SEN Information for Parents

SEN information report for children with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities. Please read below.

Treetops Nursery is a fully inclusive setting that ensures all children in their care are supported to reach their full potential.

The aim of our policy and practice for those children with SEN is to:-

• Make reasonable adjustments to ensure access to the EYFS curriculum.
• To ensure that children with SEN can engage in activities alongside their peers.
• To reduce barriers to learning and progression.
• To take account of the voice of the child and their parents/carers and to work as team.

This report helps you to understand how we at Treetops support children with special educational needs.

What are special educational needs?

The equality act 2010 states that a special educational need or disability is ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long term and substantial adverse effects on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.  This means that their special educational need makes it harder to learn than that of most children of a similar age, and that they may extra support to reach their full potential.

Special Educational Needs may include.

• Emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD);
• Autism;
• Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD/ADD).
• Specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
• Communication difficulties.
• Medical needs such as Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy.
• Mobility difficulties.

This could mean that a child with SEN may find it difficulty to:

• Access all the activities on offer without support.
• Understand all the information they need to achieve.
• Communicate their wants, needs or feelings, or understand the wants, needs or feelings of others. This may make it difficult for them to make friends or build relationships with others.
• They may have a sensory or physical issue which may affect their learning and enjoyment in the setting.

At Treetops nursery we place great importance on early identification of special educational and the difficulties a child may have, so that we can provide help and support as quickly as possible.

All children who attend Treetops nursery have access to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. This is done through a graduated approach.

The Graduated Approach recognises that all children learn and progress differently and at different rates, and that there are different levels of SEN.  This step-by-step approach ensures children get the right support for them as an individual.

What support do we offer?

• We tailor everyday activities to meet the needs of the individual.
• We offer one to one support where and when needed.
• We may refer to a specialist outside agency when needed, and we work with their recommendations.
• We offer speech, language, and communication programmes such as Blast and early talk boost.
• We teach all children basic Makaton to help communication.
• We access a Weenie Gym which helps support movement and core strength.

Only a few children attending Treetops will require interventions that are additional to, and different from the differentiated curriculum that we provide.

When will we refer to an outside agency?

At Treetops we recognise that slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean a child has SEN, however it may indicate some learning difficulties.  We also recognise that some children with SEN may be very high achievers academically.

Where a child continues to make less progress than expected, despite evidence-based interventions and support, we will take the necessary steps to involve outside agencies. This decision will be made with the full knowledge and support from the parents.  The involvement of specialist is recorded and shared with the parents and the relevant staff.

The SENCO’s and the setting supervisors, along with the specialist and the parents/carers will work together as a team to develop a range of evidence-based strategies.

Nursery supervisor and SENCO Dawn Mulgrew

[email protected]

Nursery supervisor and SENCO Sue Thomas

[email protected]

How we support parents and families and work as a team.

At treetops we pride ourselves on building up excellent friendly working relationships with all our families.

• We consult and work with parents regarding all decisions that affect their child. We have planned meetings to discuss learning goals, next steps, achievements, reviews, and any support needed, we also encourage informal chats at any time.
• Parents/carers will be made fully aware of planned support and interventions, we actively encourage parental and home support so that it can reinforce and contribute to progression in the home environment as well as in the nursery.
• We provide termly progress check points and individual weekly/monthly actions plans so that parents are aware of next steps achievements and goals.
• Resources will be shared with the family to aid continuity.
• If a family has any concerns regarding their child, they can approach any member of staff who will be more than happy to help, guiding them to the named SENCO if needed.
• Where necessary we will work with parents/carers and other professionals to complete and review Education and Health Care Plans.

What professional do we work with?                                           

At Treetops we are fortunate to work closely with several professionals and outside agencies, these include:

• Health visitors
• Occupational therapists
• Speech and language therapists
• Doctors/nurses
• Visual and hearing-impaired specialists.
• Outreach support
• Childrens services

We identify children with SEN by:

• Talking with the parents during the planned settling in week, gathering information and completing a parental baseline assessment.
• A setting baseline assessment is carried out during the first six weeks of attendance.
• Staff observations
• Information from outside agencies.
• Views of the parents and family.
• Observational development check points carried out termly, using Development Matters and the Birth to Five documents.
• Identify strengths and challenges.
• Observing responses to different situation

The check points are broken down into areas of development.

• Communication and language.
• Personal, social, and emotional development.
• Physical development.
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world.
• Expressive arts and design.

The main focus for learning will be around the prime areas of learning, Communication and language, Personal, social and emotional development and Physical development. However, the specific areas of learning will not be ignored or discounted.

Using the checkpoints will highlight any cause for concern regarding child development, that is failing to meet the development stages expected at a child’s given age.

All Staff are proactive and continue with their professional development, attending courses such as Neuro Diversity, Autism awareness and basic Makaton.  All staff have Paediatric First Aid and safeguarding certificates which are updated on a regular basis. All staff hold a level 3 or above childcare qualification.  Each term the needs of the children are assessed, additional training needed to meet the needs of the child is highlighted and accessed through our Stockton borough council’s development team, the local collages and inhouse training through Tees Active

How will we support transitions to the next setting?

• We will complete a comprehensive moving forward document in conjunction with the parent/carer, this information will be shared with the next setting.
• Representatives from the next setting will be encouraged to visit Treetops.
• Planned visits will be initiated, with a member of Treetops team accompanying the child if necessary.
• We offer support to the next setting once the transition is complete if needed.

How do we spend additional funding?

• Pupil premium may be used to fund additional staff to support targeted areas of development that require improvement. It may also be used to purchase equipment to meet the needs of the individual child. Parents will be informed of how the funding is used for their child.
• One point funding may be used to provided one to one adult support either for the full session or for targeted key times during the session. It may also be used to pay for outside professionals such as occupational therapists to work with the child and support Treetops staff.  Funding may also be used to purchase equipment deemed necessary to support the development of the individual child.

All funding will be used with the child’s best interests at heart.  Parents will be included in the decision-making process and will be kept fully informed of how funding is used.

If you require any additional information regarding any points made in this document or you wish to make a complaint, you can speak face to face with your child’s key worker, the supervisors, or the leisure centres duty managers or you may wish to contact the settings supervisors or the SENCO’s through email or by phone using the details below.

Nursery supervisor and SENCO Dawn Mulgrew

[email protected]

Nursery supervisor and SENCO Sue Thomas

[email protected]

Tel 01642 760971