Northfleet Nursery School (Maintained)

All children are individuals and develop at their own pace. When your child enters Northfleet Nursery School their key person takes time to learn about their interests and needs. The staff is well qualified, with extensive knowledge and experience of child development. Staff monitor, by observation, the progress of all children from entry onwards within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. They are able to make skilful observations and assessments to swiftly identify where a child may need some additional support

The SEN(D) Code of Practice (2014, 6.17) describes lesser progress as:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline

• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress

• Fails to close the attainment gap between rate of progress

• Widens the attainment gap

Our enrolling and settling in processes includes welcoming information from you as parents/ carers regarding your child. You are encouraged to discuss any concerns or worries you may have about your child initially with their key person.

Some children can make less progress than others, despite high-quality teaching targeting their areas of need and development. The nurseries Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will begin to co-ordinate support for these children. If this is your child, then in consultation with you, we can access the support and advice of colleagues via the Local Inclusion Forum Teams (LIFT) or make referrals to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service (STLS). They are able to observe your child in the nursery and advise us on further strategies we can use to support their learning and development. LIFT can sign-post us to other specialist advice.

If your child is identified with SEN(D) they will have personalised or targeted plans with targets to meet that are agreed with you, to help them to make good progress in areas of difficulty. These are reviewed with you on a six to eight week cycle.

Examples of extra support for your child depends on their needs but could be physically modelling activities, pictures to help children make choices, short explanations, simple vocabulary and modelled speech.

The purpose of these more detailed observations/assessments or advice is to understand what additional resources and different approaches are required to help your child to make progress. At this point we will have identified that your child has a special educational need(s) because the nursery school is making special educational provision for your child which is additional and different to what is normally available.

If your child has been identified with additional or SEN(D) need the nursery will work closely with you. You will be part of the process for devising individual personalised plans and setting targets for your child. Observations and plans will be reviewed with you on a six to eight weekly basis. This is to ensure that you are fully informed of your child’s strengths, needs and progress. This is in addition to the regular parent consultations that all parents are invited to. Initially a targeted plan may be put in place and be successful in supporting your child. If, in consultation with you, external advice and support is needed for your child then this can be accessed via a LIFT meeting. This would gain advice from professionals at the meeting, including the STLS. Your child may then move on to personalised plans. Whatever stage of support is required you will be involved in the decision making process.

The EYFS views each child as a unique being and allows practitioners to plan individually for all children, bearing in mind their individual need and interests. Activities and resources can be adapted to meet the needs of your child. Adjustments can be made to the physical environment and provision to ensure that all are included.

Children are all individuals. A range of strategies has already been outlined in section 1. If your child has been identified with additional or special needs their targeted or personalised plans will provide strategies to support their learning and progress. If your child has severe and complex needs they may require a very high level of support. The nursery school can currently apply for additional funding for pupils who have been observed by the STLS and assessed as being in need of additional funding. This is assessed by the SENIF (Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund) forms and procedures. This funding is used in the nursery to allow us to offer augmented support and/or the purchase of specialised equipment for individual children.

Our staff is quick to get to know the children, their interests and needs enabling them to adjust activities and provision to meet these needs and include all.

Our aim is to be accessible and supportive of all children. Our SEND policy sets out the approach we use to support children. Each child has a key person who knows, understands and plans for their individual children. If your child has a medical condition their key person and the SENCO will create a careplan with you to ensure that their needs are fully understood and the correct actions can be taken so that your child is safe and well looked after while at nursery. This can be reviewed at anytime as necessary. The nursery can follow your lead and your child can be cared for in a familiar and comfortable way. Some children may need specific support or interventions to help them to make progress in particular areas of development. Your child’s key person can plan for this within their group, with advice and support from our SENCO and other experienced staff members. The SENCO will co-ordinate support for more complex needs and discuss ways forward with you. This might be accessing further support from LIFT or STLS. Behavioural needs will be met in line with our Behaviour Policy that advocates positive behaviour.

Our SENCO is a qualified teacher. She updates her knowledge through continuing professional development. Her knowledge is shared with staff in weekly meetings and in-service training days.

She monitors and reviews children’s progress regularly. Your child’s key person or SENCO will meet with you to share information regarding your child’s progress at regular intervals. All parents are invited to meet with staff if they are worried about their child’s needs or progress.

Your child will be supported to take part in all planned activities as fully as possible. Adaptations may be made if necessary to accommodate mobility aids. Additional staff may be deployed so that your child is able to access the same experiences as others. Any trips or events can be organised in consultation with you to make sure that your child is able to fully take part. Trips are always risk assessed for all children taking part.

Our building is accessible for people using mobility aids and wheelchairs. The building has a ramp at the main door and flat access elsewhere. The doorways have been widened to allow access. The children’s resources are organised at children’s height and this is also at wheelchair height.

Transition to primary school, or another setting, is usually a worrying time for all parents, particularly if you have a child with special or additional needs. Transition to primary school takes several stages. Once you know which school you child has been offered a place in let their key person and/or SENCO know. The SENCO or a teacher from the nursery attends an annual transition meeting with SENCOs or representatives from local Primary schools. With your permission, your child’s needs can be discussed along with support strategies that the nursery already has in place.   Many Reception teachers will visit the nursery to meet their entire new intake including your child. The nursery always invites schools to do so. The new school may offer sessions where your child and others can visit and see their new school and teachers. This provides all parents with reassurance that the change is going to be manageable and that the new school is going to welcome and care for their child. If your child has complex needs a transition meeting might be appropriate. This meeting would allow you, supported by the nursery SENCO, to talk about the best ways to help your child through this transition and how to support them further. Transition to another setting would also be fully supported by the nursery.

The nursery is constantly reviewing its effectiveness in all areas of its provision. The SENCO attends Early Years SENCO forums and Early Years LIFT meetings held on a regular basis. This gives SENCO the opportunity to review provision and share good practice with other Early Years providers. The nursery works closely with any specialist teachers that may be assigned and their expertise helps to make sure that the nursery’s provision is highly effective. Your child’s progress will be reviewed regularly as all the children’s progress is. With help your child will be supported to reach their potential and make progress. You will review your child’s plans with their key person or SENCO and be encouraged to add your ideas to ensure that the plans are tailored to your child and are as effective as possible. The nursery school has a designated SEND governor. Their role is to monitor the SEND provision to make sure that all children have equal opportunities, that staff is trained appropriately, adaptions are made and to know that all children make progress. They report their monitoring to the full governing body.

For further information please contact the nursery’s office manager Mrs Leigh Robbins on 01474 533950 or email

office@northfleet-nur.kent.sch.uk

Our nursery school values all the contributions that parents make to our setting. At the beginning or end of each session, you are very welcome to talk with your child’s key person if you have any concerns or want to share any new developments regarding your child. At each parent consultation meeting there is always a written record and a space for you to give your feedback. We also circulate occasional questionnaires for parents to give any other feedback. We consider carefully information received and take action if appropriate.

We hope that if you are unhappy with any aspect of the nursery that you would speak to your child’s key person or the headteacher directly. We have a Complaints Policy and this is found on our website or a paper copy is available in the nursery office.