SEND Local Offer
Identifying and implementing enhanced support
How will Chestnut House Kindergarten know if my child needs extra help and what do I need to do if I think my child may have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities? |
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At Chestnut House Kindergarten we identify where children have special educational needs or disabilities through detailed induction meetings with parents when the child commences their placement with us. This will include the nature of the SEND, the child’s individual needs and requirements and any existing support. We ask all parents/carers to complete a ‘Baseline’ form with the child’s keyperson which provides a basis for our observations. If concerns are raised about a child who already attends the nursery, with parents’/carers’ permission, detailed observations will be carried out by the child’s key person and the nursery SENDco(s). Discussions are then held with the child’s parents/carers to discuss any additional support that could be implemented, including referrals to outside agencies if necessary. If parents/carers think their child may have SEND, they can raise their concerns with their child’s key person who can then refer them to the nursery SENDco(s). A meeting can then be arranged to discuss their concerns, either formally or informally, and additional support can be put into place where necessary. |
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How will Chestnut House Kindergarten support SEND children? |
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How will Chestnut House Kindergarten create learning & development opportunities for individual children with SEND? |
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How does Chestnut House Kindergarten work in partnership with parents? |
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How does Chestnut House Kindergarten support the wellbeing of young children with SEND? |
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Risk assessments are carried out daily on all areas of the nursery and grounds to ensure the safety of all children who attend the setting. Individual risk assessments may be completed if necessary, for example, if a child has complex needs and risks may be presented to the child or people around them. These will be carried out in partnership with the child’s parents/carers. Praise and positive reinforcement are used to promote positive behaviour in the setting. This could take the form of verbal praise, sticker charts, certificates or ‘Well done stars’. Practitioners act as positive role models to demonstrate the behaviours expected of all children. The setting has a set of Golden Rules that the children are taught which set out what is expected from them. Visual prompts are displayed around the room to reinforce these rules. All of our routines and environments are adaptable to suit the needs of the children. If a child requires prescribed medicine whilst at the setting, parents will be asked to complete an on-going Medicine Form or the daily medicine book, depending on how long they require the medicine for. Medicines are stored in sealed containers and clearly labelled before being stored in the First Aid cupboard or fridge. They are administered by practitioners who are trained in first aid, in the presence of another practitioner who will act as a witness. Personal care is administered in the most discreet way possible by the child’s key person so as to avoid embarrassment. Children with SEND are encouraged to contribute their views through discussions with their Key workers, art work or with communication aids, such as puppets. |
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What training & experience does staff at Chestnut House Kindergarten have in supporting children with SEND? |
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What specialist services and expertise are available to Chestnut House Kindergarten? |
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Within Chestnut House we welcome other professionals to work alongside us and to support our children with complex needs. We invite the children’s professionals in for example health visitors, Speech and language therapists or Children’s Centre workers so they can see and observe the child in question in an environment which is normal to them and where they feel comfortable(with parental consent). We can also sign post parents to these services if they feel they would like some additional support outside of the setting. |
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How does Chestnut House Kindergarten include young children with SEND in community based activities and outings? |
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When communicating with parents in the mornings about their child(ren) we speak to them about activities or day, outings which they have done either at the weekend or on a day they are not at nursery. We will use this information to inform our planning. We can then plan activities around the interests of the child to involve them within our day to day routine. We will do risk assessments for the activity to make sure it is safe for the children within the room and we use differentiation to make sure the activity meets every child’s development needs. For example, if we were doing hand print painting and we know that a certain child doesn’t like the feel of paint on their hands, we could use pens to draw around their hand instead. In our setting, we don’t go on outings but we invite professionals into the nursery ie tractor, lolly pop lady, policeman and vet. We will do a risk assessment on these visits into the nursery so all staff are aware of the possible risks and how they can be minimised. Where necessary, we will support children with SEND during their transition to school with extra visits to their new classroom in the company of a nursery practitioner. Risk assessments are carried out and strictly adhered to. Where travel is required, practitioners will meet the child and their parents at the school and handover will take place at the school after the visit. |
How accessible is Chestnut House Kindergarten? |
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How will Chestnut House Kindergarten prepare and support my child to join the nursery or transfer into a new setting or school? |
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At Chestnut House Kindergarten, we have a thorough induction procedure which can be modified to suit the needs of each child. Each family will attend an induction session with the child’s intended Room Manager where they can inform us of the child’s routine, likes and dislikes, any medical or dietary needs and any other information they feel is relevant. Parents are given an Induction Pack to welcome them to the nursery and provide them with various pieces of information about the setting. The child will then stay and play in the room for approximately an hour. After this, the child will attend settling in sessions which will increase in duration. On average, a child will attend 5 settling in sessions, however more can be arranged if it is felt that this will be needed to help the child settle. A book about the nursery can be made and given to the child for them to talk about at home, to help familiarise them with the setting and the people they may come across, if needed. Transitions to schools are also planned carefully to ensure all children are happy. We ask that parents inform us of their child’s named school so that our Early Years Practice Manager can contact them and arrange for the Teachers to visit the nursery. We ask that the Teachers bring photos of the school, reception classroom(s) and the uniform. When teachers visit us, they will spend time with each child attending their school and talk to the child’s Key Person about the child’s development and any additional needs they may have. We will share any necessary paperwork with the school with parents’/carers’ consent to ensure the new school has all the necessary information. We will support parents and children in this transition by talking to the children about going to school and their school visits or by reading stories which can also be taken home. All Pre-school rooms participate in P.E. lessons during which they are encouraged to change into a P.E. kit and back again, as they would in a school setting. |
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How are Chestnut House Kindergarten resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs? |
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How do we decide on appropriate support for young children with SEND? |
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How are parents involved at Chestnut House Kindergarten? How can I be involved? |
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CONTACT DETAILS:
Kelly Lamb
Chestnut House
45 Mill Road
Myland
Colchester CO4 5LE
Telephone: 01206 838900
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Open 51 weeks per year Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm
Updated January 2022