About Us
Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs at Sherwood Green Nurseries
At Sherwood Green, we recognize and celebrate the individuality of each child. We believe every child deserves to thrive and should be supported in ways that foster a positive learning experience. While some children may need extra support to reach their fullest potential, we partner with parents to develop a tailored, graduated approach to meet each child’s unique needs. Our practices are rooted in the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2015, reflected in our policies and daily practices.
In our nurseries, we have a designated SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) who supports children with a range of special needs. Our SENCO representative plays a vital role in ensuring that all practitioners understand their responsibilities in identifying and meeting the needs of children with SEN. They provide guidance and support to staff, work closely with parents to keep them involved, and consult with external professionals and agencies to enhance support.
The SENCO collaborates closely with each child’s key person and their parents to develop Individual Education Plans (IEPs) tailored to the child’s needs. These plans are created with the support of the Early Intervention team, whose primary focus is to help us promote the learning and development of children with SEN.
Staff training is essential in our approach to SEN, ensuring practitioners are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to support each child effectively. The SENCO also attends regular training to stay updated on best practices and bring new insights to the team.
Graduated Approach
What is the Graduated Approach?
The Graduated Approach is a best-practice method used to support children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in our nurseries. This approach is cantered around the assess, plan, do, review cycle, which ensures each child’s needs are continually evaluated and addressed in a structured way.
Here’s how the Graduated Approach is used in nurseries:
The starting point for supporting all children, including those with SEN, is through inclusive and high-quality teaching practices. This ensures that every child can participate in learning activities within a supportive nursery environment.
If a child continues to face challenges despite inclusive teaching, additional strategies and provisions are planned. This is where the Graduated Approach helps to identify and break down specific barriers to learning.
This continuous cycle ensures that the support provided is flexible, evolving alongside the child’s development, and tailored to promote positive outcomes. The Graduated Approach enables nurseries to respond effectively to the needs of each child, fostering their learning and overall well-being.
Access:
Observations and assessments are made to understand the child’s challenges and needs.
Plan:
Observations and assessments are made to understand the child’s challenges and needs.
Do:
Practitioners implement the planned interventions in the child’s daily routine.
Review:
Regular reviews help evaluate the child’s progress and refine the approach as needed.
Progress Reporting
We will provide termly reports on your child’s progress. Your child’s key person will meet you three times a year to set clear outcomes for your child’s progress, review progress towards those outcomes, discuss the support we will put in place, and identify what actions we will take as well as what we will ask you to do.
The SENCO may also attend these meetings to provide extra support, but your child’s key person is your primary contact. After any discussion, we will make a record of agreed outcomes, actions, and support.