Castle Hill Village Nursery

On admission parents/carers are asked to fill in an 'All About Me' booklet, this gives the nursery a chance to get to know the child, particular strengths or areas where they may need extra support.  We use the information about the child's interests at home to help us plan appropriately for the child.  We use a document called Development Matters to assess the child's starting point.

At two years old there is completion of a Progress Check , this is a statutory assessment and this may be a time when any delay in development can be discussed and appropriate next steps identified.  The next step will involve the child's key person and the Early Years SENCo planning additional opportunities for the child to gain further experience in the identified area.  This will be written and shared with the parent/carer through a targeted or personalised plan.

Our Early Years Special Education Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator is Karen Stanley; she is there to ensure that families have the best support and resources to help with the development of the child, including behaviour. 

The school we are associated with, Castle Hill Primary School, has a designated Hearing Impaired unit.

The Key Person approach is a cornerstone of the Early Years Foundation Stage and one we follow at Castle Hill Village Nursery.

The child's Key Person will be involved right from the start so that strong and positive relationships are built with with the child and parent/carer.  There are many ways that parents can feel involved in how their child is being supported.

• daily informal contact
• opportunities for meetings at your request throughout the year
• detailed learning journeys via IConnect, this is an online system parents can use to view observations and photos as they happen in the convenience of their own homes  
• an invitation to parents' meeting twice a year where the child's progress and any additional support they may need can be discussed
• an invitation to parents to stay and play sessions three times a year
• collaboration with parents on any extra planning that needs to be put in place e.g. a targeted plan

The EYFS is an educational framework which allows key persons to plan for the 'Unique Child'.  The nursery will observe, assess and plan for your child in three prime areas and four specific areas.  The prime areas are: Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development.

• we provide a language rich environment which is tailored to the needs of the children
• we use some targeted small group activities
• we use language intervention programmes such as Early Years' Talk Boost
• we provide ideas and resources for parents to use at home
• we work in line with outside agency advice e.g. Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)

At the nursery we regard the Environment as the Third Teacher and we plan for an environment that will enable children to listen and attend and give full involvement to their learning.  All our rooms benefit from natural light and have a large outside area to develop gross motor skills.  There are quieter areas in the rooms to cater for all the children's needs.  The baby sleep room has lighting that that is diffused.  We ensure the well being of all the children by offering cosy spaces where noise is minimised.  Children have easy access to resources that are clearly labelled and at an appropriate height.

Effective teaching and Learning requires a wide range of resources to support children's development at all levels.  Karen Stanley, our EYSENCo, will work closely with the key persons to ensure that specialist equipment is obtained, if necessary.  Where children are receiving support from outside agencies, it may be possible to claim extra funding to buy additional resources, staff training or support additional staff cover.  For example, staff have been trained on the use of EPI pens.

All our staff are trained in Early Years practice and some of our ore experienced staff have received training in supporting children with hearing loss or autism.  We use the Best Practice Guidance document to support our teaching .  This document was written by the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service and sets out a range of teaching strategies which can be used to support children e.g the use of visual resources and Makaton and BSL.

We support children in the four broad ares of need as defined by the SEND Code of Practice, these ares are:

• Communication and Interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Physical/sensory difficulties

Our SEND policy sets out the graduated approach we use to support children and is available on request.

If the child is not making sufficient progress through a targeted plan, the SENCo or Key Person may discuss with the parents/carers the need to refer to other services, such as Speech and Language Therapy.  If the child begins to receive support from outside agencies, the targeted plan will be changed to a personalised plan.

If it is felt necessary, the parents/carers consent would be obtained to refer to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (STLS) through the Local Inclusion Team Forum (LIFT) meeting which is held six times a year.  If the referral is accepted, a specialist teacher would then visit the child to provide extra advice and guidance.  At all stages the parents/carers will be consulted.

In the past, where we have received children with a condition we are unfamiliar with, our SENCo has provided training or invited health professionals in to give everyone an overview.

An effective key person approach is essential for all children.  The key person is responsible for guiding, monitoring and supporting the physical and emotional development of the children in our care and this is especially important when children have special or additional educational needs.

The key person will invite you into the setting to discuss the child's development and hear about their progress; this also provides the parents/carers the opportunity to discuss any concerns they have.  Parents/carers can always request a meeting at any reasonable time.

We make an overall assessment of the children's progress three times a year.  Parents/carers can monitor the development of their child more regularly through the online system IConnect.  There are also two Statutory assessments: the Progress Check at two years old and the EYFSProfile.  The Progress Check at two is very important. It would be our intention to complete the Progress Check in advance of the health visitor health development check at the age of two.  The check gives us the opportunity to discuss with the parent/carer the child's starting points and the progress they have made since starting.  If the child is delayed in any area of development, we will discuss this with the parents/carers so they can discuss the report with their health visitor.

The nursery makes a commitment to inclusive practice that enables all children to be included and is at the heart of our work.  At staff meetings and room leader meetings, the key person will ensure that any planned activities are suitable or adapted to meet the child's needs, this is called differentiation. For example, where children may need more support to be able to listen to a story, we would place that child within a small group and use lots of repetition and pictures or puppets to help their understanding and and attention. 

The nursery is delivered on one floor and is accessible by steps, a slope or a lift to ensure easy access. The outdoor areas are accessible through wider doors and are suitable for children in wheelchairs or frames.

Whenever possible we will make any reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of the child.

Before a child starts at our nursery we meet with parents to discuss any additional needs required, we work closely with SENCO and outside agencies where necessary.

• There are opportunities at LIFT meetings
• SENCo forum meetings
• Staff meetings
• Regular parent and key person assessment visits
• Surveys
• Review of policies and procedures

Our SEND policy provides the context for supporting children through the graduated approach and our complaints procedure is on our notice board.

We operate an open door policy, have a suggestion box and carry out regular surveys.  As a nursery we welcome constructive feedback, as we want the children's time spent at nursery to be a positive, wholly inclusive experience, and for our parents/carers we want them to feel confident and assured that their child has equal opportunities to their peers.