Special Educational Needs Policy
Statement
The pre-school is committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside each other through positive experiences, to enable them to share opportunities and experiences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs.
The pre-school believes that all children have a right to experience and develop alongside their peers no matter what their individual needs. Each child’s needs are unique, therefore any attempt to categorise children is inappropriate.
The pre-school is committed to working alongside parents in the provision for their child’s individual needs to enable us to help the child to develop to their full potential. The pre-school is committed to working with any child who has a specific need and/or disability to enable every child to make full use of the pre-school’s facilities. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.
We feel it is paramount to find out as much as possible about a particular child’s condition and the way that may affect his/her early learning or care needs by:
• Liaising with the child’s parents
• Liaising with any professional agencies
• Reading any reports that have been prepared
• Attending any review meetings with the local authority/professionals
• Regularly monitoring observations carried out on the child’s development.
All children will be given a full settling in period when joining the pre-school according to their individual needs.
Aims
We will:
• Recognise each child’s individual needs and ensure all staff are aware of, and have regard for, the Special Educational Needs Code of Practiceon identification and assessment of any needs not being met by the universal service provided by the pre-school
• Include all children and their families in our provision
• Provide well informed and suitably trained practitioners to help support parents and children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Develop and maintain a core team of staff who are experienced in the care of children with additional needs and employ a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who is experienced in the care and assessment of children with additional needs. Staff will be provided with specific training relating to Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the SEN Code of Practice
• Identify the specific needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and meet those needs through a range of strategies
• Work in partnership with parents and other agencies in order to meet individual children’s needs, including the health and education authorities, and seek advice, support and training where required
• Monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments, and seek specialist equipment and services if needed
• Ensure that all children are treated as equals and are encouraged to take part in every aspect of the pre-school day according to their individual needs and abilities
• Promote positive images and role models during play experiences of those with additional needs wherever possible
• Encourage children to value and respect others
• Challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices
• Celebrate diversity in all aspects of play and learning.
Our pre-school Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is STEPHANIE CREDICOTT
The role of the SENCO is to take the lead in further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses; in planning future support for the child in discussion with colleagues; and in monitoring and subsequently reviewing the action taken. The SENCO should also ensure that appropriate records are kept including a record of children at Early Years Action and Early Years Action Plus and those with statements. The practitioner usually responsible for the child should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme. Parents should always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child, and of the outcome of this action (code of practice 2001).
She works closely with all staff to make sure there are systems in place to plan, implement, monitor, review and evaluate the special educational needs practice and policy of the pre-school, always making sure plans and records are shared with parents.
Methods
We will:
• Designate a member of staff to be Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and share her name with parents
• Provide a statement showing how we provide for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and share this with staff, parents and other professionals
• Ensure that the provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is the responsibility of all members of staff in the pre-school
• Ensure that our inclusive admissions practice includes equality of access and opportunity
• Ensure that our physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children and adults with disabilities
• Work closely with parents of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to create and maintain a positive partnership
• Ensure that parents are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their child’s education
• Provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support
• Liaise with other professionals involved with children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their families, including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools. We work closely with the next care setting and meet with them to discuss the child’s needs to ensure information exchange and continuity of care
• Use the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children’s special educational needs
• Provide a broad and balanced early learning environment for all children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Provide differentiated activities to meet all individual needs and abilities
• Use a system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Review IEPs regularly as agreed individuallyand hold review meetings with parents at this time
• Ensure that children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are consulted at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability
• Use a system for keeping records of the assessment, planning, provision and review for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• Provide resources (human and financial) to implement our SEN/disability policy
• Ensure the privacy of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities when intimate care is being provided
• Use a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) where needed Referring to the Devon Assessment Framework (DAF)
• Provide in-service training for practitioners and volunteers
• Raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff
• Ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. IEP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually
• Provide a complaints procedure and make available to all parents in a format that meets their needs e.g. Braille, audio, large print, additional languages
• Monitor and review our policy annually.
Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
The CAF is a four-step process whereby practitioners can identify a child’s or young person’s needs early, assess those needs holistically, deliver coordinated services and review progress. The CAF is designed to be used when
• a practitioner is worried about how well a child or young person is progressing (e.g. concerns about their health, development, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect of their wellbeing)
• a child or young person, or their parent/carer, raises a concern with a practitioner
• a child’s or young person’s needs are unclear, or broader than the practitioner’s service can address.
The process is entirely voluntary and informed consent is mandatory, so families do not have to engage and if they do they can choose what information they want to share. Children and families should not feel stigmatised by the CAF; indeed they can ask for a CAF to be initiated.
The CAF process is not a ‘referral’ process but a ‘request for services’.
The CAF should be offered to children who have additional needs to those being met by universal services. Unless a child is presenting a need, it is unlikely the CAF will be offered. The practitioner assesses needs using the CAF. The CAF is not a risk assessment.
If a child or young person reveals they are at risk, the practitioner should follow the local safeguarding process immediately (DfE 2012).
Special educational needs code of practice
The pre-school has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs code of practice (DfE 2001) to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs. The Code of Practice recommends that our pre-school should adopt a graduated approach to assessment through Early Years Action and Early Years Action. Good practice of working together with parents, and the observation and monitoring of children’s individual progress, will help identify any child with special educational needs. Our pre-school has identified a member of staff as a SENCO who will work alongside parents to assess the child’s strengths and plan for future support. The SENCO will ensure that appropriate records are kept according to the Code of Practice.
Early Years Action
Where a practitioner or SENCO identifies a child with special educational needs, the pre-school will assess and record those needs and provide a number of key actions to help the child. As part of this process the pre-school will consult with parents and seek any additional information from professionals. The targets for the child, any teaching strategies or changes to provision are set out in an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The plan will be continually under review in consultation with the child and his/her parent(s).
Early Years Action Plus
This is where a practitioner or SENCO, in consultation with the child’s parents, decide external support services are required usually following a review of the IEP. The pre-school will share its records on the child with those services so that they can advise on any IEP targets and appropriate strategies to help the child
Statutory assessment
If the help given through Early Years Action Plus is not sufficient to enable the child to progress satisfactorily, it may be necessary for the pre-school, in consultation with the parents and any external agencies already involved, to request a statutory assessment by the local authority. This may lead to the child receiving a statement of special educational needs.