Cleverclogs logoClever Clogs Pre-School

Equality of Opportunity

Clever Clogs Pre-school (Westeriings)

2.3 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Clever Clogs pre-school

Our Offer.
Clever Clogs @ Westerings is a privately run pre-school, set within Westerings Primary Academy. Clever Clogs is a fully inclusive setting where everyone is welcome, and we have an open door policy. We promote equality of opportunity for all children. At Clever Clogs we have a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND, and recognise that early identification and effective provision will lead to positive outcomes for a child’s learning and development.

How our setting knows if a child needs extra help and what our parents and carers should do if they think their child may have Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
At Clever Clogs each child is treated as an individual and is allocated their own key person. Our experienced staff members make regular observations and assessments of children which are linked to the Early Years Outcomes and Development Matters ages and stages of development. These observations help to identify individual needs and enable the planning of your child’s next steps. We operate an open door policy and should you have any concerns about your child’s development, you should speak to your child’s key person or the settings Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

How our setting supports children with SEND.
Your child’s key person and SENCO will work closely with you and your child. Your views, alongside our observations and information and strategies from other professionals, all contribute to a Personalised Plan, which plans to support your child’s learning and development. The key person works with your child and oversees the implementation of the plan, and with your contribution, the Plan is reviewed and updated regularly.

We use the graduated approach, known as the One Plan. The child is at the centre of One Planning, and the needs, goals and aspirations of the child and their families are focussed on. The SENCO leads and coordinates regular One Planning meetings, where parents and carers and other professionals involved in the care of the child come together to discuss and review the plan of support.

The SENCO offers support and advice to you and all staff members within the setting and, with your permission, liaises with other professionals who also may be supporting your child. With your support, we welcome those professionals into our setting to share strategies and advice, enabling us all to support your child effectively. We have access to specific resources and play equipment and inclusion partner, and our Area SENCO also provides us with support and advice.

How our setting creates learning and development opportunities for individual children with SEND.
We are a fully inclusive setting, and differentiate activities within our plans so that they are accessible to all. We take into account the ages and stages of all children in our planning. Makaton is used throughout the session, along with visuals of the activities. We use visual ‘first and then’ boards to support communication, and staff have experience of using PECS (Picture Exchange System).

Our trained and experienced ENCO (Equality Named Co-ordinator) gives ongoing support to staff members and ensures that our setting continually has an inclusive approach.

How our setting works in partnership with parents and carers.
We work in partnership with parents and carers. Positive relationships are built with parents, and parents contribute to every stage of their child’s assessment, planning, and reviewing of their progress. We welcome parents to share information with their child’s key person and SENCO.

We use home/school contact books, in which information is shared between parents and the setting. This is a way for parents to see what their child has been doing during the session and also tell us about the things a child has achieved at home.

Each child has a Learning Journey, compiled by a child’s key person, which is continually updated and documents their time at Clever Clogs with observations and photos. These are regularly shared with parents, and parents can also contribute to these with observations of what child has achieved at home.

How our setting supports the well-being of young children with SEND.
At Clever Clogs we follow the Safeguarding and Welfare requirements of the EYFS. Our policies are available to view on our website and within the setting.
Risk assessments are carried out in partnership with parents and carers for all children with SEND when they join our setting.
Staff members have up to date paediatric first aid training and we undertake training in administering specific medications. 

Staff training and experience in supporting young children with SEND.
We use the graduated approach system for identifying, assessing and responding to children with SEND. Staff members have many years of experience in supporting children with varying SEND. The role of the SENCO is to support and advise the child’s key person and all members of staff. They liaise with professionals in Health and Education and ensure that a child’s specific needs are met through the appropriate provision. Staff members have completed training in Early Talk Boost, a targeted language and communication intervention. Other training we have undertaken includes Intensive Interaction, Autism, Makaton, understanding Down syndrome and child behaviour. We continually update our training to gain further knowledge in supporting children effectively with SEND. All staff members have up to date Safeguarding training, and staff members hold the relevant paediatric first aid certificate. Many have also undertaken training to administer specific medication such as Epi-Pen and Bucculum Midazolam. Nasal gastric tube feeding training has also been completed.

Working with other professionals.
At Clever Clogs we work closely and have good relationships with many of the professionals in our area who regularly visit the setting. Some of these include:

  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Educational Psychologist
  • Health Visitor
  • Local Children’s Centre Staff
  • Inclusion Partner

Our accessible environment.
Our setting based within Westerings Primary Academy is fully accessible via the main door, with access to the outdoor environment. There is allocated disabled parking in the car park and the building has a disabled toilet. The resources are easily accessed by the children, who have free choice of play and learning.

How our setting prepares and supports young children with SEND when joining the setting and when transferring to another setting or school.
During the induction to Clever Clogs, parents are invited to share information about their child’s strengths and needs with the manager and SENCO. Our ‘settling in’ sessions, where parents or carers can stay with their child, continue until both parent and child are familiar with our setting and feel happy and secure.

We have good relationships with all of the local schools and during the transition process reception teachers from these schools visit our setting to meet the children. The school SENCO and reception teacher are invited to attend One Planning meetings before a child starts school. This allows us, parents and other professionals to share information about a child with the school, aiding the transition process. There are also many opportunities for additional transition visits where a child is transferring to Westerings Primary Academy.

Who to contact for further information.
If you would like further information about our setting or would like to discuss your child’s needs please call Mrs Jane Duboux on 01702 205967 or 07877 814708 or email enquiries@cleverclogspreschool.co.uk.                 

          

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