What special education provision is available at our setting?
At White Rock Pre-school we pride ourselves on the caring nature of our staff and will do everything within our power to meet your needs and that of your child. We have a high staff to child ratio so additional needs are recognised and acted upon quickly. We have worked with a range of children with differing needs and so have plenty of experience dealing with outside professionals.
What criteria must be satisfied before children and young people can access this provision/service?
We strive to provide a fully inclusive service and aim to welcome every child to our setting no matter what their needs are. If there is a child with needs that we have not yet experienced these will be fully and sensitively discussed with the parents so that we can try to work together to find ways of meeting these needs. We invite every parent and child to visit our setting so we can ascertain together if we are best suited to your child. Every child`s welfare and happiness is always put first – we follow the guidelines as laid out in the Equalities Act 2010 and always work closely with other agencies to develop each child to their full potential.
How do we identify the particular special educational needs of a child or young person?
We gain as much information as we can from parents / carers. We liaise with any other professionals who are involved so that we can all work together to provide a consistent approach to the care of your child. Your child will be regularly observed and assessed so that any concerns can be acted upon and the support of other agencies gained where necessary. We keep a close relationship with parents / carers at all times to ensure that communication both ways is highly effective and that parents / carers are comfortable and reassured we are looking after their child to the best of our abilities. We follow the guidance set out in the SEND Code of Practice.
How do we consult with parents and/or children and young people about their needs?
We encourage parents to bring their child for ‘settling in’ visits whereby we can determine with their parents what their needs in the setting may be and how we will meet those needs. We ask parents / carers to complete an “All About Me” form which gives us detailed information about each child to help them settle. Children are assigned keyworkers to pay special individual care and attention to each child and all staff are committed to the emotional and physical wellbeing of all children. Regular observation and assessment is recorded to assist with each child`s ongoing support. We complete individualised learning plans and review these with parents.
What is our approach to teaching children and young people with special educational needs?
We adopt the same caring and vigilant approach to all of the children in our care and where special educational needs have been identified we ensure that we provide appropriate resources to meet those needs. We create Individual Learning and Development plans for children with additional needs to ensure that we are working towards developmentally appropriate targets
How can we adapt our curriculum for children and young people with special educational needs?
We follow the EYFS Statutory Framework and we seek to provide for every child,
- Quality and Consistency
- A Secure Foundation
- Partnership Working
- Equal Opportunities
However this may not meet the needs of your child, in which case activities would be structured on an individual basis to suit the needs of your child, at the same time including them as much as possible in the daily activities that we provide.
How will we ensure we get the services, provision and equipment that children and young people need?
We have the support from the Early Years Advisory teacher and other professionals throughout Torbay, they will offer expert guidance and specialist equipment. There may be times when we do not have the resources to meet the needs of an individual child. Where this occurs we will make every reasonable effort to acquire the necessary resources.
How is this provision funded?
Parents are entitled to their Government funded hours of childcare per week and if it is identified that they require extra support we can apply to the Local Authority for additional funding called ALFI, for example if your child needs a 1:1 support worker. In addition to Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI), Early Years settings may be able to receive DAF for eligible children attending their setting. The Disability Access Fund is money that is available for eligible children to a nominated childcare provider once per year to aid access to Early Years places for children with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities.
What additional learning support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how do they access it?
We are always willing to gain support from other professionals such as speech and language specialists, health visitors and social workers, support groups for families, portage, Early Years Advisory support and Action for Children. We always try to encourage and signpost parents to engage with these services and support them in every aspect.
How do we support and improve the emotional and social development of children and young people with special educational needs?
We have a positive approach to behaviour management and ensure that all staff are consistent in their approach. We believe every child needs to know that they belong and that they are valued for their unique qualities. We believe working with our parents is very important and parental contributions are welcomed and valued.
How do we support children and young people with special educational needs moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood?
We are very sensitive to children`s feelings and know that it can be an emotional upheaval for them to be changing settings. We share information with other settings to ensure that everyone has as much information as possible about the child to enable them to settle as quickly as possible and complete enhanced transitions for this purpose. We always gain permission from parents to share information. We contact children`s new primary school teachers so that we can discuss the individual needs of children.
What other support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how can they access it?
We would seek advice to signpost you to other services. We would give you applicable leaflets and recommend the Torbay Directory for ideas on other available support and we always signpost parents to SENDIASS CONTACT US - Sendiass Torbay.
What extra-curricular activities are available for children and young people with special educational needs?
Our extra curricular activities are focused around health and well-being, last year we had a yoga instructor attend weekly and this year we have a dance teacher weekly.
How do we assess and review progress towards agreed outcomes, and how are parents, children and young people involved in this process?
We use careful detailed observation, assessment and planning to ensure that each child reaches their full developmental potential. This is recorded against development checkpoints We will endeavour to talk to the parent(s)/carer(s) at the end of each session and keep you informed on your child’s achievements and progress. Each half term your child’s ILDP’s will be reviewed and new targets and strategies set if necessary.
How do we assess the effectiveness of our special needs provision and how are parents, children and young people involved in this assessment?
As a staff team we constantly self-evaluate our practice to ensure that we are offering the best service we can to our children and we constantly assess the outcomes are children are achieving. We encourage parents to give feedback and for any suggestions as to how we can improve our provision. We ensure that we keep up with training and developments and incorporate this into our practice.
How do we ensure that teaching staff and other staff have the expertise needed to support children and young people with special educational needs?
We ensure that we keep up with training and developments and incorporate this into our practice. Information gained at any relevant training is shared with the entire staff team and we actively seek advice from Torbay Early Years Inclusion Service to ensure that we can meet your child`s needs as effectively as possible.
How do we keep parents informed where children and young people have special educational provision but do not have an Education Health and Care Plan?
We pride ourselves on our friendly family approach and strive to maintain excellent relationships with parents and carers so that two way communication is as effective as it can be.
How can parents, children and young people make a complaint about our provision?
We hope that all parents would feel comfortable in approaching staff to say if they were unhappy about something no matter how small and we will always try to address this. The manager is very visual and always available. We also ensure that parents are aware of the complaints procedure.
How can parents, children and young people get more information about the setting?
We are on the Torbay Family Hub website and our website is kept up to date www.whiterockpreschool.uk We will always make prospective parents welcome to come and visit us and have a prospectus which we can email or give out directly.