Little Sandon

Little Sandon is an Early Years provider that welcomes children aged 2-3 years. This Early Years setting aims to give children the best start in their early education and works within the same ethos as Sandon Primary Academy. Children may have special educational needs prior to, at the beginning of or during their educational career. Staff are trained and supported in the early identification of need to ensure that all children at the setting have their needs recognised and met as soon as possible.

Little Sandon strives to ensure that its curriculum, planning and assessment fully supports children with special educational needs, takes account of the type and extent of the difficulty experienced by the child and is adapted appropriately to support the children in the best way the establishment can. 

Little Sandon uses small key worker groups (1:4.1:8) to allow staff and children to build strong, nurturing relationships. 

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

Little Sandon can support and provide for pupils with a range of special educational needs and disabilities. These are listed below:

• Physical needs
• Hearing impairment
• Visual impairment
• Social and emotional needs
• Mental Health needs
• Mild learning difficulty
• Communication and interaction needs
• Autistic spectrum disorders
• Bereavement/ Separation
• ADHD/ADD.                                                      

The Early Years setting uses a multi-agency approach to guide them in creating a personalised approach for the pupils and works closely with the Early Years Forum.

How does this setting know if their children/young person needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

At Little Sandon, we recognise the importance of early identification of special educational needs and disabilities. There are a number of ways that the setting may identify if a child needs help or support:

First of all, they may join the setting already considered to have a special educational need or disability. If this is the case, professionals from previous settings will liaise with the SENCO and relevant professionals, providing information on how to best support the child. 

Secondly, assessments will be undertaken as part of their entry into Early Years, including the Speech and Language Communication Screen. This enables us to identify potential special educational needs and disabilities from a young age.

Thirdly, as a parent you may have a concern. If this is the case then it is advisable to make an appointment with the settings Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). During this appointment, you will have opportunity to outline your concerns to the SENCO and the child’s key worker.

Fourthly, your child’s key worker may have concerns about the progress of your child or any difficulties they have noticed. If this is the case, an appointment will be made to see the parent of the child and discuss any concerns.

Finally, the SENCO may identify that your child has some difficulties through the tracking of children’s progress across school or individual observations. If your child is falling behind this may trigger a concern.

Once concerns have been raised, the child is then placed on a special educational needs concerns list and a graduated approach is followed to address the specific educational need or disability of the individual child. Initially, the SENCO will observe the child and make suggestions to the key worker on how best to support the difficulties the child is presenting with within the quality first teaching environment. It will also provide more time for the setting to carry out some more specific assessments e.g. Early Years Child Development Tool to support them in identifying the specific need and developmental age of the child. This is then monitored for an agreed period of time, depending on the severity of the need. If the setting does not see improvements in the child after the agreed length of time, the child will be placed on the special educational needs and disabilities register. This will then allow the setting to consult with other professional agencies and experts on how to best support the child and to continue to provide personalised support guided by the child's pupil passport. 

How will the setting support my child/young person?

At Little Sandon, the identified key worker will lead and support their pupils including those with a special educational need or disability. They are accountable for the progress and achievement of these pupils. Pupils with a special educational need or disability have their needs met, where possible, in the setting through high quality provision and personalised differentiation as outlined in their pupil passport. Where necessary, outside agency support will be sought and the setting will put in place any advice / strategies that are made. Some pupils may require a split timetable to attend two settings to support assessment of need and this can be coordinated by all professionals involved alongside the parents.

Every pupil with a special educational need or disability at Little Sandon will be provided with a pupil passport. This is written alongside the child and underpinned by views of the parents. It will outline how the child wants to be supported and what strategies, resources and interventions are being provided in the setting in order for the child to access mainstream education. The pupil passport will be shared with parents and reviewed every term to monitor impact and ensure that the provision outlined in the passport still meets the needs of the child with a special educational need or disability.

How will teaching approaches and the curriculum be matched to my child or young person's needs?

Key workers plan activities according to the specific needs of all groups of children in their group and will ensure your child’s needs are met through differentiation. Specific resources and strategies will be used to support children individually or in groups.

The setting will have identified through a meeting with the SENCO, parents and where necessary outside agencies what the category of need is for the child with a special educational need or disability. Below outlines the curriculum and expertise available to support each area of need.

Physical: If your child has a physical need, the setting will be supported by outside agencies and will be advised on how to best support your child within the setting. For example, the setting may call upon the expertise of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. These agencies can then advise staff and check that all areas of the setting are accessible for all pupils. Sometimes, Little Sandon may need to purchase specialist equipment to support children with physical disabilities. Where possible, Little Sandon promotes independence for children with physical disabilities and does not want them to become dependent on adult support.

Hearing impairment/ Visual impairment: Little Sandon uses advice and support from Pediatricians, specialist SENDS Advisors and Early Years Forum practitioners. Little Sandon can be advised on how to support children in the use and maintenance of hearing aids and visionary aids, where to position resources  and even how to present resources to best support the needs of the individual child.

Social and emotional and mental health needs: Little Sandon uses outdoor and animal nurture through the use of the trained forest schools teacher and school reptile bay. During these sessions, children build up self-esteem, responsibility and trusted relationships with peers and adults in setting. They also use parent and toddler sessions, music and movement time and a range of Time to Talk interventions to support social and emotional development. The setting is run in collaboration with Sandon Primary Academy's Nursery and so has supportive transition programmes in place. Little Sandon will also draw on the support of the Early Years Forum for additional support in this area of need. If the setting feels that domestic circumstances are causing difficulties in this area, an Early Help or further assistance for the family may be provided through the use of the settings Safeguarding Team. All staff have received training from the Educational Psychologist on children’s mental health and attachment enabling them to become confident in recognising and effectively supporting mental health needs. Sandon Primary Academy also has a Mental Health Lead who support the Little Sandon setting also.

Cognition and Learning Difficulties: All key worker groups are small (1:4/1:8) promoting the principle of quality first teaching. Within these small groups, key workers will use a range of interventions and supportive strategies to provide a personalised and differentiated curriculum for these pupils. Activities are well planned to support the development of specific skills e.g. fine and gross motor skills and listening and attention and staff work closely with the SENCO to purchase resources that will facilitate learning and development for all pupils. Little Sandon also has trained staff in a number of 1:1 and group interventions which will accelerate children's progress and help them to catch up with peers. Little Sandon will complete additional assessments for children with a special educational need or disability to clearly identify their individual targets and next steps so that targeted support can be put into place to support progress. 

Communication and interaction difficulties: Key workers are trained in speech and language programmes such as Time to Listen, Time to Talk and More Time to Talk enabling them to provide daily interventions to the children identified. For more severe needs, staff are also trained in the use of PECS and will make referrals where necessary to access support and advice from outside agencies for an individualised care plan to be completed. As a setting, Little Sandon is working to achieve communication friendly status.  

Autistic spectrum disorders: Little Sandon will use the expertise of outside agencies to diagnose and support pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in setting. Outside agencies will advise and support staff in providing the right environment and learning methods to overcome difficulties in this area. School will not label any child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder unless diagnosed by a medical professional but if they have concerns they can make appropriate referrals providing parental consent is given. Key workers will work with other professionals and will contribute to all reports needed to support a diagnosis.

ADHD/ ADD: Little Sandon will use advice given by outside agencies to support children with this difficulty in setting. The setting's forest area is also used as a calming mechanism and a way of channeling excess energy through physical activity.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support their learning?

Every term, the SENCO will check the progress of children with a special educational need or disability by looking at progress data and through discussions with key workers. This will then be shared with parents as part of a review meeting. This meeting will take place every term and will give parents chance to ask questions about how you can further support your child at home. During the meeting, your child’s pupil passport will be updated so you can see how Little Sandon will support them during the following term. Meetings with parents form part of the asses, plan, do, review cycle. In addition, the key workers and SENCO will use intervention baselines and assessment to monitor progress and impact as well as updating individuals trackers and profiles.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

The setting uses small key worker groups (1:4.1:8) to allow staff and children to build strong, nurturing relationships. Regular observations of provision check that nurturing environments are strong.

Little Sandon promote pupil voice and will ensure that the  likes, dislikes, difficulties and interests of all children with a special educational need or disability are communicated by themselves where possible. Children are able to access all resources within reason and are encouraged to choose their own resources and ask for help when needed.

A broad curriculum is also delivered that aims to provide children with the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to enhance and develop their emotional and social well-being. Children are encouraged to talk about their own and others feelings and work as part of a group to follow a daily routine and rules.

All pupils are encouraged to engage with and explore the community around them through regular trips out of the setting.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

Little Sandon has access to and is supported by a range of outside agencies. These are listed below:

• Early Years Forum
• Social Care 
• Educational Physiologist Service
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Hearing and Visual Impairment Service
• Family support
• Early Help
• SENMAS (Special Educational Needs Monitoring and Assessment Services)
• SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Information Advice and Support Service)
• CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
• Portage Workers
• Pediatricians 
• Child Development Centre-Hazel Trees
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists.

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

The staff receive support from Early Years Forum practitioners. If a child attends setting with a specific need then training will be arranged to support provision and understanding of that need.

Little Sandon has two qualified teachers who are the Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinators (SENCO) from the academy. The SENCOs have undertaken initial SENCO training provided by the Local Authority and are experienced in teaching children with SEND, enabling them to provide support to other teachers and develop SEND practice across the setting. The SENCO will also be undertaking the SENCO Award accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University.

Based on the needs of the children at Little Sandon, identified staff members receive professional training to enable them to support children with additional physical and medical needs such as diabetes and allergies. We also invite a nurse in to help write care plans for individual medical needs.

We have trained staff in specific speech and language programs and screenings and all staff have received professional training in the area of children’s mental health and attachment due to the increased prominence of this area of need within our local and wider community. The SENCO has also undertaken additional Mental Health training alongside CAMHS professionals to ensure that we have an up to date understanding of the services available in the local area to support mental health in educational provisions as well as training to support children for whom English is an additional language and occupational therapy training so that referrals can be made directly.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

We are a fully inclusive setting and children join in with all activities/ trips with reasonable adjustments in place to support their needs. For example, this might mean that an additional member of staff might attend the trip to specifically support the child with a special educational need or disability or an additional resource might need to be taken or purchased. 

The setting uses robust risk assessments to determine if activities are safe enough for all children to attend. 

How accessible is the environment?

Little Sandon is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

How will the setting prepare and support my child/young person to join the next stage of education and life?

Little Sandon will arrange additional transition meetings and sessions with the nursery or a change of setting for pupils with special education needs or disabilities. Information regarding individual children’s needs will be passed onto new class teachers and a meeting will be held in school to discuss the support and interventions that are in place; with parents and children being included in the process from start to end. Children will often be supported with additional visits and picture books.                              

All children are prepared for the next stages of education regardless of additional needs through the use of the school’s bespoke facilities such as the school gardens and kitchen.

How are the setting's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Support staff are allocated to need.  Advice on the best provision for pupils is sought from agencies involved and parents. Resources can then be allocated and additional purchased if needed from the settings special educational needs and disabilities budget.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

Little Sandon will liaise with parents and outside agencies depending on the needs of the child and follow advice given from a range of sources. Support is monitored carefully to ensure that provision provided and suggested is supporting the child appropriately through SEND review meetings, assessments and daily observations.

Little Sandon uses a graduated approach to supporting children with a special educational need or disability. In most cases, Little Sandon will use up to 15 hours of support to try and meet the needs of pupils. Sometimes, there may be times when 15 hours of support is not enough, at this point Little Sandon will seek advice from outside agencies such as Early Years Forum, Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists. This may then result in application for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. 

How will our child and young person be involved in the decisions about their learning?

Little Sandon uses pupil passports to map out the additional support each child will receive. The support is put in place after consultation with parents and outside agencies. The pupil passport is then written by the key worker and includes where possible the child's views. The pupil passport is child centered and given a theme which is chosen by the child. The passport covers a range of sections all focused around the child. It looks at the child's strengths, sets measurable targets and  most importantly how they want to be supported by the setting. By asking these questions, the setting is able to equip staff with a full understanding of that child. This allows them to provide a personalised curriculum for the child which is focused around the child’s interests. The impact of the pupil passports is measured termly and this results in a review of need being held by staff and parents. 

How will we be involved in the decisions about the learning of our children and young people?

Little Sandon understands that parents and carers know their child best. Your views and expert knowledge of your child are vital in ensuring that the right provision is provided for the pupil. Little Sandon will meet with you at least once per term to gather your views and share how the setting is meeting the needs of your child. If at any point you would like to talk to somebody about your child or raise concerns, the setting has an open door policy where staff and the SENCO are available at the beginning and end of the day. 

How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?

Little Sandon encourages parents to keep strong links between setting and home through communication books, learning photograph displays and Class Dojo. Parents also have a feedback box to support continuous improvements and review of practice. 

What do I do if I want to make a complaint?

Little Sandon strives to meet the needs of all pupils with special educational needs and disabilaities but there may be a time when you think that this is not the case. If you would like to complain about the support of your child, there are several ways you can do this depending on the severity of the complaint. You can make an appointment with a member of the settings Leadership Team by calling the office on 01782 319097.

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs Information, Advice and Support Service) can support you in your appointment and you can contact them on 01782 234701 or 01782 234847 or email iass@stoke.gov.uk

We hope that all complaints can be resolved through school however if this is not the case then alternatively you can contact the Sandon Trust by emailing trustees@sandonprimary.org.uk

What other support Is available to parents and how can I contact them?

Parents can access further support through Early Help and Family support. This can be accessed by contacting the Safeguarding Lead Lizzie Kiddle or the Deputy Safeguarding Lead Mel Lear on 01782 319097.