Thomas Boughey Nursery School

Thomas Boughey Nursery School is an inclusive setting where all children are welcomed equally and respected as individuals.

The Nursery School is situate dwithin the Children's Centre

What kinds of SEND does the school provide for?

The Special Educational Needs ‘Code of Practice’ (2014) states that there are four main areas of need:

• • Cognition and Learning: (concerns about how a child is playing, learning and developing new skills.)
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  • Communication and Interaction: (concerns about how a child is communicating, talking or interacting with others.)
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• Social, Emotional and Mental Health: (Difficulty with managing their feelings and behaviour. Sometimes a child can appear to be unhappy, worried or stressed. )
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• Sensory and/or physical: ( concerns about how a child is growing and developing. Difficulties with vision or hearing which may need special adaptations).

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?

Evidence that a child has needs extra help may be from a concern expressed by parent, the child’s key worker or teacher, evidence from a previous setting, medical diagnosis, a change in behaviour, assessment by the SENCO or another education or health professional eg .an assessment by a Speech and Language Therapist or an Educational Psychologist. Additional needs are identified at the earliest opportunity and parents are consulted. If you are concerned that your child may have special educational needs you should speak to your child’s key worker or make an appointment to see the teacher in charge or SENCO.

Talk to your child’s key worker, the Teacher in Charge or to the home school links worker if you have any concerns. You can ask for an appointment to see the Special educational needs co-ordinator.

How will the setting support my child/young person?

Thomas Boughey Nursery School has a graduated response to supporting children. This begins with good quality teaching. Phonics is taught through the Read, Write, Inc. programme and children are regularly assessed to ensure that progress is as rapid as possible . Additional one to one support is given to those children who need it.

Those who need additional support in other areas may complete a programme in a small group which will usually be for 10-12 weeks. Some pupils who need intensive support may have one to one support for part of the curriculum. Any advice given by professionals will be integrated into the curriculum. Key workers support children’s learning including those with special educational needs or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language.

Where additional needs have been identified, the school is able to access a range of outside agencies to support children.

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

Teachers and key workers plan activities based on children’s needs. When a child has been identified with special needs their work will be differentiated to remove barriers to learning and enable them to access the curriculum more easily. In addition they will be provided with additional support that may include specialised equipment or resources, ICT and/or additional adult help.

If appropriate, specialist equipment may be given to the child. If a child is identified as having a special need, they will be given a pupil passport. Targets will be set according to their area of need. These will be monitored three times per year. Teaching assistants may be allocated to work with the child in a 1:1 or small focus group to target more specific needs.

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

Children are observed while they are playing at adult led activities and their own choice play activities. This information is used to compile each child’s “Early Learning Journey”. Parents meet regularly with key workers and with the teacher in charge to talk about how their child is getting on. The discussion includes their health and wellbeing, their learning and any family circumstances that may be affecting them. Parents, children and the teacher compile a “pupil passport” to summarise their child’s needs. Children with SEND will have short term targets set. Detailed developmental charts are used to help us to identify next steps for the children.

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

The pupil passport helps all staff to understand your child’s needs. Behaviour is managed according to the school policy.Key workers are always sensitive to children’s emotional needs. Children are able to access before and after school care with Thomas Boughey Kindergarten, which is also situated within the Thomas Boughey Children’s centre. Where appropriate, Early Help and referrals to outside agencies are available for families.

Children with Medical Needs

Children with medical needs will be provided with a detailed Health Care Plan, compiled by the school with support from appropriate health professionals and in partnership with parents All medicine administration procedures adhere to the LA policy and DfE guidelines included within Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (DfE) 2015.

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

Staff are able to deliver a range of intervention programmes including individual speech and language programmes and group interventions such as Spirals or Motor Skills.

Bilingual staff support children and parents for whom English is an additional language.

A range of specialist services can be accessed including

• Special Educational Needs and Disability Service (SEND)
• Child Development Centre
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Hearing Impairment Team
• Visual Impairment Team
• Educational Psychologist Service
• Children and Young People’s Services
• Integrated Family Support Service

• Occupational Therapy,
• Physiotherapy

An Educational Psychologist is allocated to each school. She would normally only work directly with children whose needs are quite considerable and who have not responded well to the interventions previously put in place for them. This involvement is planned by the SENCo with the permission of parents/carers. In order to help understand the pupil’s educational needs better, the psychologist will generally meet with the parent and give feedback after the assessment has been completed. She will offer advice to the school and parent/carers on how to best support the pupil in order to take their learning forward. Our psychologist is called Charlotte Cockroft. The school has regular visits from SEND specialists.

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

Staff have the appropriate professional qualifications for their role. Currently we employ 1 teacher (Teacher in charge)and 4 Early Years’ Practitioners (some part time)

All staff have training on

• Safeguarding children .
• Paediatric First Aid training
• Manual handling.
• Stoke Speaks Out Level 1
• Communication Screen Toolkit

Staff are trained to administer medicines where this is necessary for individual children with specific medical conditions. There is ongoing professional development for all staff. Training is arranged in response to specific needs.

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

Thomas Boughey Nursery School is an inclusive school which endeavours to provide opportunities for all children to participate in activities including visits. When planning visits, children’s needs are considered and where necessary adjustments are made or additional support provided in consultation with parents. Where this is not possible, every effort will be made to provide a suitable alternative. Risk assessments are carried out and procedures are put in place to enable children to participate. If the school or a health and safety risk assessment suggests that a child requires 1:1 support due to their particular needs the school are able to provide this.

How accessible is the environment?

The nursery school is within Thomas Boughey Children’s Centre, which was built in 2003 and conforms to building regulations ensuring ease of access for all. Suitable changing and toilet facilities are available in the building for people with disabilities. The nursery School has a single equalities policy, which includes an accessibility plan. Adjustments are made to meet the needs of individual children when the need arises.

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

We talk to parents about their children during home visits, play and stay sessions during the term before admission to the nursery. With parents’ permission we talk to health visitors about any concerns from either themselves or the nursery. With parents’ permission we talk to other settings that children have attended. During children’s first few weeks in nursery, we get to know them and their needs and talk to parents.

Thomas Boughey Nursery school has excellent links with local primary schools. A transition programme with St Mark’s C.E (A) Primary School includes weekly play and stay sessions throughout the second half of the summer term and meetings between staff. SEN review meetings make transition a priority. Transition arrangements are made as necessary with other local schools.

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

The school receives funding to respond to the needs of pupils with SEND from a number of sources: A proportion of the funds allocated per pupil to the school to provide for their education (the Age Weighted Pupil Unit); The Notional SEN budget: The Early Years Pupil Premium funding for pupils who meet certain criteria. In addition, for those pupils with the most complex needs, the school may be allocated Additional Educational Needs funding. This funding is then used to provide the equipment and facilities to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through:

• In-class support from teaching assistants
• Small group or individual support from teaching assistants eg. Speech and language      programmes
• Parent workshops
• Provision of specialist resources e.g. any equipment recommended
• CPD relating to SEND for staff
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When particular resources are recommended by professionals, these will be purchased wherever reasonable.

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

Decisions about support will be agreed in consultation with parents, according to children’s needs and progress. Some support may be recommended by outside agencies and this will be implemented wherever possible. For pupils with SEND but without an Education Health and Care plan, the decision regarding the support required will be taken at joint meetings with the Teacher in charge, parent and other relevant staff as appropriate and in consultation with the SENCO. Children with statements of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plans will be allocated the level of support recommended. This decision will be reached when the plan is being produced or through the review process.

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

Children’s views are sought and the curriculum planned to meet their needs and interests. Pupil passports include information from the child. Children’s views are sought during reviews.

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

Parents/carers of children with identified special education needs are encouraged to contribute to pupil passports. They will be able to discuss the support their child is receiving via a review which will be held three times a year. Structured conversations are held and parents’ views are sought through the Review Process for pupils with Statements of SEN or Education, Health and Care plans. Parents are invited to meet with professionals from outside agencies.

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

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Parental involvement is welcomed and valued. Thomas Boughey Nursery School has an Open Door Policy and parents are welcome to speak to staff at mutually agreed times either face to face or by telephone.

Parent consultation meetings are held regularly.

Parents are encouraged to be involved in activities and events eg.

• Helping on trips
• Getting involved in projects such as the clay project.
• Library loans (toys and books)
• Parent workshops
• Celebrations such as for attendance, Eid party, Mother’s day lunch.

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

Most complaints can be resolved informally or by making an appointment to see the Teacher in charge or Executive Head Teacher.

Complaints will be dealt according to the school’s complaints policy. A copy of this can be found on the school website.

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

SEND Information, advice and Support Services is a service which  provides free, accurate, impartial, confidential, information, advice and support relating to special educational needs and disability (SEND) for parents/carers, children and young people 0-25 yrs.

SENDIASS 

Mount Education Support Centre Mount Avenue Penkhull Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7JU

Tel: 01782 234701 / 01782 234847 E-mail: iass@stoke.gov.uk Website:www.sendiass-stoke@co.uk

Business Hours Monday – Friday Telephone Helpline Operates: 10.00 to 17.00pm