How do you communicate with the parent / carer whose child has SEND?
We communicate with parents in many ways. We use an app called Famly where the parents can view daily information regarding their child’s day with information such as nappy changes, food they have eaten and nap times. This app also shows the child’s learning journal where we post videos and photos with observations linking into the EYFS where parents can comment and see how their child is developing. Parents also can send us direct messages to the team or individual members of staff if they would like to discuss anything. Parents see us at drop offs and pick-ups where we have a chat regarding the child’s day.
Due to COVID this has currently changed to the children being collected from the gate and parents at this time are unable to come into setting. However, we are able to offer parents a socially distanced meeting in setting which we have done for parents whose child has SEND. Parents can ask for a meeting at any time, we also have been having meetings with parents via telephone or video call. We support parents to enable their child’s learning at home by sharing practice and activities that we also work on in setting via our app or face to face in meetings or at handover. We share individual educational plans with parents and discuss targets which we are working on with the child so they can also support the child with these at home. We do discuss these with the parents, so they are able to contribute and share ideas with us.
Parents are also able to contribute to their child’s learning using our app, they can upload photos and videos of them at home and this will go onto the child’s learning journey. If a parent has any concerns with the provision, we are happy to discuss this with them at any time and can arrange a meeting to talk it through.
How do you help children settle into your setting?
When a child first joins our setting, we assign the child a key worker who will be the main person who will track the child’s development and learning. We choose who the key worker will be by seeing who the child tends to bond with. Parents are made aware who the child’s key worker will be by meeting them face to face during handovers at drop off and pick up. Parents will also be introduced to our SENDCo who will also have a role in the child’s education. If a parent is considering joining our setting, our manager and SENCO are more than happy to discuss the child’s needs and how we can support them before they join our setting.
What help and support does your setting offer to children with SEND as they move rooms or move on to school?
Before transitioning a child onto the next room, we have a meeting with the parents to discuss how they feel about this move, and we provide them with information on the next stage and what we can do to continue to offer support as they move across the nursery. We also invite the parents to meet the team members of the next room and to see the environment before the move happens, so they are comfortable and are aware on this next step. If a child is moving onto a new setting or school, we gain permission from the parents to discuss their child’s development and how we have supported the child whilst they have attended our setting.
Next, we contact the new setting and arrange for a transition meeting with the parents and SENCO. We also complete a transition form which shows information regarding where the child is tracking throughout the EYFS and next steps that we have been and are currently working towards.
How do you find out how each child likes to learn?
We ensure that all activities are accessible to every child, and they are given the same opportunities. Each child has an individual learning journey where we make observations on the child’s learning and development. We take photos and add them to our Famly app, where we also write a detailed termly report on how the child is developing and what we in setting and the parents can do at home to further support their child. We follow the lead of the child’s play and help them further extend there learning.
We encourage parents to contribute to children’s learning by commenting on observations and reports. If a child has a higher level of need, we ensure that we talk with parents and other professionals involved with the family to share practice and how we can provide a holistic approach to the child’s learning and development. We also make sure a member of staff with relevant experience and training to support the child and provide 1:1 support if this is required to work on individual targets and ensure the child is able access all areas of the environment.
Inclusive practice / SEND training and expertise within this organisation
Within our setting we have staff who have experience with a wide range of additional needs including, Autism, Global development delay, Down’s Syndrome, Bereavement, Speech and Language, Visual impairments, and Hearing impairments.
Our staff team carries out regular training and every member of staff is either trained or in the process of training in Inclusion, equality and diversity. We also have staff trained in first aid, autism awareness, behaviour management, Physical and nutritional co-ordinator (PANCO), attention autism, PEIC-D, sign-along, picture exchange communication system (PECS), food allergy training, food hygiene, safeguarding, prevent, sensory processing, portage, SENCO training.
The information in this SEND Local Offer was completed on 26/05/2021.