Mount Carmel Day Nursery

Our setting welcomes children with SEND and we are committed to working with parents and other professionals to provide good inclusive practice. Our Islington link Area SENCO provides us with support, advice and training re children with SEND.

Our SENCO has a Level 3 SENCO qualification, gained in 2020 and a Bachelor of Science Education degree. SENCO is also Makaton trained.

All our staff have access to SEN related in house training from Bright Horizons. Parents/carers work closely with their child’s allocated Key Person and can speak to them about any concerns and vice versa. The Key Person is responsible for the development of the child and tracking their learning and they will speak to parents/carers if they feel they may have a concern about any part of a child’s development. We monitor children’s progress against the EYFS. We assess children regularly and this is fed into a tracking system which can show if a child is not making the progress they should be.

All staff receive support and training relating to the needs of the children in their care. We consult with the appropriate Local Authority Early Years Team and relevant multi-agency professionals. The SENCO meets with Key Persons who have a child with a special educational need and supports them in providing the child with the appropriate care, involving parents/carers and the child in all stages.

Personal, Social and Emotional support is given to all children in our care by all staff in the room and nursery. Staff are trained in all areas of the EYFS. The management team, including the SENCO regularly observe and assess staff interaction and support given to the children. If a child requires medication, we have a robust medication policy that requires signatures for permission from parents/carers on clear documentation. A Care Plan will be written if a child requires regular medication.

We give children choices from a young age; we listen to children and respect their views. As children get older, we have a children’s council as part of our Pre-school curriculum and children are consulted about things such as purchases for the setting and what we can change to improve their experiences.

We have a safety mascot; Candy Floss, which children can relate to, and we discuss behaviours and conflict resolution and how to keep safe and others safe.

Many of the staff in the setting have experience of working with a variety of special educational needs. Staff have attended a variety of specific training as well. SENCO has a Level 3 SENCO qualification. Some staff have attended Makaton training. All staff are Paediatric First Aid trained, including EpiPen training. The setting will have the means to access any service they can specific to the needs of the child, with the help of the Local Authority and Bright Horizons. Parents/carers are always consulted about this and included in any information sharing.

The learning planned will be according to the next steps on the Support Plan. If the Local authority provides funding towards the support of a child with an additional need then it would normally be the child’s key person who provides the support. We monitor progress by doing regular observations and assessments and meet up with parents/carers and Graduated approach - Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) approach to setting any new targets, based on the progress made. We also use the SMART target approach so that the child’s needs and approaches used are achievable and realistic. We adapt the environment so that the child can feel safe and secure and confident within their environment at the nursery. If applicable, we use programmes from the professionals to ensure continuity and consistency within the child’s learning and development. 

All staff are receiving online and face to face sessions on special educational needs training, provided by Bright Horizons, including a mandatory disability and inclusion course for all staff. The management team and SENCO are responsible for ensuring this training is embedded in our practice. SENCO has gained Makaton training, as well as their Level 3 SENCO course. Staff are also due to be booked on behaviour management training and supporting EAL.

A child with special educational needs will be supported according to the advice of the Local Authority and any specialists involved. The nursery will follow this advice and put appropriate support in place. If the child was to have specific funding, the resources gained from the funding would be detailed and specified on how to implement them in practice for the benefit of the child.

The Key Person, the SENCO, the parents/carers and any specialists would implement a support plan (STP) and carry out regular assessments to show how a child is progressing and the impact the actions have had. Parent/carers are involved in all plans made. These support plans are reviewed and modified every six weeks.