How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special needs?  

All staff at Treetops Day Nursery are responsible for the ongoing observation and assessment of each child’s learning and development. Their assessment will allow our staff to identify any child who may need additional support. Should your child be identified, they will be monitored and supported by the nursery and outside agencies with your consent. All the children attending Treetops Day Nursery will have a Key Worker who will be their main care giver in the nursery. Regular discussions will take place between you and your child’s Key Worker. Treetops offers support for children with special educational needs such as autism, speech and language difficulties, behavioural problems and English as an Additional Language.

 

How will early years setting staff support my child?

On induction to Treetops Day Nursery, each child receives an ‘All About Me’ form which, once complete, will give information on the child’s strengths, home life, interests and areas for development. This gives our staff insight into your child’s life and abilities.
Planning, observation and assessment, along with Treetop’s daily routine, is also explained upon induction at the nursery. The staff at Treetops Day Nursery are highly qualified and widely trained in a lot of areas. Our Key Worker approach involves each member of staff planning around their children’s individual needs. The Key Worker will track each of their children’s development and will termly review their progress. This information will be shared with parents during a coffee morning or parent meeting.
The nursery’s director, Winnie Jones, manager, Amy Stevens, and InCo, Amber Wickham, are familiar with the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice and monitor each child’s records to ensure they are kept up to date, and that learning and progression is evident. Along with the Key Worker, they will establish and maintain positive relationships with parents, informing them regularly of the progress being made. Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Amy Stevens, supports staff with SEN children, ensuring they are familiar with the SEN policy and aiding them with planning to guarantee progression.
Should your child’s Key Worker and the SENCo believe that they are in need of additional, external support they will contact West Sussex’s Early Childhood Service and liaise with the area’s Inclusion Coordinator.

 

 How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

The staff at Treetops Day Nursery are aware that every child is different, and will support your child at their own individual pace. We use the Early Years Foundation Stage as a guide for a child’s development. Our SenCo will assist Key Workers and help plan activities to help support your child’s learning. Progress will be evidential in your child’s learning journal. Observations are taken of your child and are assessed to highlight areas of development that may need to be focussed on.
Individual Education Plans (IEP) may be written to further support progression in the nursery and at home. IEP’s will be reviewed termly to assess your child’s progression.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

Daily observations, photos, assessments, tracking sheets, and a collection of your child’s artwork is kept in their Learning Journal. 2 Year old progress check will also be completed and kept in your child’s Journal. The staff at Treetops Day Nursery monitors the journals and adapt targets to maintain and challenge each child’s development and progress.
We are aware that parental involvement is vital to a child’s learning and development and so welcome parents into the nursery at any time. Key Workers will discuss daily the activities your child completed and the progress that is being made. A parent’s morning will be held at least once a term and will be focused on your child’s development. Notice of a parent’s morning is given on the Parent’s Notice Board.

 

What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?

As explained in our Administration of Medicines Policy, all staff can administer medicines with parental consent.
Treetops also have a policy in place to support behaviour. All staff supports a child with behavioural difficulties, though we at Treetops understand it is important for the Key Worker to form a particular bond with the child.
Special Educational Needs, disability and inclusion policies are also in place to ensure that your child is supported.
Staff, your child, and any family member actively involved in their learning and development will work together to ensure that they receive the amount of support needed to develop and progress. Positive language is used, calm down time is encouraged and can be given in our cosy book corner and children are made aware of their choices.

 

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

Every member of staff at Treetops Day Nursery is qualified, or working towards, a qualification in childcare level 2 or above.The settings director, Winnie Jones, holds Early Years Teacher Status, which the nursery manager is also working towards. The nursery manager, Amy Stevens, also holds a Bachelors Degree in Primary Education and has Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The majority of the team are paediatric first aiders with the rest completing their qualification in Autumn Term 2014. We take full advantage of West Sussex County Council’s training scheme, sending staff to various courses including, Observation, Assessment and Next Steps, 2 Year Checks, Child Protection. This ensures that the staff are aware of changes in legalisation, new ideas and can obtain resources to help them to support the children within the nursery.
Treetops also have a strong working relationship with Early Years advisors from West Sussex County Council, who help in developing the nursery and reach its full potential.

 

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

Treetops Day Nursery have eight members of qualified staff. Two members hold Level 2 qualifications and are being supported by the nursery to achieve their Level 3 childcare, and are attending Central Sussex College. Three members of staff have level 3 childcare and continue to develop their knowledge through training. Our director holds Early Years Teacher Status (Postgraduate qualification) of which the nursery manager is currently working towards. The manager holds a degree in Primary Education and holds QTS. These courses focus extensively on SEND. Our deputy manager is Level 5 qualified and continues to develop her knowledge through training courses. Our staff have undertaken various training including Inclusion and basic Makaton. Every member of staff has attended safeguarding training.

 

How will my child be included in activities outside of the early years setting including trips?

When parents enrol their child, they will give consent to outings on Treetops admissions form. Parents and carers would always be invited to attend any trips if they wish. A one to one support worker can be provided outside of the nursery, should their needs require. This would be their key person. They will take responsibility of explaining what is going to happen on the outing, using visual timetables, allowing the child to feel comfortable at all times when out of the nursery setting.
Treetops outside area has many resources and experiences to offer. We have a garden area which contains flower beds with various herbs and plants. A digging area and a mud kitchen to encourage building role play, encouraging talk and the use of the social skills. We also have balancing beams, stilts and various other equipment to encourage physical development.
We are fortunate enough to have access to a lot of outdoor space in our local area including a field and woodlands, all of which is pushchair and wheelchair accessible.

 

How will the early years setting prepare and support my child to join the early years setting, transfer to a new setting/ school?

Treetops encourages new children and families to attend settling in sessions before they start nursery. This gives the parents and child the opportunity to meet their child’s keyworker and create a bond. This will allow the child to be more settled when the parents are ready to leave them.
Children transitioning to primary school are supported by nursery staff, as well as staff from the school. The child will be given the opportunity to visit their school on more than one occasion, and teachers will often come into nursery to meet the child and discuss their abilities and characteristics with their Key Worker.
The nursery slowly introduces the concept of changing setting, showing the children photos of their new schools and planning activities based on their transition. We hold a graduation at the end of summer term, where we invite parents and families in to celebrate the transition.

 

 

 

How are the early years setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

Where appropriate, Special Educational Needs (SEN) funding can be allocated to your child. A meeting will then be held between parents and the setting to discuss how the funding should be spent to best aid your child. Funding could be used to support your child with one to one time with their Key Worker, or pay for resources that would benefit their learning and development.

 

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

Your child’s key person is responsible for observing and deciding whether your child would benefit from additional support. The decision will be made after a discussion with the nursery manager and SENCo. Should it be required, extra support is promptly put into place and supported by all the staff at Treetops. An Individual Education Plan may be written for the child, with input from the parents. This will be reviewed every term so that the development of the child can be challenged and monitored.

 

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

Parents play an essential role in their child’s learning and development, therefore Treetops encourages parental involvement where possible. The Key Worker will work closely with the parents and family involved in the child’s learning. Parent’s mornings are held termly to update parents on their child’s development and their next steps are discussed. Messy morning, child productions and coffee mornings are also held to encourage parents to get involved with their child’s learning.

 

Who can I contact for further information?

A parent should always approach their child’s Key Worker as their first point of contact. Treetops welcomes parents and carers at any time to discuss their child’s progression. The nursery can also be contacted by telephone on 01444 443414. The nursery has a website, www.treetops-day-nursery.co.uk and an email [email protected] on which management can be contacted on.

For more information on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, inclusion or our local authority’s local offer, please visit http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/learning/special_educational_needs_sen.aspx