Our Local Offer

1. How our setting knows if young children need extra help and what our parents/carers should do if they think their child may have SEND:

We have a Key Person for each child; in line with the EYFS, we use Progress Checks and Assessments under the Plan-Do-Assess-Review cycle. We use speech check charts to help us to define if there are any areas of concern. Parents are welcomed to speak confidentially to their Key Person, or any of our SENCO team; we have an Open Door policy in operation.



2. How our setting supports young children with SEND:

We have a team of SENCO’s in our nursery, supported by the Area SENCO. They support each child’s Key Person and parents in formulating the right strategies to support the child and create the One Plan together. We assess and review the Plan on a regular basis, alongside the observations that we routinely make of children’s progress, using the graduated approach cycle of Assess-Plan-Do-Review. We can refer children for extra support, with their parents’ consent using the Effective Support for Children and Families in Essex, to Speech and Language or the Paediatric Team.



3. How our setting creates learning and development opportunities for individual children with SEND:

We use observations to define the developmental progress of the child which informs and determines our differentiation. By making the targets small enough for a child to be able to achieve, but moving forward, we know our support will enhance and enable children’s unique development.



​4. How our setting works in partnership with parents/carers:

​We share information with parents informally every day of attendance; sometimes more in depth if there is relevant progress, or if the parents prefer. We encourage and welcome communications from the parent about their child in person, by email or phone call, any day, and try to make the Key Person and SENCO, if preferred, available to speak with them at their request. We offer an in-depth consultation with parents, so that their aspirations for their child are realised in compiling the One Plan together. There is a baseline assessment, as children start attendance; we complete and update a One Page Review at regular intervals, with parents. Together we discuss and share strategies which we have found useful, so there is continuity in both environments. Parents are welcomed to include their input in the Learning Journal.



5. How our setting supports the wellbeing of young children with SEND:

We carry out risk assessments, for procedures in the nursery, so that children’s safety is ensured. This includes how staff should manage children moving from the indoor to outside environment, outings, and visits. We employ staff that has knowledge of behaviour management, and strategies used to support behaviour are consistently applied. We have a policy for administration of medicines, and for intimate care of children, which are available for parental perusal. We note the preferences of children with SEND, so that their view is valued, ensuring the overall wellbeing of the child. Parents are welcome to view any of these at any time.



6. Staff training and experience in supporting young children with SEND:

Staff are expected to undertake Level 1 on-line Safeguarding training. Key People are also expected to complete the Level 2 Safeguarding Course, and have Paediatric First Aid, all to be updated as required. Our management team have Designated Safeguarding Person status and training. One of our SENCO team has done ‘ELKAN’ Speech and Language course.
Other training undertaken includes Safer recruitment, Domestic Abuse, Autism and Behaviour training, Child Sexual Exploitation and Female Genital Mutilation. We have regard to the EYFS requirements, and those of the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015, the UNCRC, The Children and Families Act, the Equality Act and the Safeguarding Guidance from Essex County Council.



7. Specialist services and expertise accessed by our setting:

We have regular visits from the Area SENCO, Children’s Centre, Speech and Language, Specialist Teacher for the Deaf and Visually Impaired and from children’s own Family Support Key Workers, have been to visit children they are supporting, and worked cooperatively with us in the past. We welcome input from all professionals who work with children attending the nursery, and understand how to make timely and appropriate referrals.



8. How our setting includes young children with SEND in community based activities and outings:

We welcome parent and practitioner consultations about the activities we are offering children, so that those we offer are suitably supporting each child. On any outing a risk assessment is completed, and parents are asked to give consent to go each time an outing is planned. Where a visit to a new venue is planned, a staff member may first visit if access is a consideration.



9.Our accessible environment:

Our ENCO has carried out an Audit to ensure that our nursery is fully accessible throughout. This includes toilet facilities for wheel chair users. We use signage in the nursery to help children understand what is expected of them. We support the home language of each child attending. We have the facility to produce documentation in other languages, where and when needed. We ask professionals, parents and /or children, for their practical advice on equipment to use before we make adaptations or purchases are made.



10. How our setting prepares and supports young children with SEND when joining the setting and when transferring to another setting or school:

We usually offer a home visit of the Key Person to a new child before attending. This fosters a stable home-nursery relationship before the visits begin. Parents are invited along with their child for several visits prior to starting attendance. We have found that sharing information about each child helps facilitate a smooth transition into the setting. Internal transitions are managed at a comfortable stage and pace for each individual child; parents are supported and included throughout these. Where a child is attending another setting, and with parental agreement, we will share information and visit the other setting, and invite them to visit the child here. Children’s transitions to school are supported with an invited visit of the new teacher, and a One Page Profile and comprehensive Learning Journey to accompany the child as they leave us. An enhanced transition will include several supported visits of the Key Person to the new school, if the parent and child feel that they would be beneficial. We contact the school SENCO to arrange suitable visits in this case.



11. How our setting organises its resources to meet the needs of young children with SEND:

Staff are deployed in order to ensure those children who need additional support in order to have access to the learning environment have that support. We carefully consider each team within each age group, and the whole nursery, to provide a balance of knowledge, acumen and talent for the attending children. We use our resources as wisely as possible to support the needs, safety and development of our children; this includes any possible adaptation of resources or the environment.



12. How we decide on appropriate support for young children with SEND:

We operate a child centred approach, which enables the One Planning to be effective, and includes the aspirations of the child and family and information from the Key Person. If there is a specific area that causes the family concern, and where a parent desires, we can refer their child to other professional support.



13. How we involve all parents/carers in our setting:

All parents are invited to read our current policies, and to be involved in reviewing them. We have bi-annual meetings of our Parents Group where issues relating to how the nursery is run can be discussed, as well as any other issues that the attendees would like to bring to the table. Parents are also regularly consulted, through their Key Person, on their views about the care they access and prefer for their own child.



14. Who to contact for further information:

Our nursery has a team of SENCO’s, led by our Manager, Angela McQuitty. They include Amanda Smith, for children over 3 years; Tracey Harding for children less than 3 years of age. This is our contribution to the Local Offer in Essex.

If you have any queries regarding the above, or are searching for something you cannot see listed, please contact us.