YMCA New Milton Nursery

When families first register with us, we ask them to complete an ‘all about me’ record. This gives us as much information on their child as possible. From this we can identify if their child may have special educational needs. This also gives parents/carers the opportunity to discuss with us any concerns they may have about their child and their development. We then offer settle in sessions, which gives us an opportunity to assess the child and their needs and put an action plan into place if the child requires additional support. Our setting’s SENCo liaise with parents, key people and outside agencies that need to be involved with a child. The child’s key person will complete a baseline assessment on the child to see where they are developmentally for their age and stage and will also complete a two-year check when required. This enables us to keep track of the child’s development and helps us to intervene early if required. The child’s key person completes termly assessments on the child where we track whether the child is ‘emerging’ ‘developing’ or ‘secure’ in the three prime areas:

Personal, social and emotional development

Physical development

Communication and language development

We assign a key person to your child when they start at our setting. The Key Person’s role is to form a special relationship with your child, to support your child, build their confidence and trust and to feel secure emotionally. The Key Person will monitor your child’s progress through assessments. Next steps are giving to your child and shared with parents/carers. The Key Person will consult with parents on a regular basis, and we hold parent’s evening twice a year. The role of the SENCo is to liaise with parents/carers, Key Person and any outside agencies involved monitoring your child’s progress. IEPs (Individual educational Plans) are put into place to support your child and used to monitor their progress and help them.

We appreciate and understand that every child is unique and have individual needs. Through assessments and record keeping your child’s Key Person will be able to match your child’s needs. We support your child holistically, encouraging them to explore, investigate and learn. We use IEPs (Individual Educational Plans) and behavioural plans when required, which are drawn up by the Key Person and SENCo in conjunction with parents and are reviewed half termly. The IEP will be tailored to your child’s needs, built on your child’s interests, and made up of small achievable goals for your child to reach.

Termly assessments and monitoring will be carried out by your child’s Key Person. Your child’s Key Person will have regular conversations with parents/carers regarding progress made and future development. Children will have a two-year progress check when required and this will be completed by your child’s Key Person and shared with the parents/carers. IEP’s will be set in discussions with parent’s/carers, Key Persons/ and SENCo and reviewed every half term. Information about the YMCA can be found on our Facebook Page, termly newsletters and our notice board which is updated daily. We upload photos of what your child has been taking part in and ‘WOW’ moments on our online parent’s portal ‘i-connect’. We encourage parents/carers to upload photos of ‘WOW’ moments that your child has achieved at home.

Here at the YMCA we know how important it is to support children’s wellbeing to enable them to develop and thrive. We have policies and procedures in place to support children’s wellbeing including, Child Protection, Behaviour, Inclusion and SEN. Children’s behaviour and any additional needs are supported in line with their needs and IEPs are used to document the support given and used to reflect on whether the support given is having a positive impact. Children are encouraged to respect the environment and each other, good role modelling will be used by the adults. Dietary needs and preferences are respected, and necessary precautions and alternative foods are given to meet the individual child’s dietary needs and preferences. Medicine that has been prescribed by a doctor is given with parents/carers permission. All staff are DBS checked and have attended Safeguarding training.  

All staff are qualified to Level 3 or above or working towards Level 3 childcare. All staff are first aid trained and have had Safeguarding training. Our SENCo has attended SENCo Induction training and Early Years SENCo Award level 3. Our SENCo has ongoing training including Makaton. The setting has a SEND policy and works in line with the government policies regarding children with SEND. All staff receives ongoing online training to keep them up to date with relevant policies and practices.

All our staff are qualified to Level 3 or higher or working towards their level 3. Every member of staff has undertaken First Aid, Safeguarding and Health and Safety. Our SENCo has attended SENCo Induction and Early Years SENCo Award level 3 and has ongoing training including Makaton. Training is undertaken when the need arises to help staff gain the necessary knowledge to fully support the children.

When arranging trips all children’s needs are considered. According to the child’s needs we ensure there are enough members of staff to ensure the safety of all the children and one to one support can be given by the child’s key Person. Activities and trips will be planned according to a child’s needs ensuring that a full experience is enjoyed by the child. We aim to regularly take the children out into the local community. Some places we visit include, the local supermarket, the local park and walks around the local area. We make sure the children are aware of the trip beforehand and communicate this in a way that they understand.

Our setting is located on the grounds of New Milton Junior School. We have a large free flow secured outdoor area. Our outdoor area offers many different resources and experiences for the children to enjoy, and access is freely available for wheelchair users. Our pre-school room and baby room are fully accessible. Our setting is accessed by a ramp suitable for wheelchairs, the setting’s rooms are large and laid out in a spacious way. The children’s toilets which are located within the pre-school room are child size and we have an accessible toilet. The sinks, soap and paper towels are also child size to encourage children’s independence. Resources in our rooms are at child level to enable the children to independently access them. When the need arises, we are happy to change the enviroment where possible to ensure we are meeting every child’s needs.

Before attending the setting, parents/carers are welcome to come and look around with their children. Once registered we then arrange 3 settle in sessions to help your child with the transition. During this time, we complete an ‘all about me’ form with parents/carers. This helps us to get to know your child’s likes, dislikes, and any special requirements and allows us to make any arrangements or adaptions to help your child settle. If your child has moved from another setting or is attending two settings, we share information with them such as assessments, with parents/carers permission. When it is time for your child to go to school, we work closely with the local schools to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. School teachers will come and visit the children in our setting and introduce themselves.

The environment is changed when the need arises to match your child’s interests, needs and stage of development. Where applicable, Special Education Needs (SEN) funding is applied for and then allocated to your child to support with extra staff, support aids or resources where required, depending on your child’s needs and interests.

Your child’s key person will observe your child and work with parents/carers to identify any additional needs. Your Childs key person and SENCo will work together to provide additional support and guidance. IEPs and assessments may be used to provide additional support and evidence the progress the child is making. IEP’s are reviewed every 6 weeks and new targets and next steps are set to further support them. Additional funding can be claimed for children with special educational needs (SEN) or (DAF).  This funding is then used to help the child achieve their full potential. This is done by looking at your child’s individual needs and used for equipment, resources, additional staff, and support aids that will help your child reach their goals and targets. 

Your child’s key person works closely with the parents/carers to support your child’s learning and development. Parents/carers are encouraged to upload their own 'WOW' moments onto our parent’s portal. Here at the YMCA we offer an open-door policy and have regular communication with parents/carers. We value partnership working with parents/carers and include them in the planning of their child’s next steps of development.