SEND
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

 Every child has the right to be cared for and educated, to develop to their full potential alongside their peers through positive experiences, to share opportunities and experiences. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs and we work hard to ensure no children are discriminated against or put at a disadvantage.

We are committed to working in partnership with families in order to meet their child’s individual needs and develop to their full potential. We are committed to working with any child who has a specific need and/or disability and making reasonable adjustments to enable every child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.

Each setting's Practice Manager & Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) take the lead in this area alongside a selection of practitioners who form a SEND focus group.

Local Offer - Bristol

Red Bus Nursery & Preschool provides a range of early education and childcare. Our primary aim is to provide high quality, child centred care to children aged between 3 months to 5 years of age using the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. The nursery is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. All children are welcome regardless of ability, disability, race, religion or culture and are all welcome to play, learn, and develop alongside their peers in a stimulating and safe environment.

Our objective is to make an inclusive provision for all children and we support a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the following ways:
• A SENDCo (Special Educational Needs Disability coordinator). The role of the SENDCo involves:
• Ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND;
• Advising and supporting colleagues;
• Ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting; and
• Liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting
• Staff who have additional training in areas including supporting speech and language development and autistic spectrum condition and who work closely with health professionals including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
• An augmented staff to child ratio in our daycare provision where additional support is required and funding can be secured.

Questions You May Have:

1. How does the education setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?•
   A child may come to us with special needs already identified, in which case we will liaise closely with the family and professionals already involved to ensure that appropriate support and training is put in place ready for their arrival.
   • The progress and development of all children is monitored regularly by their key person and the room leader, so that when a child is not making expected progress in a particular area of learning, including their emotional development, we can quickly identify the need for additional support. This will always take account of the child’s individual circumstances and the wishes of their parents/carers will be at the heart of any steps that are taken.
   • If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or well-being of their child, or think their child has SEND, they are encouraged to speak to their key person, room leader, our SENDCo or any other member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable. We will discuss their concerns, and agree with them what will happen next.
2. How will the education support my child?• The environment at Red Bus has been developed to support all the children, for example the use of pictures/symbols, timelines and Makaton. Children with SEND will often benefit from these to an even greater extent and may enable them to participate alongside their peers independently.
   • When the need for additional intervention has been identified, the parents/carers will be involved in planning the best way to provide that support. If needed, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be created, detailing the areas in which the child needs additional support and how that will be delivered.
   •. Where it is felt that additional professional support is required, referrals will be made with the agreement of the parents/carers.
   • We will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting.
   • The SENDCo provides regular reports to the Senior Management Team on the progress of pupils with SEND, and the effectiveness of the provision being provided. Each unit has a designated member of staff who is responsible for children with SEND and regular Team meetings are held with the SENDco.
3. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
   • All of our planning is based on the interests and needs of the individual children, to which parents/carers are encouraged to contribute. Activities and resources reflect the children’s interests to better motivate and support their learning.
   • Differentiation is planned for groups and individuals according to need: for example, for a child who has speech, language and communication needs, practitioners will use simplified language, Makaton and/or pictures to support them to understand.
4. How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
   • Regular reports and parents’ evenings, spread across the year, give all parents and carers regular feedback on their child’s learning and any behavioral, emotional or social strengths or difficulties.
   • Parents/carers are encouraged to share their child’s interests, achievements and special events along with any concerns that they may have either by talking to a staff member during handover, or by having a more formal meeting with a relevant staff member (either at their or our suggestion).
   • If a child has an IEP, parents/carers will be encouraged to support the targets at home. Strategies will be discussed at regular IEP review meetings and second copies of any resources required, for example visuals, will be provided for use outside of nursery. Where outside professionals are involved, they will be asked to attend IEP reviews or to provide feedback on progress and to input into targets and strategies.
5. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?• The well-being of all of the children is our primary concern. They are supported with their social and emotional development throughout their sessions, both through group activities and by giving them the opportunity and security to share their feelings on a 1:1 basis.
   • We believe that providing support to families is at the heart of supporting the children. Through our services we aim to equip parents/carers with the skills and confidence that they need to better support their children to develop and thrive.
   • Our Behaviour Policy supports our belief that children flourish best in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else. The support and strategies we use to manage any challenging behaviour benefit all the children.
   • Relevant staff members are trained to support medical needs, and in some cases all staff members receive training. We have an Administration of Medicine Policy in place.
   • We endeavour to seek the views of the children in everything that we do and respond to individual needs, for example sensory experiences in the resources and activities provided.
6. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the education setting?
   • Outside educational agencies and support services that we access include: the Portage and Inclusion Team; Educational Psychology (EPS). We will seek advice and support from other suitable services as and when different needs arise.
   • Specialist health services such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT); Occupational Therapy (OT); Physiotherapy (PT); Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS); other health professionals.
   • We work with First Response, Early Help, Social Services and Community Police.
7. What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?
   • We regularly invest time and money in training our staff to improve provision for all pupils and to develop enhanced skills and knowledge to deliver individualised support and interventions.
   • All Practitioners receive regular training to best support our pupils with SEND, for example in autism and in speech and language needs.
8. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
   • Our Inclusion Policy promotes involvement of all of our children in all aspects of the curriculum including special events, activities and trips.
   • Where there are concerns for safety and access, a personalised risk assessment is carried out to consider if reasonable adjustments can be made to meet any additional needs; if appropriate parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning
9. How accessible is the education setting?
   • We monitor the languages spoken by families in our settings and make use of translation services and endeavour to arrange for a translator to attend meetings when necessary.
10. How will the education setting prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?
    • We have a settling-in process for children starting at our setting, which is tailored to reflect individual needs, circumstances and personalities.
    • We have good relationships with the settings that most of our pupils move onto and we share information to support children’s well-being at transition. Personalised transition plans are developed for children that will benefit from this additional support which include transition photo albums, additional visits and multi professional meetings.
    • Further support is provided as necessary for those with SEND including additional visits to the new setting by the child and parents; visits to our setting by new teachers, and visits to the new setting by our keyworkers where needed.
11. How are the education setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
    • We can apply for additional funding in order to meet their additional needs of children with more complex SEN and Disabilities. This may include obtaining specialist equipment, and attending training.
12. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
    • We expect all staff to deliver a broad and balanced EYFS curriculum with differentiated learning for children with a range of learning needs. Practitioners will meet the individual needs of all children by delivering personalised learning, development and care.
    • Should additional support be required, this is undertaken after consultation with the families, the relevant staff and other professionals as necessary. All interventions are monitored for impact and outcomes are defined at the start of any intervention. The SENDCo oversees all additional support and regularly shares updates with the senior management team.
13. How are parents involved in the education setting? How can I be involved?
    • We are a child and family centered setting, so parents/carers will be involved in all decision making about their child’s support.
    • We work in partnership with parents to support each child’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations.
    • We operate an open-door policy to allow parents to contact their child’s class key-worker and/or other appropriate staff members with ease.
14. Who can I contact for further information?
    • Parents/carers are encouraged to talk to the member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable; usually their key-worker in the first instance. For children with SEND, further information and support can be obtained from the SENDCo, the Unit Leader or a member of the Management Team.

Bristol City Council's Local Offer

Local Offer - South Gloucestershire

 

South Gloucestershire Council Vision is for the Local Offer:

“every child and young person with a special educational need or disability to be given the best chance to succeed in life by enabling them to maximise their potential at school and college and move successfully into adulthood”

At Red Bus this is how we ensure this vision is incorporated into our practice, below is a list of frequently ask questions from parents/carers.

How will you know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs?

• Observe all children and if we have concerns about your child will talk to you first
• Raise concerns with Key person, Health Visitor, named SENCO
• Will work in partnership with you, the parent
• Online Learning Journals
• SEND policy – named SENDCO
• Access training so able to reflect on this/capable to address
• Issues/informed

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

• Key person role/hand over routines/Settling in programme
• Working with other professionals
• Environment
• What can be offered for all children
• Food – healthy snacks, meeting medical needs

How accessible is the setting environment?

• Describe accuracy of building/outdoor area/stairs
• Flexible structure outdoors/toileting
• Acoustics/Limited accessibility as over 4 floors/stairs only/carpeting spaces
• Storage
• Outdoor space on terraces leading to multiply levelled garden with different surfaces

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?

• We need to adhere to Send Code of Practice. Continuous dialogue with other professionals/agencies. Key person approach. SENDCO support specific to needs of child.
• Ratios in room/setting
• 1:1 if needs of child

How will you prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or for the next stage of education?

• Transition policy/paperwork
• Settling in pack/procedure
• All about me – with parents
• School visits
• Encourage home visit from school – liaise
• Transition Documents and child’s progress reports forwarded to School

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

• Parent and Key person meetings/ TAC (team around the child) meetings

How are your resources allocated and matched to children’s Special Educational Needs?

• Early years specific – resources not necessarily to children’s age – stage
• Open ended
• Inclusive
• Differentiated

How will staff in your setting support my child and how will you communicate to all staff that my child has Special Educational Needs or a disability and the support she/he will need?

• Specialist training – epilepsy etc.
• Key person
• Staff meetings – confidentiality – need to know
• All staff to work with the child
• SEN support plan/SAF (Single Assessment Framework)
• Within our setting we adhere to COP (Code of Practice)
• Under our Ofsted reg. we adhere to COP and EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)

How will my child be included in activities outside the setting including visits or outings?

• Risk assessment
• Inclusive ethos
• Work with individual needs to ensure access to all activities
• Ratios
• Differentiated activities/equipment
• Working with parents
• Listening to the child
• Adapting the environment to meet needs.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by your setting and how do you all work together?

• Experienced, qualified, knowledgeable and caring staff
• Local Authority – Setting Support Officer, Children’s Centre
• Designated SENDCO
• Occupational Therapist, Health Visitors and Speech and Language Therapist visit the setting when needed to give advice and support, Social services, Educational Psychologists etc.
• TAC meetings
• All staff work together

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

• Based on child’s development
• Inclusive
• Appropriate activities and equipment
• Observations, monitoring, assessing, (Plan, Do, Review)

What training has the staff supporting children with SEND had or are they having?

• SENCO training
• Specific SEN training e.g. Hearing impairment training
• Staff knowledge updated – staff meetings
• Visual aids and Makaton used
• Other agency support
• Experience of managing children with medical needs e.g. Epipen, Asthma
• Reviewing of policies, SEND, Inclusion, Behaviour Management
• Commitment to CPD (Continuous Professional Development)
• Accessing VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)

Who can I contact for further information?

• Local offer – South Gloucestershire www.southglos.gov.uk/localoffer
• Supportive parents
• Children’s Centres – Sure Start
• One Big Database
• Health Visitors
• GP
• Opportunity groups
• Charity groups – support
• SENDCO
• Other parents
• Early support

How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved? How will you build on your equal partnerships with parent carers?

• Volunteer
• Parent events
• Parent groups
• Parent training/workshops
• Newsletter, website, information packs
• Questionnaires
• Sharing information between our setting and home
• Home learning – sharing resources
• Non-judgemental
• Recognise parent is the first educator
• Online Learning Journals
• Communication books
• Open door policy

South Gloucestershire's Local Offer