Little Learners Day Nursery has been recognised as an enhanced special educational needs and disability [SEND] provision for over the past ten years. Our practitioners aim to understand the needs of individual children and put support in place to ensure progress is made as a part of our offer of the graduated approach. We also work collaboratively with parents/carers, health visitors and other relevant professionals through our robust Two-Year Integrated Review checkpoint to determine an early intervention programme which is most suitable. As a setting we introduce personalised learning plans as and when they are required which offer ongoing communication between our setting, other professionals and the child’s family. This process offers a small steps approach that can lead onto the introduction of a support plan and provide evidence towards higher needs support [Education, Health and Care Plan].
We have direct access to support services that work within the Trust including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Audiologists who work collaboratively with our highly skilled practitioners through open-ended natural play resources. We also receive support from the Trust’s British Sign Language (BSL) tutors to provide Level 1 qualification to practitioners across our nursery.
Regular monitoring and assessments are carried out using our setting’s bespoke curriculum that speaks to us and our current cohort of children to offer targeted intervention. The local authority supports our setting through additional funding to enhance ratios and ensure children who require additional support do so to achieve their full potential. This is done through concrete objects, sensory breaks, one to one focussed time, visual timetables and advised interventions such as speech and language strategies, physiotherapy programmes. We also provide appropriate resources based on the child’s ability within all environments for the children in our care which are risk assessed continuously.
Through having strong parent partnerships and communicating effectively with all those who are involved during a child’s time with us in setting, we endeavour to empower parents/carers during their own journeys in supporting their children.