SEND Frequently Asked Questions

SEND Frequently Asked Questions

How does the education setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?
  • A child may come to us with special needs already identified, in which case we will liaise closely with the family and professionals already involved to ensure that appropriate support and training is put in place ready for their arrival.
  • The progress and development of all children is monitored regularly by their key person and the room leader, so that when a child is not making expected progress in a particular area of learning, including their emotional development, we can quickly identify the need for additional support. This will always take account of the child’s individual circumstances and the wishes of their parents/carers will be at the heart of any steps that are taken.
  • If parents/carers have concerns about the progress or well-being of their child, or think their child has SEND, they are encouraged to speak to their key person, room leader, our SENCo or any other member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable. We will discuss their concerns, and agree with them what will happen next.
How will the education support my child?
  • The environment at everyFAMILY has been developed to support all the children, for example the use of pictures/symbols, timelines and Makaton. Children with SEND will often benefit from these to an even greater extent and may enable them to participate alongside their peers independently.
  • When the need for additional intervention has been identified, the parents/carers will be involved in planning the best way to provide that support. If needed, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be created, detailing the areas in which the child needs additional support and how that will be delivered.
  • Where appropriate, we will involve specialists at the children’s centre, for example the speech and language therapist, in deciding the strategies to be used. Where it is felt that additional professional support is required, referrals will be made with the agreement of the parents/carers.
  • We will monitor the progress of all children receiving additional support to ensure that the provision we have put in place is having the impact we are expecting.
  • The SENCo provides regular reports to the Senior Management Team on the progress of pupils with SEND, and the effectiveness of the provision being provided. This is shared with the Trustees at regular meetings.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
  • All of our planning is based on the interests and needs of the individual children, to which parents/carers are encouraged to contribute. Activities and resources reflect the children’s interests to better motivate and support their learning.
  • Differentiation is planned for groups and individuals according to need: for example, for a child who has speech, language and communication needs, practitioners will use simplified language, Makaton and/or pictures to support them to understand.
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
  • Regular reports and parents’ evenings, spread across the year, give all parents and carers regular feedback on their child’s learning and any behavioural, emotional or social strengths or difficulties.
  • Parents/carers are encouraged to share their child’s interests, achievements and special events along with any concerns that they may have either by talking to a staff member during handover, but contributing to their learning diary or by having a more formal meeting with a relevant staff member (either at their or our suggestion).
  • We hold regular events and community groups for parents/carers to come along and find out about what we have been doing and to get ideas about how to support their child’s learning.
  • If a child has an IEP, parents/carers will be encouraged to support the targets at home. Strategies will be discussed at regular IEP review meetings and second copies of any resources required, for example visuals, will be provided for use outside of nursery. Where outside professionals are involved, they will be asked to attend IEP reviews or to provide feedback on progress and to input into targets and strategies.
What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
  • The well-being of all of the children is our primary concern. They are supported with their social and emotional development throughout their sessions, both through group activities and by giving them the opportunity and security to share their feelings on a 1:1 basis.
  • We believe that providing support to families is at the heart of supporting the children. Through our services we aim to equip parents/carers with the skills and confidence that they need to better support their children to develop and thrive.
  • Our Behaviour Policy supports our belief that children flourish best in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else. The support and strategies we use to manage any challenging behaviour benefit all the children.
  • Relevant staff members are trained to support medical needs, and in some cases all staff members receive training. We have an Administration of Medicine Policy in place.
  • We endeavour to seek the views of the children in everything that we do and respond to individual needs, for example sensory experiences in the resources and activities provided.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the education setting?
  • We have our own community team to support families which comprises of individuals trained in a number of specialist areas.
  • Outside educational agencies and support services that we access include: the Portage and Inclusion Team; Educational Psychology (EPS). We will seek advice and support from other suitable services as and when different needs arise.
  • Specialist health services such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT); Occupational Therapy (OT); Physiotherapy (PT); Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS); other health professionals.
  • We work with First Response, Early Help, Social Services and Community Police.
  • We have a Therapy Room which provides a nurturing environment where children can develop the necessary social, emotional and behavioural skills needed to successfully access our curriculum.
What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?
  • We regularly invest time and money in training our staff to improve provision for all pupils and to develop enhanced skills and knowledge to deliver individualised support and interventions.
  • A number of our practitioners hold early years teacher status and all practitioners receive regular training to best support our pupils with SEND, for example in autism and in speech and language needs.
How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips?
  • Our Inclusion Policy promotes involvement of all of our children in all aspects of the curriculum including special events, activities and trips.
  • Where there are concerns for safety and access, a personalised risk assessment is carried out to consider if reasonable adjustments can be made to meet any additional needs; if appropriate parents/carers are consulted and involved in planning
How accessible is the education setting?
  • everyFAMILY is fully accessible to all children. Where families are eligible for the Disability Access Fund and nominate us to receive it, the money will be used to make the environment and support more accessible to the child through the purchase of resources or additional staff training.
  • We monitor the languages spoken by families in our settings and make use of translation services and endeavour to arrange for a translator to attend meetings when necessary.
How will the education setting prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?
  • We have a settling-in process for children starting at our setting, which is tailored to reflect individual needs, circumstances and personalities.
  • We have good relationships with the settings that most of our pupils move onto and we share information to support children’s well-being at transition. Personalised transition plans are developed for children that will benefit from this additional support which include transition photo albums, additional visits and multi professional meetings.
  • Further support is provided as necessary for those with SEND including additional visits to the new setting by the child and parents; visits to our setting by new teachers, and visits to the new setting by our keyworkers where needed.
How are the education setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
  • Our finances are managed and monitored by our Business Manager, the Senior Management Team and our Board of Trustees and we utilise resources to support the strategic aims of our setting as well as individual learner needs.
  • We can apply for additional funding in order to meet their additional needs of children with more complex SEN and Disabilities. This may include obtaining specialist equipment.
  • Where a child is eligible for Disabled Access Fund and parents/carers nominate us to receive the payment; we will use the funds to make the setting more accessible for the child through the purchase of equipment or by arranging staff training.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
  • We expect all staff to deliver a broad and balanced EYFS curriculum with differentiated learning for children with a range of learning needs. Practitioners will meet the individual needs of all children by delivering personalised learning, development and care.
  • Should additional support be required, this is undertaken after consultation with the families, the relevant staff and other professionals as necessary. All interventions are monitored for impact and outcomes are defined at the start of any intervention. The SENCo oversees all additional support and regularly shares updates with the senior management team, who refer to the trustees as appropriate.
How are parents involved in the education setting? How can I be involved?
  • We are a child and family centred setting, so parents/carers will be involved in all decision making about their child’s support.
  • We work in partnership with parents to support each child’s well-being, learning needs, progress and aspirations.
  • We operate an open-door policy to allow parents to contact their child’s class key-worker and/or other appropriate staff members with ease.
  • Parents are invited to become involved through invitations to events throughout the year, by contributing to their child’s learning diary, by sharing interest or skills with their child’s class, by becoming a member of the charity or by joining our board of trustees.
  • Our community team run groups and classes for families which include giving parents the confidence to support their child’s learning at home.
Who can I contact for further information?
  • Parents/carers are encouraged to talk to the member of staff with whom they feel most comfortable; usually their key-worker in the first instance. For children with SEND, further information and support can be obtained from the SENCo, a member of the Inclusion Team, the room leader or a member of the Management Team.

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