SEND
Every child has a right to enjoy and achieve to their full potential regardless of Special Educational Needs or disability.
Rationale
Every child has a right to enjoy and achieve to their full potential regardless of Special Educational Needs or disability. Rainhill Nursery is committed to enabling every child to experience the highest quality curriculum in an inclusive environment, with learning opportunities tailored to reflect individual learning needs. We recognise the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, and the school’s Disability and Equality Duty.
Aims
To provide inclusive experience for all children within a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.
To work with parents to identify children’s individual learning needs and respond quickly and effectively.
To provide sufficient resources to support and ensure inclusive practice.
To explore the most appropriate and effective teaching and learning styles which will engage all children and enable them to achieve.
Objectives
Ensure that curriculum planning takes account of diverse needs.
To monitor children’s progress, identifying areas of concern and taking action to provide support, additional adult help or outside agencies.
To plan opportunities to motivate, support and develop children to help them to be involved, concentrate and learn effectively.
Plan opportunities which build on existing knowledge, experience and interests and develop self-esteem and confidence.
Work in partnership with parents and carers in the monitoring and assessment of children’ progress and achievements.
Provide appropriate training for practitioners to equip them with the skills to address the diverse needs of individual children.
Resources Available
The classroom and outdoor area
The Nursery is an open plan building with easy access to all the play areas. The layout is designed to facilitate easy access to children in wheelchairs or who need mobility aids. Furniture is of low height and there are opportunities to access resources on low, as well as standard tables. Although the sit-in sand area has a step up, additional sand play is available at table height. The main entrance has no step, and a ramp facilitates access to the outdoor area.
The staff toilet may also be used as a disabled toilet with adequate space for a wheelchair user. One of the children’s toilet cubicles has been modified to include a variable step unit and a handrail. The outdoor area is planned to offer similar opportunities to learn to those provided in the classroom. There are a range of wheeled toys of different sizes, and plans have been drawn up to provide pathways, sand and water features which will be accessible to children in wheelchairs or with mobility difficulties. The nursery has a sensory room containing soft mats, a bubble tube and fibre optic lights. The room provides a quiet, calm space for children and whilst it is used by children of all abilities, it is particularly designed with the needs in mind of children with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disability.
Equipment
A wide range of equipment is used in the Nursery to cater for children at different levels of development and levels of ability.
Many of the resources used in the Nursery are particularly appropriate for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability: large easily manipulated puzzles, jigsaws, crayons and pencils, construction kits, assisted easy grip training scissors, large roller ball computer controls and many more resources designed to stimulate all the senses and develop a range of skills.
Staffing Ratio
The Staffing ratio is sufficient for the mainstream intake of children. More severe SEND pupils may need additional support in order to gain full access to the nursery curriculum, and the nursery works closely with the Local Authority to ensure that applications for additional funding for this purpose are submitted at the appropriate time.
The Role of the SENDCO
To support staff in identifying, as early as possible the learning needs of individual children, and in particular Special Educational Needs and Disability.
To ensure all practitioners are familiar with the SEND policy and Code of Practice.
To consult and liase with parents and carers of children with SEND, involving them at all stages of the process as appropriate.
To liase with other professionals and to seek advice, make referrals and work in partnership with such professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met.
To advise and support other practitioners in their daily practice to ensure that children’s needs are met.
To write, monitor and review Individual Education/Behaviour plans.
Ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with SEND is collected, recorded and updated, and transferred to schools/settings at the time of a child’s transition as appropriate.
To maintain a register of children with special educational needs, including records of meeting, reviews, reports and assessments.
To submit applications to Provision Agreement Panel where appropriate, if extra support is needed.
Complaints Procedure
If a parent feels that the school has not met their child’s educational needs they should:
Discuss their concerns with the class teacher
Consult with the SENDCO
Consult with the Headteacher and SEND Governor
Follow the school complaints procedure
SENDCO – Miss Emma Nicholson