Roots Federation Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Early Years Offer/SEN Information Report 2024-2025

 

The information below sets out Roots Federation’s approach to how we provide for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). 

 

Roots Federation consists of:

Heath Lane Nursery School

Muriel Green Nursery School

Oxhey Nursery School

 

‘At Roots Federation we believe that all teachers are teachers of children with SEND’

 

1. How does Roots Federation know if children need extra help?

All children:

• will have a key person who will get to know your child very well and develop a close, supportive relationship with them and you as parents/carers.

• will have a home visit/phone call home, will have information sought from their previous setting and be invited to visit the school before they start at Roots Federation. At these visits/during these calls, we can discuss with you and previous key persons strategies for how we can best support your child.

• will spend some ‘tuning in time’ with their key person at the beginning of each term. This is a time when a key person will spend an extended period playing 1:1 with each child in their group, following their lead and interacting with them more closely.

• will have their learning and development regularly assessed in all 7 areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage using the Roots Federation milestones documents. This will identify if a child is working within a typical stage of development for their age. Each key person will have a termly meeting with senior staff to monitor the progress of the children in their group.

• will have a ‘WellComm’ speech and language screening. This is used to assess children’s speech and language development and helps us to identify at the earliest opportunity if your child needs any further support in this area and to put interventions in place.

• will be signposted to speech and language services if gaps or a delay in communication are identified. The school will seek and act upon advice from SALT.

 

Some children:

• may already have an identified Special Educational Need or Disability before joining Roots Federation. Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Mrs Gemma Williamson, and/or our Inclusion Leader, Dr Clare Herbert, will work with you and your child’s key person to ensure that everything is in place before your child joins us. 

• may already be receiving support from other professionals (e.g. health visitors, speech and language therapists, paediatricians). We will work with you to follow their advice within the Nursery.

• Have additional professionals that identify and support individual needs, such as Health Visitors, Speech & Language therapists and/or members of the Occupational Health Team.

 

A few children:

• will be referred to seek advice from SEND Specialist Advice and Support (SEND SAS) which includes Communication and Autism Team, Early Years SEND team, Educational Psychologists and/or Sensory and Physical Impairment Team. 

• If you have a concern about your child’s development/progress, please speak to your child’s Key Person. If you would like further support, you can share your concern with the Class Teacher/Room Leader, who can direct you to the Inclusion Leader or SENCo.

 

2. How will Roots Federation staff support my child?

 

All children:

• are supported in an inclusive, welcoming and caring environment by qualified, dedicated staff.

• will have access to an inclusive environment and resources that are matched to their needs and interests. 

• will have their learning and development regularly assessed in all 7 areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

 

Some children:

• will have their needs assessed in partnership with you using a four-stage graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review. We will meet with you to make a ‘SEND support profile/plan’ for your child which identifies their strengths and interests, what makes them happy, strategies to support them and specific targets we will be working with them on that term. This will be reviewed termly to ensure that it is relevant and continues to reflect their interests and needs.  

• Will be assessed using the ‘Individual Assessment of Early Learning and Development’ (IAELD).

• May need a different approach to learning.

 

A few children:

• will be referred to the ISL team to seek advice and engage support from other professionals.

• may receive ‘Early Years Inclusion Funding’ or ‘Local High Needs Funding’ to provide support for specific needs.

• may need an ‘Education Health and Care Plan’ assessment.

• may receive targeted intervention within our Birch room/provision, which meets the needs of our children who require a different approach to teaching.

 

 3.       How will I know how my child is doing?

 

All children:

• will have a record of their development that will be shared regularly, through catch up calls, with parents/carers.

• will have their achievements celebrated, including progress towards their ‘next steps’ and achievements from home.

 

The parents/carers of some children:

• will have more regular meetings with our school based SEND Leads, to discuss and review their child’s ‘SEND support profile/plan’.

• will meet with the Inclusion Leader and/or SENCo.

 

The parents/carers of a few children:

• will have visits and additional reports from outside professionals who are working with their child.

• will have ‘Team around the Family’ (TAF) meetings, which engage a number of professionals together, to plan what steps need to be taken to best support their child. 

 

4.        How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?

 

All children:

• will be supported by experienced staff who will differentiate the curriculum to match children’s needs and abilities.

• will be supported to learn through playful experiences.

• will follow routines and take part in small group activities that are differentiated to match needs.

• will receive keywords verbally and visually to aid learning.

• will have access to a high-quality and stimulating learning environment, that reflects the children’s interests and promotes independent learning.

• will be supported in a communication friendly environment that includes visual timetables, agreed ‘essential’ signs, visual/symbol/photo cues and prompts.

 

Some children:

• will have an individual visual timetable and/or ‘now and next’ board.

• will be identified on our provision map. This identifies children with specific needs and strategies/activities to help support and develop these. 

• will take part in to join individual or small group sessions to work on specific areas of their development.

• will take part in individual or small group activities to work on particular areas of need that have been identified on their ‘SEND support profile/plan’. 

• will have more flexibility within the routine.

• may be included on the SEND register.

• will have specific resources to match their interest and learning style.

 

A few children:

• will need a highly differentiated curriculum, based on the advice of outside professionals, and/or an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). 

• will have specific aids provided or recommended by outside professionals.

 

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

 

All children:

• will be supported by dedicated practitioners who are welcoming, friendly and take pride in providing a caring, positive and inclusive environment.

• have access to a safe environment where there are quiet, cosy areas to relax and have some quiet time.

• will receive praise.

• will be allocated a Key Person so that children and staff can build excellent relationships.

• learn in a setting that is welcoming and friendly, that promotes inclusion for all and a positive `can do` atmosphere.

• are valued for their strengths and any achievements, no matter how small, are celebrated.

• are supported by practitioners who are skilled in listening to children and provide good role-models for positive behaviour.

• are encouraged to attend regularly. Good attendance is celebrated and is viewed as a good indicator of well-being.

• will have any dietary requirements catered for. 

• can access our flexible wrap-around care service.

 

Some children:

• may require personal care, such as help with toilet training. 

• may require support at home from family support services, outreach support and/or parenting courses/training.

 

A few children:

• may need a ‘Risk Reduction Plan’ that highlights the strategies to be used during parts of the day/routine that a child is struggling to cope with and is focused on prevention and de-escalation at the earliest possible stage. 

• will have a designated person to support their learning, funded by local high needs funding.

• may require specific support to help manage medical or specialised care needs.

• may require a Behaviour Management Plan to identify triggers and detail planned responses.

 

6. What specialist services and expertise are available at, or accessed by, Roots Federation?

 

All children:

• are taught by experienced staff who are experienced in working with children in the Early Years. 

• have access to the inclusion leader and SENCo.

• are screened for speech and language using Wellcomm.

 

Some children:

• will require a referral to access support from other professional services such as a Speech and Language Therapist, a Health Visitor or an Early Year’s Specialist Advisory Teacher.

 

A few children:

• will have ‘Team around the Family’ (TAF) meetings, which engage several professionals, to work with you to plan what steps need to be taken to best support your child. 

• will be referred to the ISL team to seek advice and engage support from other professionals.

• may receive Local High Needs Funding to provide support for specific needs.

• may need an ‘Education Health and Care plan’ assessment.

 

7. What training and/or experience do the staff, supporting children with SEND, have?

 

All children:

• are taught by staff that hold relevant Early Years qualifications. In addition, we have qualified teachers.

• are supported by Mrs Gemma Williamson (SENCo) and Dr Clare Herbert (Inclusion Leader).

• are supported by staff who are experienced in supporting children with wide a range of needs and disabilities including; Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Physical disabilities, Hearing Impairments and Emotional and Attachment difficulties.

• are supported by staff who attend a weekly planning meeting, 5 INSET sessions a year and external training linked to SEND and to their own professional development. 

• are supported by staff who have had training in; ‘Supporting children with complex needs’, ‘Supporting children with Speech and language difficulties’, ‘WellComm screening training’ ‘Hertfordshire Steps approach to supporting positive behaviour management in schools’ and ‘Supporting children with Hearing Impairments’

• are supported by staff are trained to use Makaton signing as part of their daily interactions with all children. 

• all staff have received Therapeutic Approach Behaviour training. 

 

Some children:

• will benefit from our SENCo attending termly network meetings to keep up to date with the latest information and news.

 

A few children:

• will be working with outside professionals who guide staff on individual next steps and strategies.

 

8. How will Roots Federation help me to support my child’s learning and development?

 

All parents/carers:

• have regular conversations regarding their child’s learning and are encouraged to contribute achievements and learning that happens at home. 

• will be regularly contacted to share ways to support learning at home. 

• Will receive a weekly newsletter with information about what is happening at Nursery.

• will receive half termly ZIPs (zoom information presentations) where staff share with you what learning takes place at school and activities for you to support learning at home.

 

Some parents/carers:

• will have more frequent meetings each term with the school SEND Lead to discuss strategies that are being used through the provision map to support their child.  

 

A few parents/carers:

• will be involved in ‘Team Around the Family’ meetings.

• will be involved in applications made for Local High Needs Funding.

• will be involved in applications made for an ‘Education Health and Care plan’ assessment.

 

9.        How will my child be included in activities outside the setting?

 

All children:

• are invited and welcome to attend events and activities outside of the Nursery setting.

 

Some children:

• may require additional planning to ensure that they are safe and are able to participate in the visit/activity.

• may require special support aids or visual support aids that they use at Nursery to be available during the visit/activity.

• may need prior warning and visual prompts before the visit/activity to prepare them for a change in the routine. 

• may require medicines to be administered whilst on a visit.

 

A few children:

• may require an individual risk assessment to be made prior to the visit. 

 

10. How accessible is the Nursery building/environment?

 

All children:

• are taught and cared for in a safe and secure building which is mainly on one-level.

• have access to an extensive outdoor area.

• have access to resources that are stored and displayed at child height, to promote independence and easy access.

 

Some children:

• may need access to our nappy changing facilities.

• may need individual resources to target a specific need.

 

A few children:

• may need adaptations to existing resources/environment to ensure they can access them appropriately and safely.

 

11.      How will Roots Federation prepare and support my child with transitions between home, settings and school?

 

All children:

• will have a designated key person. 

• will be offered a home visit or home phone call.

• will have any assessments from their previous settings shared with their new key person at Roots Federation.

• will have their assessments and achievements passed onto their next setting. 

• will be included in the transition level of need tool shared with the Local Authority and receiving school/setting.

 

Some children:

• will follow a flexible settling-in period depending on their needs. 

• will have additional transition visits to their next/previous setting.

• will have staff from receiving settings visit more than once.

• will have visits from their next/previous setting.

 

A few children:

• will have a transition meeting where parents/carers and other professionals carefully plan an individual transition to their next setting. 

• will be accompanied to their new settings with a key person from Roots Federation.

 

When planning for children to move on, Roots Federation invites all the settings to visit them at Roots Federation prior to starting.

 

12.      How are Roots Federation’s resources used to support children’s special educational needs?

 

All children:

• will receive appropriate adult-to-child ratio.

• will be supported by a key person who observes the children, makes assessments and plans learning opportunities based on the children’s interests and needs.

• will be supported in their play by adults who engage in high-quality interactions with them.

• will have access to a high-quality environment with stimulating, open-ended resources that interest and challenge them. 

• will have differentiated small group activities and high-quality interactions with staff during child-initiated learning.

• will be supported by staff who receive training on supporting children with SEND, through weekly staff meetings and regular professional development.

 

Some children:

• may receive support from the school SEND Lead or Inclusion Leader

• may have a support plan that identifies the area of need, what will be put in place and the review of SMART targets.

 

A few children:

• will have ‘Team around the Family’ (TAF) meetings, which engage several professionals, to work with you to plan what steps need to be taken to best support your child. 

• will be referred to the ISL team to seek advice and engage support from other professionals.

• may receive Local High Needs Funding to provide support for specific needs.

• may need an ‘Education Health and Care plan’ assessment.

 

13.      Who can I contact for further information about the Early Years offer at Roots Federation?

 

• Our Inclusion Leader, Dr Clare Herbert, and SENCO, Mrs Gemma Williamson.

• We encourage all parents/carers to visit Roots Federation prior to applying for a place at the Nursery, where individual needs and concerns can be discussed, and a plan can be made for how we can best support your child. 

 

14.      How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

 

All children:

• will have their learning and development regularly assessed in all 7 areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage using the Roots Milestones document. This will identify if a child is working within a typical stage of development for their age.

• will be supported by staff who have regular staff meetings to ensure they know children’s strengths and needs and how best to support them.

 

Some children:

• in discussion with you, their Key Person and our SEND Lead, will identify if any extra support is required.

• will have a ‘SEND support profile/plan’ that has been written with you and identifies their strengths, interests and strategies to support their learning and development. 

• will take part in individual or small group sessions to work on specific areas of their development.

• will take part in individual or small group sessions working on targets advised from external professionals.

 

A few children:

• have outside professional involvement.

 

15.      How can I find information about the local authority’s Local Offer of services and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disability?

 

• Local authorities have a duty to publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available in their area across education, health and social care for children and young people who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) or are disabled, including those who do not have Education, Health and Care plans. The purpose of the Local Offer is to provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about available provision and how to access it.

 

• For further information go to www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer

 

Delivering Special Provision Locally (DSPL) 

 

• DSPL is a Hertfordshire-wide partnership approach where parents, carers, staff in early years settings and schools, further education colleges, local authority officers and representatives from other agencies, work together as part of an Area Group, to ensure that there are a range of provision and support services available in their local community that:

• Meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), aged 0-25, as close to home as possible.

• Improves outcomes for wellbeing and attainment.

• Widens choice for children and parents/carers.

• Removes barriers to learning.

• Uses resources effectively.

 

Special Educational Needs & Disability Information, Advice and Support Service

 

(SENDIASS) offer a free, impartial and confidential service to parents, carers and/or their children and young people with SEND aged 0-25. They can offer support with preparing for meetings, writing reports and letters, applying for Education, Health and Care assessments, as well as signpost you to relevant professionals, voluntary organisations and parent support groups. They can also offer a range of training to parents and professionals.  Additionally, they can offer Independent Support for families applying for an Education, Health and Care assessment and for families going through the transfer review process.

 

Contact Details: Telephone: 01992 555847

Email: sendiass@hertfordshire.gov.uk  www.hertsdirect.org/sendiass