Chatham Nursery School Birth to Five SEND Policy
This policy was created by the school’s SENCO/Inclusion Manager with the SEN Governor in liaison with the SLT, all staff and parents of pupils with SEND. It is a co-produced policy in the spirit of current reform (2014).
Rationale
At Chatham Nursery School we are committed to providing high quality first teaching to all children attending our nursery. We believe that all children should be equally valued in school. We will strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination and develop an environment where all children can flourish, feel safe and become confident and successful learners.
We aim to work in partnership with parent/s and carers to identify the uniqueness of each child and recognise each child’s particular abilities, strengths and level of development.
We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and background. We pay particular attention to the provision for and the achievement of different groups of learners.
- Girls and Boys
- Minority, ethnic and faith groups, travelers, asylum seekers and
- Learners who need support to learn English as additional language (EAL)
- Learners with Special Educational Needs
- Learners who have a disability
- Those who are gifted and
- Those who are looked after by the Local Authority
- Those who have specific medical needs and those who are in families under
- Any learners who may be at risk of disaffection and
We liaise and work with a range of professionals to ensure all children and their families receive appropriate support. We aim to provide a learning environment that reflects these values and offers all children a broad, balanced and stimulating range of learning opportunities.
Provision for children with Special Educational Needs is made with due reference to the new SEN Code of Practice introduced from 1st September 14.
Chatham Nursery School has an established system for regularly observing, assessing and recording the progress of all children and is used to identify children who are not progressing satisfactorily and who may have additional needs.
The school’s particular arrangements for assessing and identifying pupils as having SEN also form a part of our published Local Offer which was produced in consultation with parents in cooperation with the Local Authority and with due regard to the general duties to promote disability equality.
We recognise the definition of SEN as stated in the Code of Practice 2014:
The school reflects what the Code of Practice states (p88 sect 637) in that pupils are only identified as SEN if they do not make adequate progress once they have had all the interventions/adjustments and good quality personalised teaching. This is known as ‘SEN Support’.
We fully adopt the graduated approach to ensure that all pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified early, assessed and catered for within the school/setting with high expectations for the best possible progress;
The four broad areas identified within the SEN Code of Practice 2014 (p86) are
‘Communication and Interaction’, ‘Cognition and Learning’,
‘Social, Emotional Mental Health Difficulties’ ‘Sensory and/or Physical needs’
We work within a ‘person centered approach’ fostering and promoting effective collaboration with children/young people, parents/carers and outside agencies; Underpinning ALL our provision in school is the graduated approach cycle of:
In order to make progress a child may have their needs met through normal teaching/learning strategies e.g. Small group activities, language enrichment groups or one to one Key Person time. Their progress is monitored by their Key Person, Class teacher and Assistant Head teacher.
If a parent/carer has concerns or thinks their child may be having difficulties at home or in school or a special need that has not been identified then an appointment can be made to discuss this with their child’s Key Person or Class Teacher. They will then discuss any concerns with the school SENCO.
We pride ourselves on ensuring that parents/carers are involved early with any difficulties their child may appear to be having. An individual play plan may be introduced for your child. This will involve setting specific achievable individual targets for your child to work towards.
Some children need a more tailored approach to address a specific Special Educational Need that is impacting on their ability to learn. This will be discussed with you by the school SENDCo. If your child continues to have difficulties, despite targets set then the SENDCo may discuss with you the need to involve specialist services.
Although the SENCO has overall responsibility for the identification of pupils with SEN in the school it is recognised that all staff have a key role to play in this process. This is part of the collective responsibility and collaborative approach of the school.
The class learning environment, organisation and physical layout enables the children to access all activities and is adapted to the children’s needs as they arise. All children are encouraged to be involved in planning, carrying out their work and reviewing their achievements and behaviour in class throughout the session and to care for the environment and each other.
There are activities available across the ability range (including the very able) to allow for differentiation and differing developmental needs and learning styles. Work is planned to extend and develop the children’s skills through play. The teaching styles are sensitive and responsive to the children’s needs and the class staff work throughout the classroom areas to support the children in determining their own learning. Staff intervene and encourage when necessary and appropriate.
Access to a range of sensory resources and materials are provided and a sensory room is available for use. Appropriate resources to support access to all areas of play and learning will be provided wherever possible to support the inclusion of all children regardless of their ability or special need.
Where a child continues to make less than expected progress despite evidence based support matched with interventions addressing areas of need it may be necessary to involve specialists in the school or from outside agencies. Parents will always be informed and involved in the decision to procure the advice of a specialist and their consent will be required formally by agencies. (Except in child protection cases where a child is deemed to be at risk).
Where assessment indicates that support from specialist services is required the school strives to ensure that the pupil receives this as quickly as possible. The Local Offer sets out clearly what support is available. Support Services used in Chatham Nursery School include for example;
- Educational Psychology,
- CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service),
- Speech and Language Therapy Services
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder Pathway Team
- Social Workers
- SENISS – Special Educational Needs Integrated Support
- Community Paediatricians
- Physiotherapists
Some children may have multi-agency involvement and the school will consider the criteria for the levels of need and where relevant may decide in consultation with Liverpool’s ‘Responding to Need Guidance and levels of Need Framework’ that an EHAT (Early Help Assessment Tool) is appropriate.
At all stages of the SEN process the school keeps parents/carers fully informed and involved. Regular meetings are scheduled throughout the academic year to share the progress of the pupils with parents/carers and to take account of their views. It is hoped that this will assist in supporting pupils to reach their full potential. Parents/carers are encouraged to make a full and active contribution to their child’s education and are encouraged to contribute and share information in their child’s Learning Journey File.
School arrangements for SEN and Inclusion In-Service Training.
The SENCO attends SEN briefings and cluster meetings to update and revise developments in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion.
Chatham Nursery School is a member of the SEN Consortia that share best practice and offers support within the locality. Training on SEN is arranged through these meetings with the support and involvement of the services attached to these, The training is needs led and linked to the school development plan, needs of the particular consortia and the school’s Local offer.
All staff are committed to developing their knowledge and skills in relation to SENDs, they attend courses organised by the LA and take part in in-house training sessions, often with invited trainers from other agencies to assist them in acquiring the skills needed to work with pupils with SEND
Complaints Procedure
If parents / carers wish to complain about the SENDs provision within the Nursery School they are invited to discuss this with the SENDCO, then if necessary with the Head Teacher and finally, if unresolved, with the SEN Governor. All complaints follow the school`s complaints procedure or a member of the Leadership team.
The full governing body remains responsible for SEN. The SEN Governor at Chatham Nursery School is Mrs R. Byrne She can be contacted via the Head Teacher or Chair of Governors.
This SEND Policy was produced January 2021 and will be reviewed January 2022