Maple Vue Nursery

We work closely with parents and families to ensure that we focus on your child’s particular interests through our Observation, Assessment and Planning cycle. We use the EYFS with typical developmental milestones, and along with our observations, we work to identify next steps for each child. The trained Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) will discuss with you how we can support your child’s learning and development. The nursery SENCo works closely with Services for Young Children Area Inclusion Co-ordinator to ensure up to date practices are being used and shared within the team.

We work with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework and our OAP system to ensure we plan activities that focus on children’s interests and needs, and are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Sometimes we need to implement an Individual Educational Plan and we would discuss that with you, so you are involved in your child’s time at nursery.

During your child’s time at Maple Vue Nursery, we maintain a learning journey, a folder which helps you and us to read about their learning and developments. We share this informally on a frequent basis, and more formally at parents’ evenings which we invite you to once a term. Whenever we are supported by external professionals regarding a development need, we will share techniques and tips with you so that if you wish, you can use them at home as well. At any time, you can discuss any concerns or questions you have with your child’s key carer or the co-key carer.

When planning for your child all aspects of your child’s needs are considered. We are able to support children with taking regular prescribed medications and programs set by physiotherapists and occupational therapists. All staff members have undergone a thorough induction process on entry, which includes child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures. Child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures are reviewed regularly with all staff.

Maple Vue Nursery is based within a Children’s Centre, we have a close working relationship with the professionals based here, family support workers and a SALTA. We can access support from Services for Young Children, Area Inclusion Officer, Portage and outreach support workers. NHS Speech and Language Therapy Assistant, Physio and occupational therapists and Health Visitors all work with us to support your child where needed.

Our SENCo’s have a level 3 qualification and on top of that they have had the appropriate SENCo induction and advanced training, furthermore they also attend termly SENCo support group meetings to keep her CPD up to date. As and when required we would train our staff in a specific area where the demand was high.

>We obtain parent permission for taking children out of the setting which we do as part of the first settling session. Before we take children out we carry out a full risk assessment for the journey and the places we visit to ensure children and adults will remain safe. Depending on your child’s individual needs we may have to make adaptations. It is our policy that all children have the opportunity to share in all activities we offer and for us make adaptations where needed to support your child in doing so.

We have an accessible indoor environment and are on one level, on the ground floor. In pre-school, the toilet cubicles are wide so children with physical needs can be helped to toilet with dignity; all rooms have changing areas. We have a large outdoor area where children can explore activities and enjoy their learning. Outside the toddler room we have a slope which may prove challenging for some children with mobility difficulties, although the staff are always there to support children’s growing independence and own sense of challenge and desire for risk-taking. We would encourage you to look around our outside area to decide whether our environment is going to meet your child’s needs.

We offer settling in sessions to help you and your child get to know the environment, staff and particularly your child’s key carer. The number, length and frequency of settling in sessions will be discussed with you to meet your needs, and will be discussed with you on an individual basis. With all transfers to a new setting or school, we share information to aid transition. With your permission we share information about your child with their new setting and invite them to visit your child at our setting, in some cases a transition meeting will be planned, you will be invited to this meeting. When your child is due to start school, Teachers and the school SENCo are invited to visit our setting, the children are invited to attend the school with you for sessions, and these details are arranged by the school. The SENCo from our setting has an opportunity to meet with the school’s SENCo to share information. Transition meetings are arranged where needed, you the parents, the setting’s SENCo, your child’s key carer, any outside agencies involved in your child’s care, the school’s SENCo attend this meeting to put plans in place to make the transition as smooth as possible.

We are able to apply for funding provided by the local authority. If successful on application, the funding can be used to provide one to one support for a child or used to buy resources to aid a child’s SEN.

Any decisions about levels and types of support is done with your permission and we would discuss this with you thoroughly so that you are clear about what will be happening at nursery (and at home if Portage support is necessary).

Maple Vue Nursery is managed by a charity and as such we are keen to involve parents in the lives of their children at our nursery. We encourage you to share your child’s interests and learning with us so that we can extend that further at nursery, likewise we share information with you so that you can, should you choose, continue these activities at home. We would love you to write on our interest sheets, to share those lovely, exciting things that happen at home to help us pick up on their interests and encourage the close links between nursery and home.