Inclusion Policy
All children are special. We strive to provide equal opportunities and a welcome for all, recognising that certain groups and individuals in our society are discriminated against. No two children manifest exactly the same needs. All children irrespective of special educational need, disability, mental health or medical need, race, culture, class, creed, gender or social status have the right to express their needs and have them met.
Inclusion is meant in the widest sense. It incorporates children as well as the rights of parents/carers, students and all staff. It includes individuals with special educational needs and / or a disability, as well as those from minority ethnic groups, travellers, and any other diverse cultural groups.
It also includes those with English as an additional language and Children in Public Care (Looked After Children). Those with specific medical needs, suffering from low self-esteem, or experiencing mental health difficulties are also included.
It also incorporates the rights of the child and equal opportunities, as well as any other groups at risk of exclusion or social exclusion. Tina Vogt is the settings Equality and Diversity champion and Lydia Lord is the Special Educational Needs & Disability Co-ordinator (SENCo) both cover Inclusion within these roles.
Aims
Purpose
The role of our Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Heavitree Community Preschool has a Special educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
Heavitree Community Preschool is alert to emerging difficulties that a child may have and follows the SEND code of practice to ensure a graduated response is undertaken.
Heavitree Community Preschool has developed and implements a Special Needs / Inclusion policy which reflects the aims and practice of the setting and which supports inclusion.
Our setting based SENDCO:
Admission arrangements
We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the pre-school through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures. We follow admissions criteria in line with our current admissions policy. Children identified and referred to the group as having a particular need may be given priority over strict adherence to the waiting list.
When a child starts at pre-school we work closely with the parents to support settling their child. A member of staff will welcome and help settle the child in to pre-school. During the Settling in meeting if it becomes apparent a child has additional needs the sessions will need to be reviewed to ensure that individual needs can be met. This may result in adjusted sessions to ensure inclusion. If it is felt that additional staffing is required to meet the child’s needs, adjustment may have to be made until a member of staff is appointed.
Partnership with parents
Parents are consulted at every level of intervention. Parents have a right to be involved in discussions about their child. Procedures should be explained to parents in order to develop a close working relationship and so parents can be made aware of the targets being set for their child. Parents will be offered advice about how they can work with their child at home if they so wish. The effectiveness of any intervention will depend upon the level of involvement of parents.
Consultation with parents is made informally on a daily basis. Additional consultation is made at either the parents or the pre-schools request at a mutually convenient time.
Heavitree Community Preschool will direct prime carers to the Parent Partnership service, who offer further advice and guidance to parents in a range of different languages.
Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs
Definition of SEND (From the SEND Code of Practice)
A child has SEN if s/he has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her.
A child has a learning difficulty if s/he:
A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of the home is different from the language in which s/he will be taught.
Identification, assessment and provision
The need for early identification is paramount. It is made either by the staff or from information received from previous pre-schools, nursery provision or from other external sources. Parental concern is also taken into consideration. The pre-school follows the Stages set out in the revised Code of Practice. This identifies the stage the child is at, and clarifies who is responsible for the additional provision that is needed to support the child’s progress.
Our system of observation and record keeping, which operates in conjunction with parents, enables us to monitor children’s needs and progress on an individual basis.
Children with other needs are provided for through individual education plans (IEP) following the graduated response recommendations.
If it is felt that a child’s needs cannot be met through pre-school without additional support then advice will be sought from the Early Years Consultant. Decisions will then be made as to whether further funding and/or support is required.
Stages followed as part of the graduated response are:-
Early Years Action: the staff in consultation with the SENCO needs to gather information to assess the child’s learning difficulties. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written and put into place where appropriate. Provision for extra support is made within the resources of the pre-school.
Early Years Action Plus: as at Early Years Action with additional support from specialists from outside the pre-school, beginning with the Early Years Consultant.
Devon Assessment Framework (DAF) process is followed: After the need has been identified and strategies implemented, if little or no progress has been made, contact will be made with the Early Help Co-ordination Centre to initiate a DAF. Completion of the DAF 1 will take place and a Team Around the child (TAC) meeting will be arranged to complete My Plan 2A which will give clear action for the next steps. If it is felt the child’s needs cannot be met through available funding and strategies then the next stage of the DAF process will be implemented DAF3A or EHC plan (see attached).
Links with support services and other agencies
The pre-school recognises that to provide a fully inclusive and supportive environment there is a need when considering SEN to work closely with the full range of support services and external agencies. Agencies are called upon when support is required for a specific need. The pre-school also works closely with agencies when information is requested to support a child. Heavitree Community Pre-school supports Devon’s Local Offer, Signposting local and wider services on offer which can be accessed through the link on our website.
Agencies used by the pre-school include (this list is not exclusive of these services):
Facilities, Staffing and Training:
Facilities:
The pre-school has both inside and outside space. There are toilet facilities within the pre-school including a disabled toilet. There is a kitchen for staff use. The nature of the activities in the playroom and outside space changes in accordance with the planning.
Staffing:
The pre-school fully complies with the Ofsted requirements in terms of staffing
If there is a need for an increase in staff due to issues surrounding inclusion, resources will be met initially within the pre-school’s budget and then depending on need additional funding will be sought.
All staff working directly with children have appropriate knowledge of young children and their needs.
Training:
The pre-school provides SEN in-service training in line with the pre-school training plan and staff appraisal. The SENCO will participate in the training on inclusion provided by the Devon Early Years Partnership as well as other training needed to provide a high quality of provision for the pre-school. The SENCO will keep up-to-date with changes in legislation and share with the setting as appropriate.
Curriculum, Resources and the learning Environment:
Curriculum
We aim to:-
The pre-school aims to provide a differentiated curriculum, relating learning intentions, resources and learning support to individual children’s needs in order to maximise their achievement and progress. The planned curriculum follows the guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
As well as a differentiated curriculum, children with SEN at Early Years Action and above will have an Individual Education Programme (IEP) drawn up if appropriate.
At our pre-school we feel it is essential that the children with SEN are taught in a fully inclusive environment and their needs are met within our continuous provision and planned activities. We recognise the need for additional resources that will enable all children to have access to the activities on offer.
Resources
There are a wide range of high quality resources that reflect not only the immediate community but also give opportunities for the children to explore the wider world around them.
The learning environment
We arrange and use the playroom in our setting to support learning, promote confidence, and encourage appropriate behaviour. Risk factors are taken into consideration, and the children are supervised at all times.
Transition into school
The children in our pre-school will attend a number of Exeter Primary schools. These schools arrange with parents / carers for their children to visit prior to admission. We aim to work closely with local schools, encouraging shared visits and exchanging information as appropriate.
Monitoring this policy / complaints procedure:
The criteria for measuring the success of the policy should be specific, attainable, realistic and time constrained. They should indicate the extent to which the pre-school has been successful in meeting the needs of our SEN children.
The SENCO through process of moderation will help measure the success of the policy.
All pre-school policies are reviewed annually and available to all staff parents and committee. All parties are encouraged to update the polices.
Inclusion is meant in the widest sense. It incorporates children as well as the rights of parents/carers, students and all staff. It includes individuals with special educational needs and / or a disability, as well as those from minority ethnic groups, travellers, and any other diverse cultural groups.
It also includes those with English as an additional language and Children in Public Care (Looked After Children). Those with specific medical needs, suffering from low self-esteem, or experiencing mental health difficulties are also included.
It also incorporates the rights of the child and equal opportunities, as well as any other groups at risk of exclusion or social exclusion. Tina Vogt is the settings Equality and Diversity champion and Lydia Lord is the Special Educational Needs & Disability Co-ordinator (SENCo) both cover Inclusion within these roles.
Aims
- All children have a right to full access to Early Years Education through the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- All children have a right to expect to learn in a caring and considerate environment where the staff and the children are all valued for their contribution to pre-school life.
- The pre-school is committed to the early identification of children with Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) and to adopting clear and open procedures which are outlined in this policy.
- The pre-school is committed to working closely with parents who are fully involved in all decisions that affect their children’s education.
- We acknowledge the need to work in partnership with other agencies in meeting the children’s individual needs.
- To challenge unacceptable language, actions or beliefs, which may be prejudicial or exclusive to others.
- The pre-school will provide, within available resources, the highest possible quality support and inclusive education for children with SEND.
Purpose
- To meet the individual needs of children in our setting.
- To ensure that inclusion and equal opportunities are put into practice.
- To raise quality and standards.
- To recognise the rights of the child.
- To encourage parents / carers to use the provision.
- To increase awareness.
The role of our Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Heavitree Community Preschool has a Special educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).
Heavitree Community Preschool is alert to emerging difficulties that a child may have and follows the SEND code of practice to ensure a graduated response is undertaken.
Heavitree Community Preschool has developed and implements a Special Needs / Inclusion policy which reflects the aims and practice of the setting and which supports inclusion.
Our setting based SENDCO:
- Works with other staff to agree and implement the Inclusion Policy
- Coordinates the Special Educational Needs provision within our setting
- Offers support for parents
- Supports staff development
- Liaises with other agencies
- Keeps appropriate records
- Assists staff in making observations and assessments
- Assists staff in planning for children with Special Educational Needs
- Contacts our Early years Advisor at an early stage for informal advice and support
Admission arrangements
We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the pre-school through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures. We follow admissions criteria in line with our current admissions policy. Children identified and referred to the group as having a particular need may be given priority over strict adherence to the waiting list.
When a child starts at pre-school we work closely with the parents to support settling their child. A member of staff will welcome and help settle the child in to pre-school. During the Settling in meeting if it becomes apparent a child has additional needs the sessions will need to be reviewed to ensure that individual needs can be met. This may result in adjusted sessions to ensure inclusion. If it is felt that additional staffing is required to meet the child’s needs, adjustment may have to be made until a member of staff is appointed.
Partnership with parents
Parents are consulted at every level of intervention. Parents have a right to be involved in discussions about their child. Procedures should be explained to parents in order to develop a close working relationship and so parents can be made aware of the targets being set for their child. Parents will be offered advice about how they can work with their child at home if they so wish. The effectiveness of any intervention will depend upon the level of involvement of parents.
Consultation with parents is made informally on a daily basis. Additional consultation is made at either the parents or the pre-schools request at a mutually convenient time.
Heavitree Community Preschool will direct prime carers to the Parent Partnership service, who offer further advice and guidance to parents in a range of different languages.
Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs
Definition of SEND (From the SEND Code of Practice)
A child has SEN if s/he has a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her.
A child has a learning difficulty if s/he:
- Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
- Has a disability that either prevents or hinders the child from making use of the facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in pre-school.
A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of the home is different from the language in which s/he will be taught.
Identification, assessment and provision
The need for early identification is paramount. It is made either by the staff or from information received from previous pre-schools, nursery provision or from other external sources. Parental concern is also taken into consideration. The pre-school follows the Stages set out in the revised Code of Practice. This identifies the stage the child is at, and clarifies who is responsible for the additional provision that is needed to support the child’s progress.
Our system of observation and record keeping, which operates in conjunction with parents, enables us to monitor children’s needs and progress on an individual basis.
Children with other needs are provided for through individual education plans (IEP) following the graduated response recommendations.
If it is felt that a child’s needs cannot be met through pre-school without additional support then advice will be sought from the Early Years Consultant. Decisions will then be made as to whether further funding and/or support is required.
Stages followed as part of the graduated response are:-
Early Years Action: the staff in consultation with the SENCO needs to gather information to assess the child’s learning difficulties. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written and put into place where appropriate. Provision for extra support is made within the resources of the pre-school.
Early Years Action Plus: as at Early Years Action with additional support from specialists from outside the pre-school, beginning with the Early Years Consultant.
Devon Assessment Framework (DAF) process is followed: After the need has been identified and strategies implemented, if little or no progress has been made, contact will be made with the Early Help Co-ordination Centre to initiate a DAF. Completion of the DAF 1 will take place and a Team Around the child (TAC) meeting will be arranged to complete My Plan 2A which will give clear action for the next steps. If it is felt the child’s needs cannot be met through available funding and strategies then the next stage of the DAF process will be implemented DAF3A or EHC plan (see attached).
Links with support services and other agencies
The pre-school recognises that to provide a fully inclusive and supportive environment there is a need when considering SEN to work closely with the full range of support services and external agencies. Agencies are called upon when support is required for a specific need. The pre-school also works closely with agencies when information is requested to support a child. Heavitree Community Pre-school supports Devon’s Local Offer, Signposting local and wider services on offer which can be accessed through the link on our website.
Agencies used by the pre-school include (this list is not exclusive of these services):
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Specialist Children’s Assessment Centre
- Educational Psychologist
- Community Nursing teams
- Behaviour Support Service
- Nursery Plus
- Portage
- Health Visitors
- Specialist support teachers or services
- Occupational and Physiotherapists
Facilities, Staffing and Training:
Facilities:
The pre-school has both inside and outside space. There are toilet facilities within the pre-school including a disabled toilet. There is a kitchen for staff use. The nature of the activities in the playroom and outside space changes in accordance with the planning.
Staffing:
The pre-school fully complies with the Ofsted requirements in terms of staffing
If there is a need for an increase in staff due to issues surrounding inclusion, resources will be met initially within the pre-school’s budget and then depending on need additional funding will be sought.
All staff working directly with children have appropriate knowledge of young children and their needs.
Training:
The pre-school provides SEN in-service training in line with the pre-school training plan and staff appraisal. The SENCO will participate in the training on inclusion provided by the Devon Early Years Partnership as well as other training needed to provide a high quality of provision for the pre-school. The SENCO will keep up-to-date with changes in legislation and share with the setting as appropriate.
Curriculum, Resources and the learning Environment:
Curriculum
We aim to:-
- Ensure total coverage of the Early Years Foundation Stage
- Ensure that the activities provide many opportunities for play and for children to learn through play
- Modify and differentiate activities to ensure all can be involved.
- Provide stimulating and interesting work.
- Build on knowledge and skills already acquired, and make sure that each child is being stretched and able to reach their own potential.
- Produce plans so that children can work at their own level and pace, through a range of activities.
The pre-school aims to provide a differentiated curriculum, relating learning intentions, resources and learning support to individual children’s needs in order to maximise their achievement and progress. The planned curriculum follows the guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
As well as a differentiated curriculum, children with SEN at Early Years Action and above will have an Individual Education Programme (IEP) drawn up if appropriate.
At our pre-school we feel it is essential that the children with SEN are taught in a fully inclusive environment and their needs are met within our continuous provision and planned activities. We recognise the need for additional resources that will enable all children to have access to the activities on offer.
Resources
There are a wide range of high quality resources that reflect not only the immediate community but also give opportunities for the children to explore the wider world around them.
The learning environment
We arrange and use the playroom in our setting to support learning, promote confidence, and encourage appropriate behaviour. Risk factors are taken into consideration, and the children are supervised at all times.
Transition into school
The children in our pre-school will attend a number of Exeter Primary schools. These schools arrange with parents / carers for their children to visit prior to admission. We aim to work closely with local schools, encouraging shared visits and exchanging information as appropriate.
Monitoring this policy / complaints procedure:
The criteria for measuring the success of the policy should be specific, attainable, realistic and time constrained. They should indicate the extent to which the pre-school has been successful in meeting the needs of our SEN children.
The SENCO through process of moderation will help measure the success of the policy.
All pre-school policies are reviewed annually and available to all staff parents and committee. All parties are encouraged to update the polices.
