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Roles and Responsibilities of the Special Needs Co-Ordinator At Giggle And Grow Preschool.

Our SENCOs are responsible for the operation of the Special Educational Needs Policy and co-ordinations of specific provision made to support individual children with SEN. We liaise with staff to monitor the pupil’s progress as well as plan further interventions where progress is slower than expected. Our SENCO practitioners receive regular training to ensure they are up to date with anything SENCO involved. If you have any concerns regarding SEN matters please do not hesitate to contact us.

There are many SEN term that are abbreviated which can lead to confusion (even for us). Below is a glossary of the most used SEN terms:

AAP- Attendance Advisory Practitioner
ADD-Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD-Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
ASD-Autistic Spectrum Disorder
BESD-Behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties
CAF- Common Assessment Framework
CAMHS-Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
COP-Code of Practice
CP- Child Protection
DCD- Development Co-ordination Disorder
EAL- English as an Additional Language
EP-Educational Psychologist
FSM-Free School Meals
HI-Hearing Impairment
IEP-Individual Education Plan

IST-In School Review
KS-Key Stage
LAC- Looked After Child
LEA-Local Educational Authority
MLD-Moderate Learning Difficulty
NC-National Curriculum
OT-Occupational Therapist
PSP-Pastoral Support Programme
SaLT- Speech and Language Therapy
SEN-Special Educational Needs
SEND-Special Educational Needs and Disability
SENCO-Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
SLD-Special Learning Difficulty
VI-Visual Impairment

How does Giggle and Grow know if children need extra help?

  • Every child who attends Giggle and Grow Preschool will be allocated a key person; this key person will observe their key children during their time at the setting and monitor their progress in the 7 areas. This will help to highlight if there are any additional needs and where the child may need extra support.
  • The 7 areas of development are
  1. Communication and Language
  2. Physical Development
  3. Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  4. Literacy
  5. Mathematics
  6. Understanding the World
  7. Expressive Arts and Design.

What should I do if I think my child have special educational needs?

If you feel that your child may have a special educational need, we advise that you bring up your concerns with your child’s key person or a member of the Giggle and Grow team.

Another alternative if you feel more comfortable you could ask to speak to someone at the local children and family centre.

 

How will I know if Giggle and Grow Preschool will support my child?

Giggle and Grow preschool follow a code of practice which enables us to work to the need of each individual child; each child is allocated a key person that will work closely with your child to ensure they are happy and secure. We will produce a learning journal of your child’s journey through preschool with observations, photos, and their individual next steps. These are tailored for each child based on the curriculum in which we work with, which is the EYFS, and we follow the new SEN code of practice 2014.

 

 

 

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

Every child has next steps sheets created every term which is an individual learning plan made for them by their key person these are created using observations of your child throughout each term doing this helps them to assess and make plans to progress your child’s learning and development. We create a learning journal, and this is available for you to view online each term.

 

 

How will I know how my child is doing?

We update our learning journals termly, and these are always accessible to all parents online. We share individual next steps via email termly and then your child’s development is tracked on a progress review sheet. Parents can discuss with their key person any concerns they may have at any time.

We thrive to build a good relationship with our parents through our open-door policy which enables them to share home experiences, children’s interests and progress at home.  We have a monthly calendar which gives the parents/carers the opportunity to choose a day in which they would like to come into the setting and see what their child has been doing.

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

Giggle and Grow preschool has a designated SENCO to support staff, parents and children, who will work with the West Sussex Inclusion team and other professionals who may be involved with supporting your child.

If your child has prescribed medicines then a care plan will be put in place, we have several practitioners within our setting that are first aid trained and are able to administer labelled prescribed medication although parents will be required to sign the relevant paperwork to allow this.

At Giggle and Grow if any child has any accident regarding their head, we always inform parents with a phone call immediately after the accident as well as ask them to sign the accident form at the end of session.

We promote positive behaviour by using positive technique’s suitable to the individual child; staff attend regular training courses to support this. Any other additional requirements in the interest of the child may be discussed with staff.

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

All practitioners are trained to provide necessary care and support for your child in their learning although when required the setting welcomes outside specialist support and expertise from other agencies to make necessary visits when discussed and agreed, these may include visits from the West Sussex Inclusion team, Speech Therapists, Paediatrician, and similar professionals.

What training have the staff supporting children had or expected to have?

Designated practitioners attend SENCO network meetings which they will then relay to all staff within the setting. Other training courses are available to help support staff in specific areas that may be beneficial for a child’s individual needs.

All training certificates and records are kept on file within the setting. Several of our practitioners are first aid trained but there is also a designated first aider. Additional training can be given when necessary.

How will my child be included in experiences out of the classroom?

All children have the opportunity to explore outside the setting. Risk assessments will be completed for every activity and updated regularly to ensure their safety.

Individual risk assessments may need to be put in place to make all staff aware of needs and actions, ie: taking inhalers on an outing and updating care plans.

All visits or trips would be planned to include all children. We endeavour to include all parents/carers in the planning of these visits to identify needs of the individual children and invite parents/carers to join theses outings.

How accessible is the school environment?

We have a large hall and enclosed garden area which is accessible to all children throughout the day. Our main access has a slope and is accessible for wheelchairs; there is a disabled toilet that has a rail and baby changing facilities. Our setting has designated disabled parking spaces. Our notice boards have updated information with local events organised by the children and family centres.

If you are a parent who does not have English as your first language, we can involve another family member who speaks English or arrange for an external interpreter, we also have a mobile translator device on site.

Signs and posters around the setting are used with pictures helping children identify equipment and play areas. All equipment can be used at different levels for all children to have access indoors and out. Also planned activities can be adapted to suit individual needs.

Our policies and procedures are updated regularly and on display on our website for parents/carers to always access.

Additional funding may be obtained by the setting to help us meet your child’s needs.

Daily risk assessments are carried out to ensure our environment is safe and secure.

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

We help children to settle when they are joining our setting by offering stay and play sessions with parents or short stay and play periods when they stay alone. If the child becomes upset and we are not able to comfort them we will phone the parent/carer to collect and try different strategies to settle the children.

When the children transfer to a new setting or school we will write a full report on their progress. We will also offer to do a transaction meeting with the new key person in the new setting if we or the parent feels this is needed or if there is a special educational need.

 

 

How are the preschools resources allocated and matched to children with SEN?

A dedicated budget is available to train staff and inclusion funding can be applied for to support your child within our setting, however we can also apply for funding from West Sussex County Council to enhance our staff ratios if required.

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

If it is identified by a member of staff that a child may need extra support, the preschool SENCO will first approach the parent/carer to discuss this and decide if extra support might be required from the West Sussex inclusion team or new strategies will be put into place to support them in the setting. Once your Child starts, we will put into place an Individual education plan which will made together, and this will be monitored and reviewed regularly.

 

How will I be involved in discussions about planning for my child’s education?

We have an open-door policy where parents/carers are always welcome into the setting to see staff and their child within the preschool environment. Parents that attend these sessions can do so as regularly or as irregular as they wish.

We provide feedback forms for parents and visitors welcoming all new ideas, comments, and opinions.

Who can I contact for further information?

Again, we have an open-door policy and any member of staff can be spoken to at any time.  Our policies and procedure’s folder can be seen at any time throughout the session.

If you require somewhere private to speak to a member off staff this is available too.

 

Additional support for parents can be offered through:

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/education-children-and-families/special-educational-needs-and-disability-send/support-for-children-under-5-with-send/

Last updated: February 2019