensure that children with special needs and disabilities have a graduated programme of learning so that they can access the curriculum at their own pace

• We create support plans with clear targets in the personal, emotional and social development area, physical development area, mental health and behaviour including sensory needs

• We ensure that the inclusion of all children is the responsibility of all the stakeholders

• We ensure that our inclusive admissions practice meets equality and access for all children including with special needs and disabilities

• We will seek further financial support from the local authority inclusion team so that we execute the targets for the children with one to one care for those children with severe needs

• We work with other external agencies like the health visitor, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, play specialists, social workers, community paediatrician amongst others to ensure that all children requiring extra support will get the best advice

• We assess, plan, do and review the children’s plans every term and keep records up the age of 25 as required by the Families and Children’s Act 2014

• We support the children’s learning by making sure that our staff are trained and informed about the child that they are caring for and where possible we will further train them to use the Makaton, British Sign language

• In order to help children with special needs we provide visual time table and PECS under the guidance of the inclusion team

• We will apply for Early Years Health Plan for children before transitioning into mainstream school with the help of our area SENCO, the parents and school so that the plans support the child individually through their years of need

• We will keep ourselves updated on SEND legislation, inform parents of reforms and changes, amend our policies as and when required

• We have an open complaints policy and procedure in case parents, carers and other agencies needed to use it during any conflict

• We work within the data protection laws to protect children’s interest and information

Legal Framework

• Children and Families Act (with SEND reforms)2014

• Data Protection Act 1998, 2018

• Early Years Foundation Stage 201