Red Bus Nursery & Pre-School 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 setting 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 provision where additional support is required and funding can be secured.
At Red Bus Nursery & Pre-School this is how we ensure inclusion is incorporated into our practice, below is a list of frequently asked questions from families:
How does the setting know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)?
- A child may come to us with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities already identified, in which case we will liaise closely with you and professionals already involved to ensure that appropriate support and training is put in place ready for the child’s arrival.
- The progress and development of all children is monitored regularly by their Key Person and the Room Manager, 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 the family will be at the heart of any steps that are taken.
- If families have concerns about the progress or well-being of their child, or think their child has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, they are encouraged to speak to their Key Person, Room Manager, our SENDCo/SEND Champion or any other member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable. We will discuss their concerns, and agree with them on what will happen next.
How will the setting 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 families will be involved in planning the best way to provide that support.
- If needed, a Support Plan 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 families.
- 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 and the SEND Champions work together; alongside the whole team to ensure children are reaching their full potential.
- We make reasonable adjustments to enable children to access their learning; which may look different for different children.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
- Our Red Bus Approach is based on In the Moment Planning and children’s current interests and needs of the individual child, to which families are encouraged to contribute. Activities and resources reflect the children’s experiences and current age and stage of development to better motivate and support their learning.
- Differentiation is planned for groups and individuals according to their needs: 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.
- We follow the Graduated Response Approach for all children and as part of this we complete observations, regularly monitor and assess each child’s progress (Assess, Plan, Do, Review).
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
- Daily handovers, regular assessments and parent talks spread across the year, give all families regular feedback on their child’s learning and any behavioural, emotional or social strengths or difficulties.
- Families 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 a Support Plan, families will be encouraged to support the targets at home. Strategies will be discussed at regular review meetings and second copies of any resources required, for example visuals, will be provided for use outside of the setting. Where outside professionals are involved, they will be asked to attend review meetings or to provide feedback on progress and to input into targets and strategies.
- If there are a variety of professionals involved we may attend Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings together to discuss their progress or consider a need for an Early Help Assessment and Plan (EHAP).
What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
- The well-being of all of the children is paramount to us. 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 families with the skills and confidence that they need to better support their children to develop and thrive.
- Our Behaviour and Attitudes Policy supports our belief that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and when they know how they and others are expected to behave.
- Relevant staff members are trained to support medical needs, and in some cases all staff members receive training. We have a Sickness, Allergies and Medication Policy in place.
- We endeavour to seek the views of the children in everything that we do and respond to individual needs.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the 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); and other health professionals. We work with the Early Help, Social Services and Community Police. For each setting, we work with:
- Coombe Dingle - First Response
- Downend - Access Response Team
- Flax Bourton - Front Door Services
What training has the staff supporting children with SEND had or are they having?
- We regularly invest time and money in training our staff to improve provision for all children and to develop enhanced skills and knowledge to deliver individualised support and interventions.
- All appropriate staff receive regular training to best support our children with SEND, for example, specific to different needs such as; autism, speech and language and hearing impairment.
- Staff have access to different training such as local authority face-to-face training sessions and online platforms such as Noodle Now and Virtual Learning.
How will my child be included in activities outside the setting including visits and outings?
- Our Cultural Competences Policy promotes involvement of all of our children in all aspects of the curriculum including special events, activities and outings.
- 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; and if appropriate families are consulted and involved in planning.
How accessible is the setting?
Downend – due to the setting being a Grade 2 listed building we are restricted with how we can make changes to the building. The building is set over 4 floors. We are unable to provide a ramp at the front entrance to the building and we have no access to a lift. Outdoor spaces are on terraces, with steps leading to multiple levelled gardens with different surfaces.
Coombe Dingle – is set within a conservation area, which restricts alterations to the look of the setting. We are unable to provide a permanent ramp to the front of the building but we do have disability access at the side of the building or a portable foldable ramp available. The setting is over 3 floors; there is no access to a lift. The outdoor space is set over two levels with step access to the top garden.
Flax Bourton – the setting is set over 2 floors with disability access on the ground floor. There is no lift access to the 1st floor. The outdoor spaces are on terraces, with steps leading to a levelled garden area.
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.
How will the 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 on to and we share information to support children’s well-being at transition. Personalised transition plans are developed for children who 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 Key People where needed.
How are the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?
- All early years resources are suitable for all children. Resources are provided to support different interventions with the children to support their specific needs.
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. Staff 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 team.
- We can apply for additional funding in order to meet their additional needs where relevant. This may include obtaining specialist equipment, attending training or providing a reduced staff-to-child ratio.
How am I involved in the setting? How can I be involved?
- We are a child and family centred setting, so families will be involved in all decision making about their child’s support.
- We work in partnership with families to support each child’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations. We recognise that families are the first educators.
- We operate an open-door policy to allow families to contact their child’s Key Person and/or other appropriate staff members with ease.
Who can I contact for further information?
- Families are encouraged to talk to the member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable; usually their Key Person in the first instance. For children with SEND, further information and support can be obtained from the SENDCo, SEND Champion, the Room Manager or a member of the Management Team.
- These are other services that could provide more support:
- Health Visitor
- GP
- Children Centre
- SEND and You - https://www.sendandyou.org.uk/
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