SEND and Our Local Offer
Your child's Principal key person is your first line of contact, who will be supported by our in-house specialist support team, such as our Early Years Professional/Early Years Teacher, Nursery Manager or SENCO. Your child's Principal key person, together with the SENCO will be able to signpost you to care professionals who can offer support and advice. We can also make a referral for specialist help with your permission if through discussion it is deemed necessary to do so.
Information can also be obtained from your own Health Visitor, Children's Centre, the Family Information Services and the Local Education Authority website. We also have information folders in our nursery entrance areas with a wide array of support networks.
Working Together to Plan for Success
Parents/carers are involved from the very beginning, during the initial tour around the nursery, during the home visit or the first settling in session. Building a strong and trusting relationship and understanding your child's needs and interests is important to us. We would like you to share information with us on a regular basis both formally and informally, through conversations, notes, emails, through our diary App or learning log App and phone message and parent consultations. We have an open door policy in place and we are extremely keen to engage with all parents and carers to enable us to appropriately plan for your child's next steps and review their progress based on their own unique starting point and the age and stage EYFS expectations.
The nursery team are very proactive in tracking and monitoring children's learning strengths and needs.
If particular needs are identified, then we will work with you to plan the best way forward. You will be kept informed and supported through every step of the process. We will ensure that the daily planning reflects what we are doing to provide support in those areas and ensure that targets are achievable and relevant. If there is a Support Plan in place, we will ensure that you are invited in to share and contribute to this as your contribution is essential to your child's development and progress.
You have access to your child's Learning Journey online through our Learning App and we value contributions which you can make at any time. We have a lending library of resources and you can borrow books to share at home.
There are ways in which you can also become involved in the setting such as coming in to share a skill, taking part in Stay and Play sessions, dressing up days, charity events and family days. Information is displayed on the noticeboards, via letters home or via the website. If there is something you would particularly like to be involved in, please speak with your child's key person. We also encourage grandparents and other family members to come along to certain events and be a part of the children's time at nursery.
How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child's needs?
It is important that we share information that will facilitate us to think carefully about what we need to plan for your child's needs and interests. Your child's Principal key person will be your first point of contact but the assistant key person team, Nursery Manager and SENCO, if necessary, will also be there to support you. Using your child's starting points, the Principal key person and assistant key person team will observe your child, plan a range of exciting and challenging activities and review their progress. You will be asked to share in the assessments we make and to contribute ideas and information relevant to their next steps in learning. We will ensure that the environment is enabling and offers a range of suitable and accessible resources. We will suggest ideas for activities to expand learning at home to strengthen the partnership between home and nursery.
If a parent has any concerns about their child's development this information should be shared with the Principal key person. The Principal key person and the assistant key person team will be responsible for regular observations and assessments that link to the development matters age and stages of development.
If the Principal key person has identified a possible individual need, this will be discussed with you and together you can plan how best to support the child. The nursery SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator may be asked for advice in order to support the key person and your child. The SENCO may also liaise with other professionals, with your permission, such as the Area SENCO, the Speech and Language Therapist, the Children's Centre or the Health Visitor. This advice might involve meetings and reports in order to enable the Principal key person to plan for the individual needs of your child.
If supplementary advice or expertise is felt necessary, we will ask for your input and your permission if we feel a referral would be beneficial. At all times we will share information with you and keep you informed. If you have any concerns, we would like you to share these with us at any time so that we can ensure that your child receives the best possible outcomes in their learning and development.
The nursery SENCo is extremely experienced and proactive in planning and initiating support plans so that all children are provided with the adaption’s they require to maximise their learning and development potential. The SENCo also has a great deal of experience in leading multi-agency team meetings, establishing a support network, working with parents and carers during an Early Support Assessment and instigating a request for an Educational Health Care Plan assessment it if is deemed appropriate to do so.
Starting Nursery and Transitions
We offer an in-depth settling in period and home visit, if requested. At this time, you will meet with your child's key person and spend time sharing information in order for us to provide informed support. The child's well-being is central to everything we offer and the settling in period will be tailored to the child's individual needs. Parents are welcome to spend time at the nursery during the settling in period and familiarise themselves with the staff and, in particular, the Principal key person. These early days will provide the foundation for a trusting and strong relationship between the whole family and the nursery team.
If you would like a home visit, this can be arranged by the Nursery Manager. Otherwise the first settling in visit will provide an opportunity to meet your child's Principal key person and to start discussion about your child's interests and unique care requirements. You will also be asked to complete an entry Progress tracker for your child, detailing your child's starting points, emerging abilities and secure skills and knowledge. This will provide the Principal key person and the assistant key person team with an indication of your child's stage of development and underpins all we do in tailoring future planning. It is recommended that the first and second visits are opportunities for your child and yourself to get to know the setting and the staff who will be responsible for your child. If your child feels quite settled, it may be appropriate for you to leave your child for a short period of 2-3 hours, but the duration should be discussed with the Principal key person so that everyone feels confident. We do not have a one size fits all approach to settling in sessions during any transitional period and any transition is best served around agreed plans that take into careful consideration the unique needs of the child.
If your child is going to need some additional support, we will arrange for you to meet with other care professionals or to arrange appropriate staff training.
We have an exceptionally well trained and talented team who have in-depth knowledge and experience of supporting children. We also have outstandingly strong and positive relationships with wider support agencies and work consistently well together to provide strong networks of support, advice and guidance as and when needed.
Transition to another setting or to school
If possible, we will meet with the new setting or contact them to share relevant information. We will attend team around the child meetings where possible. We will visit the new setting if feasible to advise on any adaptations to provision or routine and to meet the key person/class teacher. The new key person/class teacher will be invited and welcomed in to meet the child at Kiddlywinks if this is possible.
More information can be found at:
