Arnold Nursery School
SEND
Our Local Offer
At Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre we believe that all children have the right to be cared for, educated and supported to develop to their full potential. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo) for the centre is Sarah Sayles and she can be contacted by calling into the centre or by telephoning 01709 828983.
How does the setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
- Continuous assessment of the children in our care helps us to identify any children who may need extra help
- Liaison with previous settings or outside agencies eg Health Visitor
- Concerns shared by parent
- If you are concerned about your child’s development you can discuss this with their Key Person, Class Teacher, SENDCO or any other member of the staff team that you feel comfortable with.
How will Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre staff support my child?
We will support your child in the following ways:
- By offering the opportunity to discuss the needs of your child prior to them starting nursery and at any point while they are in our care
- By having a flexible approach and recognising that every child is an individual with particular needs
- By allocating a Key Worker to your child
- Regular observations will inform our planning
- Working in partnership with you the parents to ensure that your child’s needs are fully met
- Involvement of our SENDCo who will oversee the provision offered and support by arranging meetings, advice from outside agencies as required
How will Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?
We understand the importance of a good transition programme and take great care in planning for our new children. We offer our new starters:
- A tailor made induction package suited to their individual needs
- A Team Around The Family meeting where appropriate to ensure that we are aware of all the strengths and needs of the child and family
For children leaving our care we will:
- Invite the receiving setting to a Team Around The Family meeting to discuss the child’s strengths and needs where appropriate
- Prepare a transition passport to ensure relevant information is shared effectively
- Encourage the receiving setting to visit the child at The Arnold Centre
- Support the child visiting their new setting where appropriate
Who can I contact for further information?
You can contact your child’s Key Person, class teacher, SENDCo or any member of the staff team for further information.
What are the responsibilities of Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre in enabling and supporting inclusive practice?
Arnold Nursery School and Children's Centre is an inclusive setting and can cater for a wide range of children with additional needs. The site is wheelchair accessible and we have accessible toilet facilities. We embrace inclusion and follow guidance as stipulated in the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and the Equality Act 2010. The setting achieved the Rotherham Charter gold award in 2016 for partnership working. A bi-lingual member of staff is employed by the setting. We use Makaton signs throughout the setting and also dual language books and multicultural resources.
How will I know how my child is developing?
An assessment system is in place to ensure progress is constantly monitored. You will know how your child is developing by:
- Speaking with classroom staff, we offer an open doors policy where you are welcome at any time
- Attending parent consultation events
- Meeting with the SENDCo if required
- If your child has an Individual Learning Plan this will be evaluated termly and you will be invited to attend this meeting
- Each child has a Record of Achievement file that you are welcome to look at
How will you help me to support my child’s learning?
We will help you in a variety of ways as appropriate to your child including:
- Home/school communication books - Where appropriate
- Individual Learning Plan targets
- Daily conversations with classroom staff
- Team Around the Family meetings
- Discussions with staff to inform decisions about your child’s learning
- Themed stay & play sessions
What training have the staff had or are expected to have?
The SENDCO has over 13 years teaching experience and 5 years experience of working with children with special educational needs. She attends SENDCo training offered via the Local Authority to ensure that her skills and knowledge remain up to date. Our support staff receive training both in-house and externally in order to ensure that their skills are appropriate to meet the needs of our children.
We also work in partnership with a number of external agencies as relevant to a child’s needs. These may include: Learning Support Service, Portage, Health Visitors, Clinical Psychologists, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and Educational Psychologists.
How is the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
Prior to admission to the setting where possible, a meeting will take place in order to ascertain as much information as possible about the child’s level of functioning. The SENDCo will arrange where possible to observe the child in an early years setting. The centre’s management team will then decide based on this information the level of support and resources required in order to meet the child’s individual needs.
If you child has a Special Educational Need and you would like to know more about how we could support them please contact us. Our local offer links in to the Local Authority’s local offer, you can read more about this by following this link www.rotherhamsendlocaloffer.org
