Your local offer

• Your child’s key person or staff in your child’s room will speak to you at the beginning or end of your child’s day for daily feedback and they will inform you about their day. If they have any ongoing concerns that they wish to discuss, they may suggest that you arrange a convenient time to have a meeting.
• Your child’s key person may also write about their concerns in your child’s settling in or progress reports and will also discuss this with you during a Parent meeting.
• If there is an ongoing cause for concern with your child’s learning or developmental milestones, this will be bought to the attention of both the Early Years Head of Centre, Section Manager and SENco
• Depending on their decision our SENco will have a discussion with your child’s key person and may ask for another meeting to be arranged with the SENco, yourselves and your child’s key person to discuss any difficulties your child’s has with their learning and together we can discuss any support strategies that can be put into place.
• Depending on the outcome of the meeting the SENco may also suggest that your child has a SEN Support plan.
• With your permission, this will be written together with yourselves, your child’s key person and SENco.
• Together we will discuss your Long-term aspirations for your child in regard to their Special Educational Needs and/or Disability difficulties and this will be noted down on to their SEN Support plan.
• An SEN support plan will also include SMART targets for your child to achieve over a set period of time and it will note down any strategies that will need to be put into place to support your child with their learning.
• You will receive a copy of your child’s SEN Support plan, for your records.
• This will be reviewed every 3-4 months and another meeting with yourselves, your child’s key person, SENco.
• If little or no progress has been made when reviewing your child’s SEN Support plan, the SENco may suggest the involvement of outside professionals to gain additional support and advice in setting your child’s next targets.

• Talk to your child’s key person about your concerns
• Your child’s key person will then observe your child in relation to your concerns and discuss their findings with their Senior, Section Manager, Head of Early Years and our SENco.
• A meeting will be arranged for you to attend with your child’s key person and SENco so that we can discuss your concerns and put into place some strategies to support your child with their learning.
• The SENco may also suggest that your child has a SEN Support plan.
• With your permission, this will be written together with yourselves, your child’s key person and SENco.
• Together we will look at your Long term aspirations for your child in regard to their Special Educational Needs and/or Disability difficulties and this will be noted down on to their SEN Support plan.
• An SEN support plan will also include SMART targets for your child to achieve over a set period of time and it will note down any strategies that will need to be put into place to support your child with their learning.
• You will receive a copy of your child’s SEN Support plan, for your records.
• This will be reviewed every 3-4 months and another meeting with yourselves, your child’s key person, SENco.
• If little or no progress has been made when reviewing your child’s SEN Support plan, the SENco may suggest the involvement of outside professionals to gain additional support and advice in setting your child’s next targets.
• If you continue to have concerns, please arrange to discuss these with our SENco or Head of Centre Tracy Halsey or Deputy Head Liz-Anne des Vignes

• We understand a good working relationship with parents is paramount to the education and development of every child.
• You will be able to share your views and discuss your child’s progress at regular meetings with your child’s key person and SENco.
• Arrangements can be made for meetings or discussions at mutually convenient times and in complete confidence.
• We work closely with parents and listen to your views in order to build on your child’s previous learning experiences, understanding and skills.
• No action will ever be taken without you having a full understanding of what is being done to help your child and without giving their full consent.
• If your child has an identified Special Educational Needs and/or Disability you will be invited to regular meetings (often every 3-4 months) with your child’s key person and SENco to discuss your child’s current progress, support targets being used and long term outcomes.
• Any other professionals working closely with your child will also be invited to these regular meetings and may also observe your child at Early Years with your permission.
• If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) you and your child will be able to share your views at their Annual Review.

• We believe that your child’s learning needs will be first met through the high quality of care and teaching provided by the staff members in your child’s room.
• We are committed to any training which will improve the quality of care within the centre. 
• Whenever the opportunity arises our staff will also attend courses to broaden their knowledge of supporting children with special education needs.
• We are able to access training programmes for the different organisations including the Bi-borough Training and Outreach team based at QE2 School and the Early Years Team at Westminster.
• Individual training can also be arranged when necessary.
• Our SENco’s attend regular SEN forums to keep their knowledge up to date.

This really depends upon the nature of your child’s individual needs and difficulties with their learning.  But at the EYEC our education provisions will match the needs of the four broad areas as defined in the SEND Code of Practice January 2015:

Four broad areas of need:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

The Graduated Approach assessment process

At the EYEC we use a 3 tiered approach to SEND and supporting a child’s learning:

• Univeral
• Targeted
• Specialist

Universal

Each child’s development is monitored using the Early Years Foundation Stage document as a guide, the child’s key worker will observe the child’s developmental progress on a regular basis and will keep evidence such as pictures, videos and written observations to support their findings.  At times there may be a need to include some minor adaptions to match your child’s learning needs.

Each child will receive a settling in report written by the child’s key person after six weeks of joining and after moving to a new room, after this period each child will have a progress meeting approximately every six months after this and when the child moves to their new room.  When they leave, they will have both a progress meeting and have a copy of their child’s learning journey.

Each child’s key person will also set them next steps every 3 months and these will be sent to the Parents.

The staff also complete a statutory 2-year progress report for the children who are in 2-3 year old rooms.

Staff plan on a weekly basis for each child’s individual developmental needs and interests and will set their next steps accordingly.

Targeted

It may be appropriate at times to consider making additional short term Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities provisions, additional to the child’s EYFS targets, to remove or reduce any obstacles to your child’s learning.

If a child needs additional provision to support their individual needs, with the Parent / Carer’s permission they will be placed on to a SEN Support Plan. 

This will begin a graduated four-part approach of a) assessing your child’s needs, b) Planning the most effective and appropriate intervention, c), providing this intervention and d) reviewing the impact on your child’s progress towards individual learning outcomes. 

The decision about what should be included in SEN Support plans will be made together with the Parent / Carer, the child (if appropriate), SENco and Key person and actions agreed.

The length and regularity of the cycle, depends on the needs of the child or family at the time.  This is called a graduated approach as set out in the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 (January 2015).

The child’s name is then entered into our Special Educational needs and/or Disabilities register and/or into our Speech and Language Therapy register held securely in our files.

Specialist

On some occasions it may be necessary for us to seek specialist advice from professionals outside Early Years and have regular long-term support from outside professionals in order for us to plan for the best possible learning outcomes for your child.  This may include Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Sensory Advisory Teachers and the child development services. 

We have support from the Bi-borough SEND team and if the family lives within the borough we have access to Westminster’s Early Help Service, who can support us in ensuring that we take each child’s individual Special Educational Needs and/or Disability’s into consideration.

If the child lives outside Westminster their Health visitor and/or GP will be able to offer advice and support.

A small number of children who have access to these specialists may also have an EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan)

• Your child’s key person will ensure that your child receives the appropriate support in order for them to reach their additional learning goals.
• Depending on your child’s individual needs, their key person will work with your child on a one-to-one basis or within small groups of children on a daily basis or at least 1-2 times a week.
• Their SEN Support Plan reviewed every 3-4 months.
• Outside agencies and specialists may also need to review your child’s progress and we will adapt their SEN Support Plans accordingly.

A small number of children who have access to outside professionals may also need to have an EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan).

The purpose of an EHCP is to make Special Educational provisions to meet the individual needs of a child who has a diagnosed Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability. 

This is to secure improved outcomes for him/her to achieve across all the areas of their Education, Health and Social care and, as he/she gets older, to help them to prepare for adulthood. 

You and/or the Early Years, the centre Head or Deputy, SENco or any outside agency involved with your child can request that the local authority conduct an assessment if your child’s needs.  This may lead to an EHC Plan.

 An EHCP will need to include:

• The views and aspirations of you and your child,
• A full description of his/her Special Educational Needs and/or disability and any health and social care needs,
• Established long term outcomes for your child’s progress,
• Specify the provision required and how education, health and social care will work together to meet your child’s needs and support the achievement of the agreed outcomes.

• The SENco team (Rowena Howe and Anjali Sawhney) will support you with strategies, resources and ideas for supporting your child’s learning.
• You may also have the opportunity to meet with other professionals involved in supporting your child.
• We have ECAT (Every child’s a talker) Delores Paryag, who can provide Parent’s with any additional information on your child’s communication skills and leaflets.
• We have a Behaviour management team – Rosa Maestre
• We have two Emotional Wellbeing Champions – Jennifer Simmonds and Csilla Forrai
• We hold regular Parent’s lunches, which focus on different topics.
• We have access to Westminster’s Early Help Service, who can support us in ensuring that we take each child’s individual Special Educational Needs and/or Disability’s into consideration
• We have support from the Bi-borough SEND team and Westminster’s Early Years Team

• When a child starts a SEN support plan it is the key person’s responsibility to ensure that time is set aside to ensure that they are able to carry out the individual targets.
• Your child’s key person will need to liaise with their Senior member of staff to ensure that this occurs.
• If your child has additional funding to support their Special Educational Needs and/or Disability it is the responsibility of the management team to ensure that appropriate cover is put into place, to ensure that 1:1 work can take place as stated on your child’s EHCP.
• When your child moves to an older age group, their new key person and their previous key person will arrange a meeting to discuss your child’s individual needs and support in regard to their Special Educational Needs and/or disability.
• You will also be introduced to your child’s new key person and have the opportunity to meet with them as well.
• All relevant paperwork and developmental targets will be passed over to their new room.
• Your child’s new key person will then take over the role of ensuring your child receives the correct support in helping them to achieve the targets set out their SEN Support plans or EHC Plan.
• Your child’s new key person will also take over the responsibility of attending any Parent meetings.

When your child leaves our setting your child’s key person will complete a development report, based around the four broad areas of SEND

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/or physical needs.

You will receive a copy of your child’s learning journey. You will also receive all completed documents of your child in relation to their Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities. Your child’s new setting or school is welcome to contact us for further information in regard to their overall development and SEND needs.

If appropriate, your child’s teacher or new key person is welcome to come for a visit. If appropriate the SENco and/or your child’s key person will be able to visit your child’s new setting or school to have a hand over meeting.

Our philosophy is that all children with or without Special Needs and/or disabilities should have the opportunity to develop to their full potential alongside other children in the educational environment and have equal access to the curriculum.

• If any parent or member of staff has any complaints about our provision for children with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities, they should report it to the Head of Centre or Deputy at the earliest stage. 
• Every effort will be made to resolve the complaint.

We are very happy to speak to you about any aspects of your child’s education. 

But it is best to speak to one of the following in this order:

• Your child’s key person or Senior of your child’s room
• The Section Manager of your child’s room
• Rowena Howe or Liz-Anne des Vignes
• A member of the SENco team Rowena Howe or Anjali Sawhney
• Our Head of Centre Tracy Halsey or Deputy Head of centre Liz-Anne des Vignes.

• The Children and Families Bill act 2014 requires all Local Authorities (LA) in England to publish information about services they expect to be available for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Need and/or Disabilities.  The information offered should be kept under review and published in the ‘SEN Information Report’
• The purpose of the Local offer is to enable Parents and young children to find out more easily the services that are available in their area and how to access them.  The local offer will include provision from birth to 25, across education, health, social care and the voluntary sector.
• You can also find information on where you can assess your local Children’s centre and Family Hub
• For further information on Westminster City Councils Local offer