The Butterfly Preschool Policies

 At The Butterfly Preschool we aim to create a listening atmosphere and environment where everyone is welcomed, all individual needs are met, support is given and information is shared. We also want to ensure that we enable all children to become confident learners with a growing ability to communicate their own views. We ensure all children are equally valued and to develop & maintain an environment where all children can flourish & feel safe.

We are committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and outside agencies to raise aspirations and expectations for children with SEND by focusing on the whole child to ensure positive outcomes and to enable all children to fulfil their potential. 

Our Special Educational Needs Policy takes into consideration the DfES Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) and the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), and the Equality Act (2010). 

We are inclusive to all children with special educational needs. We identify the specific needs of children with special educational needs and meet those needs through a range of SEN strategies. We work in partnership with parents and outside agencies at every stage and in the plans that are made to meet a child’s individual special needs. 

We have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, who's name can be provided on request (SENCo), who is also supported by an Early Years Advisor from the Early Years Team at the local Council.

The Role of the SENCo (taken from SEN Code of Practice 2014) 

• Ensure all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND (special educational need/disability) and the nurseries approach to identifying and meeting the child’s needs. 
• Advising and supporting colleagues. 
• Ensure parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the nursery. 
• Liaise with professionals or agencies beyond the setting. 

The SENCo’s responsibilities include:

• The day to day procedure of our Special Educational Needs Policy
• Managing all information about each child with SEND
• Managing additional support of children with SEND
• Promote good communication channels with parents and carers of children with SEND
• Liaising with other professionals and agencies that can help
• Ensure that staff understand and follow the SEND practice as well as each individual child’s PSP (Personal support plan) and EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan).
• The SEND support to be carried out. Additional or different activities/resources used to meet the child's needs. SEN support plan be reviewed regularly. Monitoring of planned activities to be continuous.
• The EY SENCO to discuss concerns with staff and offer advise. The EY SENCO with the help of the child's Teacher, to write PSP (Personal Support Plans). 
• Remote staff development and training in relation to the SEN
• Monitor, evaluate and review the SEN policy at regular intervals.
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Children may have special educational needs,and so need extra help, in one or more of these areas:

• Communication and how they relate to other people e.g. autistic spectrum disorder; speech and language difficulties
• Cognition (thinking) and learning e.g. learning difficulties, developmental delay
• Behaviour, emotional and social development
• Sensory and/or physical e.g. cerebral palsy, hearing or visual impairment.

The SEND Code of Practice describes the concerns that would lead to SEND support being considered. The child: 

• makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted to improve the child's identified area/s of weakness 
• continues working at a level significantly below those expected in certain areas for children of a similar age.
• presents persistent emotional and/or behavioural difficulties which are not reduced by behaviour management techniques usually employed
• has sensory or physical difficulties and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of personal aids and equipment 
• has communication and/or interaction difficulties and requires specific individual interventions in order to access learning.

Arrangements when an area of weakness has been identified then the Key Worker is responsible for making arrangements.

Key Workers should: 

• Share views, ideas and information about the child with other members of staff
• Complete detailed observations 
• Raise concerns with parents/carers
• Agree actions. The Early Years SENCO and the child's Teacher, in consultation with parents, will then put into place the following procedures: Procedures Assess, Plan, Do & Review. 

The Butterfly school its approach on the guidelines given in the SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 Years (2014). This is a graduated approach in the form of a four-part cycle; Assess, Plan, Do & Review.

Assess: Once a child has been identified as needing SEND support: 

• The teacher, with the SENCO, will carry out a clear analysis of the child’s needs. Expression of concern forms will be used to collate information from all staff with concerns.
• This analysis will draw on the teacher’s assessment and the child’s previous progress and attainment and behaviour.
• A comparison will be made as to the child’s development related to that of his/her peers. 
• The views and experiences of the child’s parents will also be taken into account when assessing the child’s needs. SENCO Early Years Policy 2016. Advice will be sought from external agencies where relevant. 
• Assessment to be reviewed regularly

Plan: 

Once it has been decided to give a child SEND support parents will be formally notified and invited in for a meeting with the Teacher and the SENCO. Adjustments, interventions and support will then be put in place. At this stage of the cycle all teachers and support staff will be made aware of child’s needs, the expected outcomes, the support required and any strategies or approaches to be used. The parents will be made fully aware of the planned support and interventions. 

Do: 

Teachers will be responsible for working with the child on a daily basis, working closely with the support of the SENCO.

Review: 

Support and interventions will be reviewed termly in discussion with the teacher, SENCO and parents. 

• Interventions will be evaluated and support revised in light of the child’s progress and development. 

Early Help Assessment form

Once a form has been filled in for a particular child this needs to be sent to the following address:

Child Development Centre

Ground Floor, Lanesborough Wing, St George’s Hospital

17, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT

The arrangements put in place might include:

• The use of different learning materials or special equipment 
• Some individual or group support or staff development and training to introduce more effective strategies.

Other professionals we may work with include:

• Social Workers
• Portage Workers
• Health Visitors
• Early Education Team
• Family Support Worker
• Occupational therapist
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and language Therapists
• Advisory teacher for the visual and hearing impaired

Specialist Facilities

Staff are trained in special educational needs including the SENCo course. We raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff. We have inclusive resources and will provide any equipment needed to implement our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Policy. We provide children with support to achieve individual targets and all children are included in activities offered. 

Partnership with parents

We believe that working in partnership with parents is vital to each individual child’s development. This includes supporting parents and carers and listening to their views and concerns. Parents and carers have the opportunity to speak with a manager on a daily basis. We welcome parent’s observations and use these to plan for each individual child. 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

We follow the EYFS and planning is responsive to children’s needs and interests including children with SEND. We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all children with SEND. 

Monitoring and Evaluation

We monitor the effectiveness of our SEN provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. Personal Support Plan reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agency’s reviews, inspections and complaints. 

Complaints

A parent/carer who is concerned about the child’s SEND provision should discuss their worries with the child’s key worker or the SENCo. If this does not have a satisfactory outcome or the problem reoccurs, the pare