Little Faces Nursery

The Nursery has a named SENCOs (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) whose role is to support children, parents/carers and Key Persons and if necessary make referrals to outside support agencies. The SENCOs have undertaken additional SEN training and continue with ongoing training to ensure that they keep up to date with current thinking and guidelines. The training is shared with all of the Nursery staff, as all staff are equally responsible for meeting the individual needs of every child. We will ensure that you are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of your child’s education. Your child’s learning journal will be shared with you twice a term and a meeting held at least once a term. You as the parent, the setting SENCO and your child’s Keyperson will work together to put in place an IEP (Individual Educational Plan). This IEP sets out small realistic targets, steps to achieve them, who will be responsible (normally child’s Keyperson) and a review date (this will depend on factors personally relating to individual child or target). The Nursery ensures the effectiveness of the SEN/Disabilities provision by collecting information from a range of sources, for example IEP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views (questionnaires are sent out annually), inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually. A recent parent’s quote “the way the staff overcame the language barrier was unbelievable”

Every child is unique and our philosophy is that children with additional needs have the right to develop to their full potential alongside other children. Everyone stands to gain if all children are allowed to share the same opportunities and are helped to overcome any disadvantages they may have to face. We provide a broad balanced curriculum for all children. Activities and experiences are adapted to meet the individual needs of the child. Your child’s Keyperson will build a relationship with them to enable them to feel safe and secure in our nursery environment. They will get to know their interests and through monitoring their Emotional, Intellectual and Physical development in their learning journal, know their stage of development. Written observations, photographs of your child playing in nursery and Wow slips filled in by you of your child’s achievements at home are all recorded in your child’s journal. Assessments are made from these observations and shared with you and used to support the individual planning for your child. As well as IEPs (Individual Educational Plans) we also use Behavioural Plans to inform everyone who works with your child “what comes next” and their targets. These plans are tailored to your child’s needs they build on their interests and keep everyone involved with your child informed of their progress. Planning for each session is very much child led and based around your child’s interests and their “next steps”, and we enhance their self -initiated experiences to extend their learning.

You are welcome to look at and discuss your child’s learning journal at any time. Often parents have short discussions with their child’s Keyperson when dropping off or collecting their child. This does not always suit every parent, so we provide a family liaison book. The purpose of this book is to enable parent/carers to exchange information with nursery staff. We hold a parents evening twice a year to show “what it’s like to be a child in the nursery”. We have had some excellent feedback from parents from these evenings on how much they had learnt about their child’s nursery day. Once a term a tracking form linked to the EYFS and a Record of Development Summary is completed for your child by their Keyperson. This form gives you information on any significant developments, progress your child has made and suggested next steps. This form has a section for you to complete asking you about your child’s current interests and any developments your child has made at home, and together we agree their next steps. Also on this form your child’s Keyperson will give you examples of things you could do at home to support their learning. The Nursery is a reflective practice and therefore welcomes feedback from you. You can do this via the comment books which are placed outside every play room, verbally to any member of staff, at Keyperson meetings or alternatively if you prefer you can email: [mailto:jtrace@southdowns.ac.uk jtrace@southdowns.ac.uk]

Our Health, Safety and Hygiene Policy make children, parents and staff aware of health and safety issues minimizing hazards and risks therefore enabling your child to thrive in a healthy, safe environment. Before we open our doors each morning all areas are risk assessed. The external door is locked at all times, we have an intercom system and panic button. We have three first aid boxes and all staff are First Aid Trained. Allergy and dietary information is displayed on walls of appropriate rooms including kitchen. Staff are DBS checked, have an annual appraisal and complete an individual Supervision Agreement ensuring they know their roles and responsibilities. Our policies include Special Educational Needs/Disability, Child Protection, Behaviour and Discipline and Safeguarding, are but a few put in place to ensure your child’s overall wellbeing. We make every effort to support you with administration of medication, but also want to support staff and minimize any situation that could put them at risk, therefore we request whenever possible, you return to administer it yourself. In an emergency situation we will meet your child’s individual needs. Our Behaviour management co-ordinator supports staff in using positive strategies for handling conflict by helping the children to find solutions in a way which are appropriate for their age and stage of development, e.g. distraction, praise and reward. We give non-aggressive strategies to enable your child to stand up for themselves as well as opportunities to express themselves through different mediums e.g. art, music and imaginative play.

All staff are qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 3 or above in Early Years Child Care & Education. They also have First Aid training (including Paediatrics). The Manager, Deputy and Safeguarding Co-ordinators have attended Advanced Safeguarding training. We have a named SENCO/Behaviour Coordinators one of which has attended SENCO Induction and Behaviour Management training. They regularly attend SENCO Support Meetings to keep up to date with legislation, new ideas and resources to support children with SEN. We have worked very closely with Riverside Outreach Service to support children with Autistic Spectrum disorder. All staff have had Epi-pen training to support a child with severe food allergies and we have also had training Other professionals we have worked with are Area Inclusion Coordinator., Speech and Language Therapists, Health Visitors, Portage, Advisory Teachers, Paediatric nurse and Educational Psychologists, to support our children.

The nursery manager has a BA Hons degree in Education and Training. Most of our staff have basic Makaton training as well as mandatory training on Child Protection, Paediatric First Aid and the Early Years Foundation Stage and staff have ongoing refresher training on these subjects. Additional training undertaken by staff are Asthma, Epi-pen and PIP (Positive Interactive Programme) focusing on Speech and Language and behaviour strategies. Any new ideas, current thinking and guidelines learned at SENCO Support meetings or on any course a member of staff attends are always cascaded to the staff team, as all staff are equally responsible for meeting the individual needs of every child. If your child has a specific need, we are always willing to work with you, and where possible undergo the necessary training we may need to support your child.

>Our inclusive admissions practice allows equality of access and opportunity. All children will be involved in the Nursery daily routine. When outings are organised children with additional needs will always be included. Parents/carers may be asked to come along to give extra support. We ensure that the nursery’s physical environment is, as far as possible, suitable for children and families with disabilities. On occasions we organise educational trips that link in with our curriculum planning. Prior notice will be given and parents/carers consent is required. If a parent has any concerns about their child taking part in an outing we are more than happy to discuss them. Risk assessments are always carried out before the visit. We have an Outings Policy showing full details of our procedure in our Nursery Prospectus. As we are part of a college we are very lucky to be able to visit many departments within the college grounds such as Animal Management, Theatre, Post Room, Static Aeroplane and Library. Parents sign to give permission for their child to take part in these (often spontaneous) visits on their child’s registration form. We ensure care is taken at all times to ensure safety throughout and the adult ratio takes into account the nature of the walk. Whilst on walks children will be either walking independently, wearing reins or harnessed in a pushchair depending on the individual needs of the child. We have a Walk around the College Grounds and Off Site Policy.

Before your child starts we arrange a meeting with yourselves, Nursery Manager, Nursery SENCO, and if necessary, Area INCO (Inclusion Coordinator). As a team we assess the suitability of the setting ensuring that the Nursery facilities meet the individual needs of your child as well as ensuring safety for all other Nursery users. We ask you to complete a registration form to gather background information. No one knows your child better than you and it’s important we have as much information as possible to help us secure a smooth transition to our nursery and put into place any extra help necessary. Your child will have a keyperson and Co-Person (second Keyperson). Every child and family is unique subsequently their induction visits will be different. Flexible admission procedures are introduced to meet the individual needs of your child e.g. you may need to leave your child for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer absences. We aim to support all families ensuring that their child feels safe and secure before they are left in our care. When your child is due to move on, we work closely with the new school/setting. The Teacher from the school is invited into our setting to meet your child’s Keyperson who will share information from their learning journal and Individual Educational Plans. Where appropriate a multi team meeting will be arranged, to which you will also be invited, to ensure the smooth transition on to the new school/setting.

Under the Early Years Education Scheme, Hampshire County Council will pay for up to 15 hours a week for part time early years education, for children following the term after their third birthday. Two Year Old funding is also available for up to 15 hours a week, for children whose family meet the necessary criteria, the term after their second birthday. There is further information available at http://www.asksherlock.info (for families living in Portsmouth area) (childcare@hants.gov.uk orchildcare@hants.gov.uk) (families living in Hampshire, excluding Portsmouth). Additional funding can be claimed for children with special educational needs (SEN). A child receiving such funding will have access to the nursery’s continuous provision. The funding is used for extra support or equipment they may need to enable them to achieve their full potential. It may be that the child would benefit most from one to one support with their Keyperson. The Nursery Manager, Setting SENCO, parents/carers and any other professional involved with the child would agree as to how the extra funding would be best used.

Through daily observations undertaken, this ascertains children’s individual needs and interests. All children have access to continuous provision and this is enhanced following observations of the children, following their interests. Additionally for some children there is extra SEN funding available as well as Pupil Premium payments for some eligible families. Resources are purchased following knowledge of the child’s needs and interests.

The amount of support depends on your child’s specific needs. Your child’s Keyperson, Nursery Manager, Setting SENCO, Area INCO and any other outside agencies involved will discuss what support would be appropriate for your child. The observations that have been recorded in your child’s learning journal and the ongoing assessment and planning to meet your child’s next steps will show if your child is not achieving on their developmental milestones. We keep you fully informed of your child’s progress and involve you in setting their Individual Educational Plan targets which are monitored and reviewed regularly. A tracking form is completed termly showing your child’s progress against the seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This tracking form will be forwarded on to your child’s next school.

We welcome parents to actively participate at all levels, as partners of the organisation and in the planning of services for your child. We aim for you to feel comfortable, respected and valued. You are welcome to visit the Nursery at any time. It is important for you and your child’s Keyperson to regularly review your child’s progress. We meet every half term with all parents whose child has an individual education plan (IEP) or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP. We use an online system to share with parents their child's progress. We completed written assessments of children progress twice a year. We provide a range of resources and activities for parents to do at home with their children to help parents feel confident in supporting their child's development. We welcome your support with activities and if you have a skill you would like to share with the children or you would like to be included in an activity, we invite you to let us know. We offer Termly parent forums, where all parents are invited to come in and find out what's new within the nursery. This gives all parents chance to ask any questions as well as meet staff and fellow parents. When your child is about to move on to their next school you are invited to our Graduation Evening.