Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Inclusion Policy

(This policy links with our Specialist Resource Base Provision Document)

SEND Policy

Reviewed and revised November 24

Golborne and Maxilla Nursery school is committed to creating a friendly and warm environment that welcomes everyone equally. We offer an inclusive curriculum in our educational provision and work together with parents to support their child’s learning. We recognise that children learn at different rates and that there are many factors affecting achievement; including ability, emotional state, age and maturity. Statistics show that one in five children, at some time in their school career, may experience difficulties that affect their learning over the long or the short term. By receiving additional support at the appropriate time, most children make good progress and do not need long term help. We are committed to providing early support and intervention to remove barriers to learning. We are recognised and funded by the Local Authority as providers of an Early Years Resource base for SEN. This policy clarifies how we implement inclusive practice and procedures to support the children and families we work with. It has been written with regard to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) and the Equality Act (2010).

Our objectives

We aim to ensure that our ethos and environment reflect the needs of all our children and families. We aim to ensure that all learners make the best possible progress, with full access to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and that parent and carers are actively involved in supporting their child’s learning. When additional support is required to enable a child to access the curriculum and achieve his or her full potential, we see it as our duty to make arrangements for this. We aim for children with special educational needs (SEND), disabilities and those who are more able, to be fully included in the life of the school.

Our responsibilities

Provision for children with additional needs is the responsibility of everyone in Golborne & Maxilla. Veronica Hilliard is the Head Teacher and SENco of Golborne and Maxilla Nursery School. Danny Gebremariam is the Governor with responsibility for children with SEND. Confidentiality is paramount. However, in the best interests of the children, appropriate professionals will share information on a “need to know” basis.

Admission arrangements

All children, regardless of additional need, are admitted in accordance with our published admission criteria (see Admissions Policy).

Inclusion and access to the curriculum

Full access to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum is provided for all children through adapted planning by teaching staff. Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities are included in all activities, both on and off site.

Adult-led, focused activities are usually conducted in small groups for all children – the size and composition of groups may vary according to need, as well as the teaching methods employed. This ensures that all children can receive a personalised approach to learning, enabling them to achieve individual targets and to be extended in their learning as appropriate to their needs. Children also attend adapted story groups to ensure the appropriate level of challenge or support. Some children may be supported to use a visual timetable to ensure they fully access the curriculum. Children attending through the Resource base are funded additionally through the LA SLA arrangement which is reviewed annually. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) usually have funding allocated based on the child’s individual needs.

We make reasonable adjustments to include children with disabilities. This may involve treating a child with disabilities more favourably than others in order to ensure they benefit from the same opportunities as others. This does not necessarily mean that the child has special educational needs.

Our planning for Personal, Social and Emotional development through the curriculum teaches children to be aware of and positively value the differences between people as well as the similarities and to be sensitive to one another’s needs.

Identification, assessment and review

Some children are identified as having SEND before or on admission to nursery school. Some children’s needs are identified or emerge during their time at nursery. We are committed to the early identification of special educational needs and to a graduated response. The same principle applies to children who are more able and require additional provision.

• Local families are able to access a weekly ‘Stay and Play’ session at the school, which may lead to early identification of additional needs.
• Through our 2-3 year old provision.
• Children receive a home visit prior to their start date. Any concerns about additional needs are discussed and recorded on the home visit form.
• Parents are invited to an induction session, during which they have the opportunity to ask questions about the setting, including provision for SEND.
• The child’s designated key person is the initial contact for parents and is available to discuss any concerns parents or carers may have. Progress meetings are held termly between key persons and parents and additional meetings may be arranged as appropriate.
• During the settling-in period, tracking observations and baseline assessments are completed for each child; any concerns raised are discussed with parents during the settling review meeting.
• During daily overview evaluations and weekly “Children’s meetings”, teaching staff have the opportunity to raise concerns about children’s progress, identify barriers to learning, or share evidence of exceptional progress.
• If the evidence collected (as above) suggests that a child is experiencing barriers to their learning, their progress will be more closely monitored.
• If concerns persist, we work closely with the child’s parents and use additional strategies and resources available within the school to support the child’s learning. This stage is known as SEN Support. If a child is identified as having SEND and special educational provision is being made for them, their parents must be informed.
• If a child’s progress continues to be limited, we may request advice or intervention from professionals outside of school, with the permission and involvement of the parents. This stage is known as Early Intervention. Following consultation with the child’s parents, the staff team and the child where possible, a Learning Support Plan may be written, usually by the SENDCo and the child’s key person. Progress towards Plan targets is continually monitored and targets are formally reviewed each term. Strategies and advice from outside professionals will be incorporated into the Plan.
• In the few instances where the support provided through Early Intervention is insufficient to enable the child to make adequate progress, we support parents to request an Education, Health and Care Assessment from the Local Authority. The LA may then decide to issue the child with an Education, Health and Care Plan. This usually leads to the allocation of funding to provide additional support to meet the child’s needs.

Arrangements for coordinating SEND provision

• The SENco keeps a register and database of children with SEND, which is updated termly. She maintains the confidential SEND files and ensures that these are up to date with information on individual children with SEN.
• The SENco ensures appropriate Learning Support Plans are in place and reviewed each term, in consultation with key persons, parents and children where possible. Staff collaborate in setting new targets which are recorded by the SENco.
• The SENDco is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of interventions in enabling children to make progress.
• The SENDco acts as a link with external agencies. This includes making referrals for assessment and support for individual children, writing consultation requests for Educational Psychologist (EP) involvement, exchanging information with outside agencies and ensuring that background information and therapy reports are disseminated to the appropriate staff.
• The SENDco supports and monitors practice with regards to interventions and acquires and maintains resources for children with additional needs.
• The SENDco arranges and plans for training as and when appropriate to update/refresh staff professional development, or when a child’s medical needs dictate the need for additional training.
• The SENDco reports to the SEND Governor on the progress of children with SEND and works closely with the teaching staff to ensure appropriate provisions are in place.
• Teaching staff remain responsible for working with children on a daily basis and monitoring progress towards children’s targets.
• Key persons, teachers and/or the SENDco meet with professionals from external agencies with regards to children with additional needs and report back to the staff team.
• Key persons maintain a close working relationship with parents and carers, ensuring that information between home and school are shared. The key person is responsible for sharing concerns raised by staff with parents and for ensuring that concerns raised by parents are shared with the staff team.
• If a child is supported by a SEND Learning Partner funded through the Resource base funding, the SENDco and the child’s teacher and key person ensure that the Learning Partner fully understands and carries out their duties appropriately on a day-to-day basis.

Specialist provision

• Support for SEND is delivered by all teaching staff, through adapted teaching methods.
• Our provision is frequently reviewed and adjusted in order to meet the additional and changing needs of our children. Our routine incorporates a number of small support groups, in addition to the differentiated provision normally available. This includes regular language support groups, with support for planning and implementation from our commissioned Speech Therapist and through the Local offer Speech and Language Therapy service.
• The SENCo consults with health and social care professionals to ensure that medical needs are effectively supported.
• The SENCo maintains and updates a stock of specialist teaching resources, for example to meet specific sensory needs or target specific skills.
• Children who require Early Intervention may be referred to a teacher with specialist knowledge from the Bi-Borough Autism Outreach Teacher.
• All staff have basic knowledge of Makaton signs and access to Makaton guidance manuals. Some staff have attended intensive Makaton training.
• The Head Teacher, (SENCo) and the Higher Level Teaching Assistant at Golborne and Maxilla have been trained in TEACCH and several members of staff have been trained in SCERTS.
• The Higher Level Teaching Assistant at Golborne and Maxilla has been trained in Portage.
• All staff have attended Autism Awareness training provided by the Early Years Intervention Team.
• All staff have received training from a Teacher of The Deaf and Specialist Speech and Language Therapists, in relation to individual children’s hearing impairment. All staff have had access to visual impairment training, Fussy Eaters and Emotional Regulation Training. All staff have accessed training by the visual impairment Teacher and Habilitation Teacher. All staff have accessed Diabetes training and Dysphasia training, Gestault Language Processing training; and Lego Therapy.
• All staff have been trained in MINDUP.

External support services

• An Educational Psychologist makes three half-day visits per term to the School, an additional half a day is commissioned based on current cohort needs.
• A Speech and Language Therapist commissioned by the school attends twice a week, and supports planning and implementation of language groups and 1:1 support for those children with a diagnosis of ASD.
• The Bi-Borough Autism Outreach teacher make visits to support individual referrals.
• Direct referrals can be made by the School to the RBKC Speech and Language Therapy Service; Children’s Disability Team; Early Help; Occupational Therapy; Physiotherapy; the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and the Child Development Service (for multi-disciplinary assessments). Direct referrals can be made to Children and Disability service (Shortbreaks).
• PAAC group sessions for parents of children with Autism is available and parents are signposted to bookings calendar.
• Art Therapy is offered on site for individual sessions and small group sessions via referrals from a child’s Key Person and in consultation with parents. Painting Together family therapy can be accessed weekly again via referral.

Early Years Resource base

Golborne and Maxilla is fortunate to be funded as an Early Years Resource base, (June 2020) which provides specialist support for pupils with complex needs. We have spaces for 16 children who access learning in their own classroom in the afternoons, but who also access learning inclusive within the main nursery school for specific lessons and activities. All children accessing have an EHC plan or are in the process of EHC assessment and are allocated places via school admission and in consultation with the bi-borough SEN team. Children are fully included in the life of the school community.

Supporting Children with Medical Conditions

At Golborne and Maxilla, we recognise that pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and Physical Education. Some children with medical conditions may also be disabled and where this is the case, the school will comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010. Some children may also have SEN and may have EHC Plans which bring together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision and the SEND Code of Practice 2014. Where appropriate, the school will work with health care professionals to support children and families to ensure that all children can access and enjoy the same opportunities as any other child. See also Supporting Children with Medical Conditions Policy, a Health Care Plan will be completed for these children on entry. (See Medical Conditions Policy).

The learning environment

We ensure all families and their children are welcomed into Golborne and Maxilla, through invitations to attend drop-ins, workshops and coffee mornings. We consider the characteristics of our communities when we purchase and create resources, to ensure the learning environment reflects our diversity with positive images. Where we can, we recruit local staff and governors from our ethnic communities and especially staff who are able to speak community languages.

 

Special facilities and access arrangements

There is ramped access to the school with entrance through wide doors. The 2-3s and 3-5s rooms are on the ground floor. The parent’s room, the white room and the sensory soft play room are situated on the first floor, with a lift for those with reduced mobility. The white room is a quiet area used as our resource provision and is also available language groups, painting together art therapy, parent workshops and weekly stay and play sessions. There are two changing tables with step access within the school, and two adult toilets suitable for wheelchair users. There is ramped access to the garden from the 3-5s room. There is good lighting for children with visual impairments. Golborne and Maxilla is currently employing a Speech and Language Therapist who attends twice weekly to work with groups and individual children. This is funded through Golborne Maxilla Early Years Resource base funding allocation.

Allocation of resources

• The SENCo has regular non-contact sessions to carry out SEND related duties.
• The SENCo regularly attends training organised by the borough, and at other establishments as appropriate.
• The SENco is on a variety of SEND groups within the Local Authority, and attends weekly SEND panel meetings.
• The use of funding from the borough, for staff supporting children with additional needs is planned and reviewed regularly by the Head Teacher to reflect current pupil needs. This is recorded on a school provision map.
• The Head Teacher holds termly admission meetings for the Early Years Resource Base, with LA colleagues.

Links with other schools / arrangements for transition

Transfer reports are written for all children leaving to attend primary school. The transfer report includes information about a child’s additional or special educational needs. If we consider that a child will continue to need support, their SEND records are sent to the receiving primary school. Transfer meetings are arranged, usually involving the SENCo, the child’s key person, the parents and the receiving teacher or SENCo. Arrangements are also made, wherever possible, for the child and their key person or one-to-one support worker to visit the receiving school together prior to transition.

Arrangements for complaints

Complaints regarding special educational needs, disabilities or inclusion should be made initially to the Head Teacher. These will be recorded and addressed in accordance with our complaints procedure (see Complaints Policy).

Evaluating the success of the SEND and Inclusion Policy

SEND is a standing agenda item at governing body meetings each term. The SENCo (Head Teacher), reports to the SEND governor each term, providing information such as the number of children on the SEND register and the provision being made for them. The progress and attainment of all learners, including those with additional needs, is monitored regularly and reviewed by the Curriculum Committee termly. Our SEND policy is successful in identifying children who need support and addressing concerns. The majority of children will make progress against their Learning Support Plan targets. Our SEND and Inclusion Policy is available on our website with links provided to RBKC ‘Local Offer’.

Definitions

A child or young person has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. Children’s SEND are generally thought of in the following four broad areas of need: Communication and interaction; Cognition and learning; Social, emotional and mental health; Sensory and/or physical needs.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age, in mainstream schools.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if he or she is likely to fall within the definition above when they reach compulsory school age or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014).

A disability is ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’ (Equality Act 2010). ‘Long term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial.’ This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing and long term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN. Where a disabled child requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEN definition.

Special educational provision is provision different from or additional to that normally available to children of the same age.

 

(Definitions drawn from the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0-25 years, 2014)

 

 Review Date: Nov 2024       Review Due : Nov 2025

Adopted and agreed by the Governing Body

Signed:                 Ruth Davis                                          Date: 18^th  November 2024