In this section:
1. Sharing Information
2. How will my child be supported?
3. How accessible is Warren’s environment?
4. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
5. What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
6. How will I be kept informed of my child’s progress?
7. What specialist services are available at, or accessed by the setting?
8. How will the Warren prepare and support my child to join the setting or transfer to a new setting?
- SHARING INFORMATION
At the Warren each child has a key worker. Their role is to develop trusting sensitive relationships with parents and children to enable respectful sharing of information. If you have any concerns about your child’s development you can ask for a time when you can discuss this in private with them.
Sharing professional reports
Reports from health care professionals, such as health visitors, speech and language therapists, identify your child’s individual needs. We welcome parents and professionals sharing these reports in order to plan appropriately to meet these needs.
Meaningful assessments
On going observational assessments are made of all the children and are linked to the Development Matters ages and stages of development. Each leader writes termly reports which are shared with parents. This in some cases identifies individual needs.
Keyworker and parent’s working relation
If your child’s key worker has identified a possible individual need, they will discuss this with you in private, and plan together to support your child’s learning and development.
SENCO’s advice and support
Our SENCO’s will offer support and advice to your child’s key worker/leader and other staff in our setting. They will also liaise with other professionals to seek advice and support in identifying individual needs if necessary. Support and advice can also be sought from the Area Senco, and Early Years advisory Teacher with your permission.
2. HOW WILL MY CHILD BE SUPPORTED?
Settled from the start…
Before starting with us, we will invite you to a settling session. You will also be asked to attend the initial sessions with your child.
Parents and children can find this transition very scary and to relieve anxiety we want you to get to know us first. You and your child will relax once you have got to know us and discovered our routine. This time also helps us to build a picture and gain further understanding about your child.
We will ask you to complete a Personal Profile about your child which is in their Learning Journal; this will help us to share information about your child’s strengths and needs. At the taster session(s) you will be able to discuss with the Key Person/Leader and/or Inclusion Co-ordinator and the Head of Nursery of any concerns or requirements your child may have.
Working together…
We will work with you to support your child together, listening to you and your child. Our INCO will explain how children’s individual needs can be met by planning support using an Individual Educational Plan (I.E.P.), and advice from the FIRST team and will also explain who may be involved and their roles.
Observations, assessments and evaluations all contribute towards I.E.P.’s and your child’s key person/Leader would oversee the targets on the I.E.P.
These are always available for you to view and comment on. They are locked away securely after session.
Your child’s key person/Leader will be in the sessions your child attends, fostering a relationship with and understanding your child. The I.N.C.O will also be present.
Managing a plan…
Together they will identify individual needs and plan next steps, accessing additional support from other professionals where necessary. Your child’s Learning Style, interests and stage of development will be used support their development.
The manager will maintain an overview of experiences and progress and the INCO will work with all staff to ensure we are providing the relevant and appropriate support.
We will work in partnership with you, reviewing the IEPP targets, and planning new ones together, and give ideas to use at home to support your child.
It is always about children…
The children will have ‘Child Friendly Plans’ and targets that they can work towards. Giving the children a voice and involvement in their own development is the best way to get positive results!
3. HOW ACCESSIBLE IS WARREN’S ENVIRONMENT?
A welcoming spacious hall and safe outdoor area…
We have a lovely spacious light hall, a welcoming lobby and an enclosed outdoor area. There is a slope on the fire exit to facilitate access for wheelchairs; one disabled toilet with rail, with dedicated changing facilities.
Flexibility and planning…
Our environment can be adapted to allow easy access and mobility. The outside play area can be accessed by a ramp.
Further support…
We provide multi-sensory activities as part of our planning and we have access to specialist equipment through County.
Additional funding may be obtained by the setting to help us meet your child’s needs.
It is all about children’s safety and access…
Regular risk assessments are carried out to ensure our environment is safe and secure.
4. HOW WILL THE CURRICULUM BE MATCHED TO MY CHILD’S NEEDS?
The writing of an Individual Educational Plan…IEP
We will get to know about your child before they start and through ongoing observational assessments. Targets linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage ages and stages of development will be set on IEP’s to support the learning and development of your child. This enables planning for individual needs and learning goals. In addition to the IEP, they will have a Learning Journal; this will contain written observations, photographs and samples of your child’s work to support staff in assessing and planning to help your child progress to their next steps.
Communicating with all the professionals involved…
Your child’s key person/Leader and our INCO will work together to make sure that the environment, routines and activities support your child’s needs, and they will communicate with the rest of the staff to provide consistency and understanding within our team.
We will ask for copies of assessments from other professionals before your child starts, and advice from FIRST will be sought, if necessary, with your prior permission.
The Manager will monitor and analyse progress of children within the setting to address any areas of weakness. This information will be used to focus on specific areas and adapt areas that are not meeting the children’s needs.
Remaining focus on children…
The children are involved in planning their next steps, consultations, helping with taking responsibility for their setting.
The children’s Learning Styles, interests and stage of development will be recognized and revisited to promote achievements and development.
5. WHAT SUPPORT WILL THERE BE FOR MY CHILD’S OVERALL WELL-BEING?
A small team of passionate practitioners…
Our practitioners are welcoming and friendly, providing an inclusive, sensitive and positive approach. They provide good role models for positive behaviour and are consistent in the day to day care of all our children. We are flexible in our routines to provide a positive environment for your child’s needs and provide personal care.
Making health a priority…
Personal health plans can be adopted if necessary and staff will be trained in giving the appropriate medication for your child if required. Should you child require regular prescribed medication then you will be required to complete and sign a Medication Permission form and you will be informed of the administration of the medicine and be asked to sign the form in accordance with our Policy.
Positive interactions…
Activities will be adapted to ensure your child is able to interact fully with the environment, and visual strategies, such as a ‘Now and Next’ visual time table is used to help them understand our routines.
Promoting a positive behaviour for all…
We always promote positive behaviour and treat every child as a individual.
6. HOW WILL I BE KEPT INFORMED OF MY CHILD’S PROGRESS?
Assessments…
Assessment systems (termly reports) are in place which are all linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development. All reports are shared, discussed and signed by parents.
Daily communication…
We are a very welcoming and happy setting, with very good relationships with our families. The Manager will always ensure that you have the opportunity to communicate at drop off and pick up time but if this is not convenient for you we will arrange a more suitable time.
We have daily opportunities when you are welcome to tell us of your child’s progress and this gives opportunities for two way communication between us.
Written communication…
You will receive a half termly newsletter, information on our website and Facebook page; and further information is displayed in the lobby, and on the blackboard and noticeboard outside.
7. WHAT SPECIALIST SERVICES AND EXPERTISE ARE AVAILABLE AT, OR ACCESSED BY THE SETTING?
We are specialists…
All staff are experienced working with the Early Years age group and understand Child Development.
We have experience…
We have experience of working with children with Speech Delay, English as an additional language. The setting endeavors to cater for children from other cultures and religions and has multi-cultural resources within our setting. We value and respect others beliefs and visual support if given such as communication books, photos and visual timetables.
All children make very good progress within our setting and are happy and well catered for.
And we seek further specialists…
We have links with our local Children’s Centre and can sign post you to support which is available through there, for example drop in Speech and Language sessions, parenting class, learning to play…
We will work alongside the specialist services involved with your child and they are welcome to visit us. Working closely with you and your child will enable us to build stronger relationships and understand your support needs better.
We also work with County specialist to support all children in our setting. Here is a list of the people we work with:
Early Childhood Service
Information about the service and the ‘FIRST’ team.
Educational Psychology Service (EPS)
Educational psychologists work with parents, schools and other professionals to try and make sure that children and young people have good opportunities to develop and learn.
Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT)
EMAT works with schools and agencies to ensure access to the curriculum for pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL) and to raise standards of achievement for those minority ethnic groups who are particularly at risk of under-achieving.
Early Help Services
The Early help Services Team is part of the Early Help Team with a focus on supporting children who are on roll in West Sussex Primary Schools and Primary Academies.
SEN and Inclusion Service
The SEN & Inclusion Service works with children & young people with SEN and Disabilities over the 0 – 25 age range, and contributes to achieving the County Council’s priority ‘Children – Start of Life’
Portage Service
Portage is a home visiting educational service for very young children with significant support needs from birth.
Sensory Support Team
The West Sussex Sensory Support Team works directly with children and their families, pre-schools and schools to support and promote the inclusion of children with sensory needs in a range of settings.
Social Communication
Information about the Autism and Social Communication Team and the services that they can provide.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Team
Find support, guidance and information for parents and carers of children and young people with SEND.
Virtual School for Care Experienced Children
Find out more about this service for schools, young people and professionals.
Parental agreement will always be obtained before specialist become involved with any individual child.
8. HOW WILL THE WARREN PREPARE AND SUPPORT MY CHILD TO JOIN THE SETTING OR TRANSFER TO A NEW SETTING?
Working with the manager
We will assign a key person to your child.
We also offer a new intake afternoon and any additional settling in sessions and offer a flexible settling in period if your child is having difficulties settling in.
This also gives us the chance to get to know you and your family, and provides the opportunity for you to share with us details of your child’s needs and the involvement of other agencies, and agree with you a consistent approach to ensure the continuity of care for your child. This can also be done in a meeting before your child starts if you prefer.
More importantly for your child…
Your child will have their own self registration photo name card.
Working with professionals…
We will meet with other professionals, Team around Child or Multi-Disciplinary meeting e.g. health care professionals to put in place transition planning/health care plan, or to seek relevant training before your child starts.
If your child should attend another setting whilst with us or leave to go to another setting we would invite your child’s new key person/teacher and SENCO to attend sessions with your child to help them become familiar with them and to discuss your child’s strengths and needs. We will arrange for the keyperson to go to their other setting.
Meeting for smooth transition…
We will discuss and plan the transition for your child into their new setting or school, giving the new setting time to make necessary plans for any changes they may need to make, sharing targets on your child’s IEP’s, and minutes of review meetings along with any other information that may be relevant to your child. When starting school we will take them to the local school as a group and the teachers come in and visit the staff and children before they start.
And of course all the paperwork…
All necessary documentation will be passed onto the receiving setting/school.
Warren Playgroup Henfield 