Sunrise Day Nursery

Before your child joins Sunrise we will ask you to complete an 'All About Me' this will give us information on interests, dislikes, strengths and areas of development for your child. You will also have the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about your child when you visit the setting and during your child's settling in sessions.  Once your child joins our setting their allocated 'Key Person' will carry out a Starting Point Assessment, this gives us a baseline to work from using the 'Development Matters' document and from there on weekly observations are carried out. When your child reaches 2 years of age the statutory assessment 'Progress Check at 2' will be completed, this may also highlight any delays or next steps for your child.

When delays are identified your childs key person and the setting's SENCO will write a targeted plan to support the area of delay. You will be invited to share the document with us and discuss and agree targets for your child.

Our SENCO's will ensure that your child, and you as parents, receive the best support and resources to promote the development of your child and/or provide support for managing behaviour. Our SENCO's have a strong 'working in partnership' with parents ethos and attend regular and up to date training. Their role is to monitor and support the Key Person in reviewing your child's progress. They will, if required, liaise with our settings Local Equality and Inclusion Officer and other relevant outside agencies with your consent. This may include other childcare providers that share the learning and development for your child.  SENCO's also attend Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) meetings to seek advice and or refer your child to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service.

Our SENCO's have a strong 'working in partnership' with parents ethos and attend regular and up to date training. Their role is to monitor and support the Key Person in reviewing your child's progress. They will, if required, liaise with our settings Local Equality and Inclusion Officer and other relevant outside agencies with your consent. This may include other childcare providers that share the learning and development for your child.  SENCO's also attend Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) meetings to seek advice and or refer your child to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service.

Please see our Policy.

 Your child's Key Person will have built a firm relationship with you as parents and a great bond with your child. The Key Person will ensure a good two way communication and reassure you in how they are supporting your child. The Key Person will work closely with the setting SENCo, any outside agencies or other providers that your child attends and share this information with you.

There are many opportunities for Parents and the Key Person to communicate such as:-

• daily informal chats at drop off and pick up times.
• contact books for those parents who may not drop off or pick up personally
• we use 'Tapestry online learning journal' which allows parents to see weekly observations with supporting video and/ or photo evidence.  These observations highlight your child's next steps of learning and 'wow' moments. These will also show the progress your child is currently making within the Early Years Foundation Stage.
• Once a term we hold a Parents Evening which will give you the opportunity to meet with your child's key person and discuss your childs development for that term. We can also discuss any additional support that may be needed or is currently in place for your child. 
• If your child currently has additional support in place for example a 'Targeted Plan', meetings will take place between Key Person, Parents and SENCO to discuss and evaluate these plans on a regular basis- the timing depending on the achievable time scale of each plan e.g. every 6 weeks.
• Additional meetings can be requested by parents, Key person or SENCo as required throughout the year.

We believe that with the support of outside agencies, continuous staff professional development and our extensive experience and knowledge we can provide effective provision to support children with special and/or additional educational needs and unlock the unique potential of each child.

Our setting follows the Statutory Educational framework- Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This allows Key Persons to observe, assess and plan for your 'unique child' in the 3 Prime areas (under 3's) and 4 Specific areas (Over 3's)

The 3 Prime areas are:-

• Personal, Social and Emotional
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development

Our setting provides adapted opportunities for development in the above areas by:-

Personal, Social and Emotional:-

• Providing Individual activities or a select small group activity to promote areas such as confidence, turn taking, well-being or behaviour.
• liaising with outside agencies for additional advice and support.
• practitioners carrying out any relevant and up to date training.
• Providing 'Now and Then' boards and 'Timelines' to support children's wellbeing 

Communication and Language:-

• To use language at a level of your child's understanding e.g. use of picture cards/props 
• In house Early Talk Boost sessions which is an intervention to support children over 3 with an early speech delay.
• working with speech and language therapists.

Physical Development

• We have an understanding of the impact environmental factors can have, therefore, we can adapt the environment to meet your child's sensory needs e.g layout, noise, colour, dimming of lights in the baby room etc.
• Our Toddler Room provides frequent and regular access to an outside area through a free flow system.
• Our meals are all prepared and cooked on site and provide for all dietary requirements.
• We seek support and advice from relevant outside agencies for example Occupational Therapists.
• We make reasonable adjustments to our environment if required e.g. portable ramps, fitting handrails

Our Tapestry Online Learning Journey has a Special Educational Needs (SEND) assessment framework which is based on the Development Matters document which provides the opportunity for assessment in stages rather than age bands. This will identify the smaller steps of progress that a child with a Special Educational Need (SEN) might make.

We have two setting SEN coordinators who have experience in identifying children with additional needs or SEND. We have experience in working with parents to create targeted, personalised and educational health plans to support individual needs. We will share our knowledge and experience with parents in order to support their child at home. 

We have good relationships with KCC Specialist Teaching Service and seek their support as required. SENCo's and key persons attend Local Inclusion Forum Team meetings to discuss individual support and SENCo forums to network with other SEND professionals. 

At Sunrise we are aware of environmental factors that can impact learning and are continuously reflecting upon this on a regular basis.

All walls within the setting are neutral colours, some classrooms are carpeted and others have soft furnishings and rugs. Our furniture is movable and all have a designated 'quiet area' (book corner). The baby room has lighting which can be dimmed within our Langley setting.

Most resources in all rooms are clearly labelled with print/pictures/photos. We have a wide variety of learning resources at Sunrise, however, the SENCO and Key Person will identify or seek advice and source any additional resources that may be required to support your child's needs. If your child is receiving support from any outside agencies, in some cases it is possible to claim funding for resources to be purchased, for staff training or for additional staff to be deployed to the room. 

All of our classroom practitioners are qualified or working towards a qualification in Early Years Practice. Many of our experienced staff have received training in supporting children with English as an Additional Language, Promoting Positive Behaviour and Slugs and Snails- engaging boys and other relevant training. 

At Sunrise we use the 'Best Practice Guidance' to support all areas of our teaching and to put a range of strategies in place to support children e.g. we use 'Now and Next' boards and Timelines.  The Best Practice Guidance document is divided in to 3 levels (the graduated approach)

The 3 levels are:-

Universal Level-meeting every unique childs' needs.

Targeted Level- strategies put in place to meet particular needs e.g timeline, now and then boards etc

Personalised Level- external support and specific strategies put in place.

There are 4 areas of need which are identified in the SEND code of practice, they are as follows:-

Communication and interaction

Cognition and learning

Social Emotional and Mental Health

Physical/Sensory difficulties.

As stated in our SEND policy at Sunrise we use 'the graduated approach' to support your child (see graduated approach in Q4) If your child has a 'targeted Plan' in place but is not making the progress we hoped for within the achievable time scales, we will discuss with you the next level of the graduated approach which is the Personalised Level. The Personalised Level is when we would discuss with you the need for and get permission for us to make a referral to outside agencies, such as Speech and Language Therapists or the Local Inclusion Team etc. If your child then begins to receive support from any relevant outside agencies they will no longer be at a 'Targeted Plan Level they will now be assessed using a 'Personalised Plan'. If a specialist Teaching Service referral is required, with your consent, the SENCo will make the referral through a meeting with the Local Inclusion Team (LIFT). These meetings are held 6 times a year (once a term) If the referral is accepted a 'Specialist Teacher' would then visit your child at Sunrise to provide practitioners with additional advice, guidance and strategies to support your child. They may also make further referrals to other agencies for example a Paediatrician. The specialist teacher will also support your childs transition to school. Throughout all of this, all involved will inform and support parents.

Historically when we have received a child with a condition or 'need' we are unfamiliar with, the SENCO or key person has researched and sought information and shared this with other practioners. All our staff complete any relevant up to date training to support your child. We encourage parents to share their own personal knowledge of their child with staff. 

We can support those children with medical conditions and those with the need for long term medication e.g. inhalers, adrenaline auto-injectors (Epi pen) as well as specific food intolerances or allergies. See policy attached.

An effective Key Person Approach is essential for all children and we understand every child is unique. The key person is responsible for observation, assessment and planning for every child, however, this is particularly important when a child has a special or additional educational need. You will have access weekly to observations made by your child's key person via our online learning journal system 'Tapestry'.  Here you can see your child's experiences and the progress being made whilst giving you the opportunity to comment or upload home events and your child's personal achievements from home.  Individual appointments can be requested at reasonable time with your childs key person or SENCO to talk about any concerns you may have.

We write an assessment called a 'Unique Story' 3 times a year which will record the overall development/progress for your child for that term. There is an assessment called 'The Progress Check at Age 2', this is a very important document and your child's key person will gather the information in advance of your child's 'Health Visitor Development at the age of 2 check'.  This will give you the parent and the keyperson the opportunity to discuss progress your child has made since joining Sunrise and if there are any areas showing a delay, you can then discuss this with your Health Visitor.

Sunrise is an all inclusive setting that enables all children to be included and we make any relevant adaptions for this to be the case. When planning, your childs key person will ensure that activities are suitable or are adapted to meet your childs needs, for example if your child had hearing aids or needs support listening to a story we would ensure they were sat at the front of the group at circle time or if your child has English as an Additional Language we would have print and books available in the environment in their first language.

The Nursery and Early Years children are taken on a yearly outing and all classes go for walks in the church grounds, to the post office or to feed the ducks from time to time (depending on which setting is attended). We revise our Health and Safety risk assessment each year to take account of any current childrens' needs or any new conditions that may cause a child to be at risk. A first aid bag is always taken with us and emergency contact details and any special equipment/resources or medication that may be needed to meet your childs' needs.

Mrs Julie Starns - Nursery Director 

We have experience in applying for EYPP, SENIF and DAF funding and monitoring systems are in place to record the impact on outcomes for children. 

On transition to school or a new setting we will send your child's latest 'my unique progress' this will give evidence to the new setting what age band your child is currently achieving within the Early Years Foundation Stage. In the classroom role play area we have various school uniforms for your child to dress up in. In our book corners we have prospectus from various schools for children to look through. During the summer term we also do a 'dressing and undressing activity' in preparation for changing for P.E in school. We also invite teachers from settings to come in and meet the children in their current classroom environment; sharing specific details about child's needs.  If your child is at the 'Personalised Level' of the graduated approach and has a 'specialist teacher' they will also be involved in your child's transition and transition meetings are arranged to include all professionals involved. 

Staff give feedback and fill out paperwork on any training attended; identifying knowledge that can be implemented into the setting and how this will improve outcomes for children. 

Staff use a reflective log to record and reflect on their practice and environment; identifying areas for improvement or adjustment.

Parents are invited to fill out entry and leavers questionnaires providing them with the opportunity to evaluate our setting, the care, teaching and learning.  Parents also have the opportunity to make suggestions and comment on areas for improvement. 

Sharing Targeted Plans with Parents and valuing their input

Parents evenings

Staff give feedback and fill out paperwork on any training attended; identifying knowledge that can be implemented into the setting and how this will improve outcomes for children. 

Staff use a reflective log to record and reflect on their practice and environment; identifying areas for improvement or adjustment.

Parents are invited to fill out entry and leavers questionnaires providing them with the opportunity to evaluate our setting, the care, teaching and learning.  Parents also have the opportunity to make suggestions and comment on areas for improvement. 

Sharing Targeted Plans with Parents and valuing their input

Parents evenings

Mrs Julie Starns - Nursery Director 

We have experience in applying for EYPP, SENIF and DAF funding and monitoring systems are in place to record the impact on outcomes for children. 

Copies of our main policies are available on request. Registered parents can have access to all of our policies through Tapestry.  All our policies are available upon request. If you would like a translated version of any policy, please let us know and we will endeavour to do this. 

We have a complaints procedure and policy (see above)

We welcome constructive feedback through our Parent Entry and Exit questionnaires. 

We have a Facebook page for reviews.

Parents can leave feedback and comments on Tapestry (online Learning Journey)