Area of Need:

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Communication and interaction: 

Children with needs in this area have difficulty communicating with others. They may have difficulty understanding what is being said to them, have trouble expressing themselves, or do not understand or use the social rules of communication.

Children who are on the autism spectrum often have needs that fall in this category.

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Cognition and learning:

Children with learning difficulties usually learn at a slower pace than their peers.
A wide range of needs are grouped in this area, including:

·       Specific learning difficulties, which impact 1 or more specific aspects of learning, such as: dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia

·       Moderate learning difficulties

·       Severe learning difficulties

Profound and multiple learning difficulties, which is where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment

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Social, emotional and mental health: 

These needs may reflect a wide range of underlying difficulties or disorders. Children may have:

·       Mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression or an eating disorder

·       Attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder

·       Suffered adverse childhood experiences

These needs can manifest in many ways, for example as challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour, or by the child becoming withdrawn or isolated.

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Sensory and/or physical: 

Children with these needs have a disability that hinders them from accessing the educational facilities generally provided.

Children may have:

·       A sensory impairment such as vision impairment, hearing impairment or multi-sensory impairment

·       A physical impairment

These children may need ongoing additional support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers.

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Methods

The needs and progress of children with SEN are monitored by our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), Gemma Williamson. She works in conjunction with the Inclusion Leader, Clare Herbert, and SEND Leads within each school.  

The governors have overall responsibility for ensuring that SEN are identified and met. They are kept informed by the Headteacher’s termly report to the Governing Body.  One governor has responsibility for SEN and visits the Nursery and is kept informed of SEN provision

There are systems in place to monitor the achievements and progress of all children regularly. Staff discuss concerns with the SEND Lead within their school who can support them with adjusting provision for children and together with practitioners meet with parents/carers to discuss and plan for meeting the child’s needs.

Where provision is made that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children, then after discussion with parents/carers, the child will be identified as requiring SEN support.

We have an inclusive admissions policy to ensure equality of access and opportunity (see Admissions Policy for more information).  Home visits are made and information regarding the child’s interests and needs are gathered from parents/carers before a child joins.

The provision for children with SEN and/or disabilities is the responsibility of all practitioners.

We ensure that the physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children and adults with disabilities.

We provide a wide range of learning opportunities based on the interests and needs of the children and planned around the Early Year Foundation Stage Development Matters. These are identified through observation. Adjustments and differentiation are provided to support children with SEN and/or disabilities.

Children’s progress and achievements are shared with parents/carers on a regular basis, both through fortnightly catch-up calls and through termly summaries.  Parents/carers of children with SEN and/or disabilities are invited to meet with practitioners more frequently so that they are fully involved in all stages of the ‘assess, plan, do, review cycle’ (see below for more details).

We use a graduated approach (SEN Code of Practice 2014) for identifying, assessing and responding to children’s needs.  This is supported by the ‘assess, plan, do, review cycle’.

SEN support – The Graduated Response – Assess, Plan, Do, Review

Early identification of needs and early action to address them is crucial to successful outcomes for children.

Practitioners regularly observe, assess and plan next steps for all children.  Where a practitioner has a concern about a child, they can ask the SEND Lead for advice, strategies to try etc. The SEND Lead, alongside the Inclusion Leader will monitor the child, in liaison with the practitioner. Parents/carers will be kept informed and may be invited to meet with the SEND Lead or Inclusion Leader.

Where a child is identified as requiring SEN provision the parents/carers will be informed.

Assess  

In identifying a child as needing SEN support, the key practitioner with work with the SEND Lead and the parents/carers to carry out an initial assessment of the child’s needs. This will be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. If concerns continue, more specialist advice may be sought from outside the setting. Parents/carers will be asked for their agreement in advance of this happening.  We may also complete Hertfordshire’s Individual Assessment of Early Learning (IAELD) or DFE SEN Assessment to further inform our planning for the child’s individual needs.

Plan

Parents/carers will be fully involved in deciding with practitioners and the SEND Lead the desired outcomes for their child, the interventions and support to be put in place and a date for review.  The interests, and where possible the views of the child, should be taken into account. Advice from outside agencies may also support these decisions. An SEN support plan may be used to record the agreed targets and actions.

Do

The child’s key practitioner remains mainly responsible for working with the child daily.  With support from the SEND Lead, Inclusion Leader and SENCo, they ensure that planned interventions and support is implemented. All staff in the room and Senior Leadership Team also need to know and understand the needs of the child and the strategies put in place, as they also have a responsibility to support the child

Review

At the review date, the impact of the support will be evaluated by the practitioner and the SEND Lead working with the child’s parents/carers and taking into account the child’s interest and views.  Any changes to outcomes and support in the light of the child’s progress and development will be agreed and next steps will be planned.

If needed, this cycle will be revisited with increasing frequency and detail to secure good progress for the child. Parents/carers will continue to be fully involved at each stage.

Education, Health and Care Plans

Where the special educational needs of a child cannot be met despite the setting’s actions as outlined above, then in consultation with parents/carers we will consider requesting an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

If an EHCP is issues, it will be reviewed every 6 months. This will be attended by the SENCo, or in her absence, the Inclusion Leader.

Funding for SEN support in the early years

Applications can be made for funding, and if successful, is allocated to the maintained school to support children with SEN and/or disabilities. This can be used to employ staff, to enable inclusion and purchase additional resources.

Hertfordshire provides Local High Needs Funding for children with SEN who access a funded 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old placement. The school apply can apply to a panel and the criteria for exceptionality across Hertfordshire must be met. If successful, this funding will be used by the setting to support the individual child. There is also an additional emerging needs application for funding that be accessed to support Early Identification and support.

Funding can also be allocated by an advisory teacher, who deems that there is a need for equipment or resource that is additional to what is ordinarily available within the setting. This funding is available when a referral and visit have been made to the child in the setting.

Role of SENCo

• To ensure the setting has regard to the SEN Code of Practice 2014 and the Equality Act 2010.

 

The SENCo is Gemma Williamson.

The Inclusion Leader is Clare Herbert.

The SEND Leads are:

Heath Lane Nursery School: Videlina Gelborova

Muriel Green Day Care: Chloe Reade

Muriel Green Nursery School: Sarah Pollen

Oxhey Nursery School: Lucy Matley

 

The SENCo will be responsible for:

• Ensuring an SEN Inclusion Policy is in place, put into practice and reviewed annually.

• Ensuring the setting has an SEND information report, which is reviewed annually and available within the Local Offer.

• Working with the Inclusion Leader and SEN governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the schools.

• Overseeing the work of the Inclusion Leader and SEND Leads.

• Advising on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet children’s needs effectively.

• Working with the Inclusion Leader and SEN governor to make sure the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, regarding reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.

• Working with the Inclusion Leader to regularly review and evaluate the breadth and impact of the SEN support Roots Federation offers or can access. This includes co-operating with the LA in reviewing the provision that is available locally and in developing the local offer.

 

The Inclusion Leader will:

• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and liaise and work with staff, parents/carers and other agencies to make sure that children with SEN receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching.

• Oversee the operations and practice of the SEND Leads.

• With the SEND Leads, monitor to identify any staff who have specific training needs regarding SEN, and incorporate this into the school’s plan for continuous professional development.

• With the SENCo and teaching staff, identify any patterns in the school’s identification of SEN (both within the school and compared to national data), and use these to reflect on and reinforce the quality of teaching.

 

The SEND Leads will:

• Inform any parents/carers that their child may have SEN and then liaise with them about the child’s needs and any provision.

• Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND Policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual children with SEN, including those who have EHC plans.

• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEN support and differentiated teaching methods appropriate for individual children.

• Be a point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority (LA) and its support services, and work with external agencies to ensure that appropriate provision is provided

• Liaise with potential next providers of education to make sure that the child and their parents/carers are informed about options and that a smooth transition is planned.

• When a child moves to a different school or institution: Make sure that all relevant information about a child’s SEN and the provision for them are sent to the appropriate authority, school or institution in a timely manner.

• Make sure the school keeps its records of all children with SEND up to date and accurate.

 

SEND Support Provision

We work closely with other agencies, professionals and other settings and schools.

We provide parents/carers with information about other sources of advice and support.

We provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children, including those with SEND.

We provide an adapted curriculum to meet the needs of all children.

We ensure privacy for children when intimate care is being provided and have a fully wheelchair accessible environment.

We have practitioners with experience of working with children with a wide range of SEND.

We ensure that staff have relevant training and support to enable them to identify children with SEN and to meet the needs of children with SEND.

We provide a complaints procedure (see Complaints Policy).

We monitor and review our policy annually.

SEN Information Report

The school publishes a SEN information report on its website, which sets out how this policy is implemented in the school.

The information report will be updated annually and as soon as possible after any changes to the information it contains.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of SEND Provision

We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for children with SEN by:

• Tracking children’s progress, including by using provision maps

• Carrying out the review stage of the graduated approach in every cycle of SEN support

• Monitoring by the SENCO/Inclusion Leader

• Holding annual reviews for children with EHC plans

• Getting feedback from the child and their parents/carers

 

SEND Report (Local Offer)

Further details of our SEND provision can be found in our SEND Report.  This should be read in conjunction with and forms part of this policy.

Other Relevant policies/documents:

Further information relevant to this policy may be found in:

• Admissions policy

• Behaviour Policy

• SEND report (local offer)

• Complaints Policy

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