Childrens Learning Centre

We ensure that the provision for children with special educational needs is the responsibility of all staff at the Childrens Learning Centre. We value the parents/carers input and unique knowledge of their child and alongside the Centre SENCO and child’s key person, will arrange an informal meeting to share this knowledge. We will take this opportunity to explain the process and the involvement of any additional help and support required and gain parental consent to involve external agencies if this is the best way forward. The Centre SENCO will oversee and help to plan the care and education programme to support your child’s individual needs. Your child’s key person will be responsible for following the Targeted Plan and monitoring their progress. As parents/carers you will have your own copy of the Targeted Plan and would have been talked through it with your child’s key person and SENCO and a review date would be set and Targeted Plan discussed. This process alongside any care plans required would continue for as long as your child needed extra help and support. Regular and informal communications about your child’s development is invaluable and we will offer support and guidance for yourself and your family throughout their time at the Centre. Regular and informal communications about your child’s development is invaluable and we will offer support and guidance for yourself and your family throughout their time at the Centre.

We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all our children and each of our rooms is run at an appropriate level so that all children have equality of access and opportunity according to their individual specific needs. We work in partnership with parents and outside agencies to adapt our environment and curriculum, where possible, on any advice or recommendations given. Our Individual Learning Experience books allow us to follow your child’s own interests. We then use our observation assessment and planning process to move your child forward in their learning and development through the EYFS and meet their individual needs. We can then capture your child’s likes and interests to enhance their learning opportunities in our daily curriculum.

We work closely with all parents/carers to create and maintain a positive partnership. We offer an open door policy and you are free to talk with our staff on a daily basis, you are also welcome anytime to make an appointment to meet with your child’s key person, room manager or SENCO and discuss how your child is getting on. We ensure the effectiveness of our special educational needs provision for your child by collecting information from a range of sources at the Centre e.g. Targeted Plan’s, Individual Learning Experiences books, two and three year old checks, Early Years Foundation Records (EYFS), Early Years Outcomes Summaries, parental and external agency’s views. This information is collated, evaluated, reviewed and shared with you as parents/carers and the team on a termly basis and future targets can be discussed. Following this information we can work together and can offer advice and practical ways that can help and support your child both at home and nursery. We also provide you with information on sources of independent advice and support where needed.

Our setting is committed to anti-discriminatory practice, to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families. We provide a secure environment in which our children can flourish and all contributions are considered and valued. We believe that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional wellbeing is met. The Centre Manager and the senior team have overall responsibility for the pastoral, medical and social care of your child. If further support is required they can liase with the Centre SENCO and work alongside the most appropriate outside agencies such as Health and Social Services.

At the Centre we have trained SENCO’s, who attend regular training through SENCO support groups and have access to specialist services and expertise as a result. We can gain the support and advice from our local Area Inclusion Coordinator at any point. We work in partnership with a variety of outside agencies. These professionals offer a wealth of advice and information that helps us develop an understanding of what children may face and provide support and additional information for parents/carers and staff.

The majority of our staff at the Childrens Learning Centre are qualified to a level 3 or beyond in childcare and development. Some members of the team have received basic makaton training and use this with children. A member of the team has completed training on working with vulnerable children and fragile families. Staff attend training in promoting communication and language development for children and training on positive behaviour techniques. Our SENCO’s will oversee all the help and support delivered to your child and be there to help and support your family where needed.

>We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that is fully inclusive of all children with special education needs to ensure their full participation and access to all nursery activities. However, we do not go on large scale planned trips, we will access our local community, with your permission, with activities such as posting a letter, visiting the local shops, going to the local park etc.

Due to constraints on the building the Centre is not fully accessible, as it is an old Victorian property with many doors and level changes.

We have a full induction procedure and we encourage parents to visit our setting to discuss along with the SENCO any support or additional needs your child may have. We will discuss with you the best admissions procedure for you and your child and you will be asked to help staff complete an ‘All about me’ form for your child. Additional care plans and SEN documentation may need to be completed with the support of the SENCO. The SENCO or your child’s key person may request a home visit to help determine your child’s needs, help form secure attachments and discuss the best way to support your child in the setting. Your child will be supported throughout any transition process including internal transitions and new setting or school. We would work closely with the new provider, ask them to visit the child at the Centre to observe them in a familiar environment and establish with them the most up to date individual needs for your child. With your permission all relevant documentation will be shared and additional transition documentation will be completed, clearly stating the needs and achievements of your child. Transition activities will also be planned to help prepare your child for the move, including a transition meeting with the new provider/school where we would be keen to share any helpful advice and knowledge gained from working with your child and family, to ensure as seamless transition as possible.

We ensure that the needs for all our children are met to the best of our ability with the funds we have available. If we require additional support for extra staff or resources we are able to apply for SEN funding or other schemes that meet criteria and become available to us at the time. We are also able to receive additional support from various outside agencies according to the child’s individual SEN needs.

Your child’s key person, alongside the Manager and SENCO will discuss your child’s individual needs with you and any other outside agencies involved. Working together on what areas of development we should be aiming towards and producing a Targeted Plan to indicate the level of support required. Once in place, you will receive a copy so you are fully aware of your child’s targets, each Targeted Plan will have an agreed review date. By reviewing your child’s targets on their Targeted Plan we can ensure that your child is making progress against the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and future targets can be developed. This allows us to monitor and judge the impact our support is having and how we can continue forward with your child’s development.

We believe children benefit most when parents and settings work together in partnership. We work closely with parents/carers and aim to support you as your child’s first and most important educators. We have a ‘parent as partners’ boards with policies, procedures and risk assessments being reviewed by our evaluation team, for parents/carers to view and add their comments. Each keyperson keeps a record of your child’s experiences through observations and uses this information to inform your child’s next steps of learning. We encourage parents to contribute to this process and this is added to your child’s ‘Individual Learning Experience books’. Together we build up a picture of your child’s interests and use these to plan their next steps of learning from the EYFS Early Years Outcomes and create our planning for each week and best suited routines for your child. Feedback is given daily and, if required, you can arrange a more formal meeting to discuss your child’s development in depth at the Centre, or we can advise on how to support learning or positive behaviour strategies at home. We provide resources to support education at home, with helpful tips and advice on how to make learning fun for your child and the whole family. We also provide parents evenings, where we offer advice and support about delivering the EYFS and what it means for your child. We also provide planned experiences for you to share with your child such as library visits or milk and cookie bedtime story sessions.