Summary Statement.
Kindergarten management and staff are committed to the inclusion of any child provided we are able to provide the environment and care required and have or can acquire the required expertise to contribute to the their development. We are also committed to the identification of special educational needs and the support of the children and their parents.
Definition of Special Educational Needs
Children are deemed to have special educational needs if:
· Their development differs significantly from their peers.
· They are unable to access nursery/school on a regular basis thus effecting progress.
· They have physical needs which may effect their ability to access the full curriculum.
Principles and objectives
· All staff should be responsible for the care and educational development of children with special educational needs.
· The special care provision should reflect the need for development of the whole child and should reflect individual needs and preferences.
· All children are entitled to a curriculum based on all areas of learning and designed to ensure progress.
· Careful consideration should be given to the child’s feelings.
· There should be close consultation and partnership with the child’s parents.
· Outside specialists should be involved whenever possible to advise on provision
· Transitions between settings should involve meetings between professionals and the transfer of all relevant information .
Admissions Policy
No child will be excluded from attending the kindergarten purely because they have any form of special educational needs or disability. However we may need to restrict numbers of children with additional needs attending at any one time in order to ensure adequate provision and attention can be given to all children whilst providing for the individual needs of those with additional needs. In some cases it may be required that children with severe disabilities have one to one adult assistance.
Access for children with disabilities
There is access for children with physical disabilities at the Kindergarten. Classroom 1 is at ground level. Classroom 2 has access via a ramp and has disabled toilet facilities available.
Integration
It is our aim that children with special educational needs or disabilities will be treated in the same way as their peers and be encouraged take as full an active part in the daily life of the nursery as possible. Wherever possible, individual education plan activities will be organised to take place during normal activities and to involve children without additional needs.
Identification, Assessment, Provision and Record Keeping
Progress of all children is observed and assessed against the recognised stages of child development and the Early Years Foundation Stage. If the development of an individual child does not make the progress expected additional observations will be undertaken and the Guidance for the Identification of SEN used to identify areas of difficulty. Parents will always be informed and consulted. If the child continues not to make satisfactory progress special action will be taken under the Early Years Action stage of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. This will probably involve the writing and monitoring of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) designed to offer extra support to accelerate progress.
With parents permission referrals for advise from other professionals may also be made e.g Health Visitor, Speech and Language Therapist, the Early Years Advisory Teacher (Inclusion), Early Years Support Service. If there is no obvious route of referral or multiple agencies are to be involved a CAF will be raised and the CAF procedures followed. Subsequent progress will be reviewed regularly and if other professionals continue to be involved the child will be moved up to Early Action Plus of the Code of Practice. Further movement either up or down through the Code of Practice will depend on the child’s progress and advice form the other professionals involved. The aim is that with early intervention progress will become satisfactory, and the child may no longer need additional support, or if not they will be in a position to have their needs met.
Working with Parents
Parents will be encouraged to be fully involved in all stages of identification, assessment and provision of additional help. All records will be available to them and shared with future providers and outside agencies.
Staff Provision
The SENCO is Mrs. Wendy Harris who has attended the 4 days of SENCO training, CAF training as well as other courses on identification and provision for a variety of special educational needs issues. Mrs Warren has also attended CAF training and other relevant courses. The setting has also received accreditation at the support level in ‘I Can Early Talk’. All staff are involved in the observation and identification of any causes for concern and are familiar with assessment and recording procedures. They are also aware of the procedures for executing and monitoring IEP’s. Continued training and staff development is encouraged in all areas of early education and care. Staffing levels are as required by Ofsted and we operate a keyperson system although all staff work with all children and are aware of individual needs. It is recognised that children with special educational needs or disabilities may need a higher level of support and/or supervision. Whenever possible we will access additional funding in order to enhance staff provision for children with additional needs.
External Advise and Links with Other Agencies
We welcome and actively seek advise from other professionals such as Early Years Advisory Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Health Visitors, The Early Years Support Service and the Child Development Centre in Kempston all of whom we believe we have a good working relationship based on mutual respect. We all value any information passed on to us by parents and previous providers/carers.
Current Contacts are:
· Early Years Advisory Teacher(Inclusion) – Barbara Bourn 01234 742534
· Early Years Support Services (EYSS) 01234 290770
· CAF Adninistrator 01234 276750 CAF Champion – Sue Tyler 0300 300 6553
· Speech and Language Therapy Hilary Tate 01525 6311 Susanna Blackmore 07736941921
Intended Outcomes
· All children should maintain or increase in levels of self-esteem and confidence and if possible make relevant educational progress.
· There should be a good working relationship with parents in which they feel valued and able to contribute to their child’s education and development.
· The staff will become increasingly confident in identifying special educational needs, assessing progress and organizing appropriate provision.
· Procedures and records are understood by staff and parents and are kept up to date.
Monitoring
Mrs. Harris will monitor implementation and effectiveness of this policy through
· Observation of practise and progress made by children
· Staff training and reflection and evaluation of practise
· Advice from Inclusion Officers and other professionals.