1. Aims and Objectives
At LoveSpring Nursery School, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment where every child, regardless of their needs or abilities, can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Our SEND Commitment
Our SEND policy aims to:
- Ensure full implementation of national legislation and guidance for children with SEND
- Provide appropriate support and provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities
- Enable children with SEND to access all aspects of nursery life alongside their peers
- Help children with SEND become confident individuals and achieve their best outcomes
- Facilitate successful transitions to next educational settings
- Maintain strong communication and partnership with parents and carers
- Ensure consistent implementation of SEND procedures by all staff
2. Vision and Values
At LoveSpring Nursery School, we provide all children with access to a broad, balanced, and engaging early years curriculum. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where provision is tailored to meet the individual needs and abilities of every child.
Our Inclusive Approach
We believe that:
- Every child has the right to access high-quality early years education
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for positive outcomes
- Partnership with parents is essential for effective support
- Children's voices should be heard and valued in decisions about their support
- All staff share responsibility for supporting children with SEND
3. Legislation and Guidance
3.1 Legal Framework
| Legislation/Guidance |
Requirements |
| Children and Families Act 2014 |
Schools' responsibilities for children with SEND |
| SEND Code of Practice 2015 |
Statutory guidance for identifying and supporting SEND |
| Equality Act 2010 |
Reasonable adjustments for disabled children |
| Early Years Foundation Stage 2024 |
SEND requirements within early years framework |
| Public Sector Equality Duty |
Eliminating discrimination and advancing equality |
3.2 Key Principles
Our approach is guided by these fundamental principles from the SEND Code of Practice:
- Children and their parents participate in decision-making
- Provision is based on a graduated approach (Assess, Plan, Do, Review)
- Focus on outcomes rather than just provision
- Collaboration between education, health and social care services
- High aspirations and improving outcomes for all children
4. Inclusion and Equal Opportunities
Our Inclusive Environment
We strive to create an inclusive teaching environment that offers all children, regardless of their needs and abilities, access to a broad, balanced and challenging early years curriculum. We achieve this through:
- Making reasonable adjustments to teaching, the curriculum and the nursery environment
- Ensuring children with SEND are included in all aspects of nursery life
- Providing appropriate resources and equipment to support access
- Training staff to meet diverse needs effectively
- Creating a culture of acceptance and understanding among all children
- Regularly reviewing and improving our inclusive practices
5. Definitions and Areas of Need
5.1 Key Definitions
| Term |
Definition |
| Special Educational Needs |
A learning difficulty or disability requiring special educational provision |
| Disability |
Physical or mental impairment with substantial long-term adverse effect |
| Special Educational Provision |
Educational provision additional to or different from that generally provided |
| Reasonable Adjustments |
Changes to ensure disabled children are not at substantial disadvantage |
5.2 Four Areas of Need
Communication and Interaction
Children who have difficulty communicating with others, understanding what is said, or using social rules of communication. This includes children on the autism spectrum.
Cognition and Learning
Children who learn at a slower pace than their peers, including those with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, or more general learning difficulties.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Children who may have mental health difficulties, attention deficit disorders, attachment disorders, or who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.
Sensory and/or Physical
Children with sensory impairments (vision, hearing, multi-sensory) or physical impairments that require additional support and equipment.
6. Roles and Responsibilities
6.1 Designated Roles
| Role |
Responsibilities |
| SENCO |
Overall coordination of SEND provision, staff guidance, parent liaison, external agency contact |
| Nursery Manager |
Strategic development, resource allocation, policy implementation oversight |
| Room Leaders |
Daily implementation, staff support, progress monitoring, parent communication |
| All Practitioners |
Differentiated teaching, progress monitoring, implementing support plans |
| Parents/Carers |
Providing information, participating in planning, reinforcing support at home |
6.2 SENCO Responsibilities
Special Educational Needs Coordinator
Our SENCO is responsible for:
- Overseeing day-to-day operation of the SEND policy
- Coordinating provision for children with SEND
- Liaising with parents of children with SEND
- Advising and supporting colleagues
- Contributing to staff training
- Liaising with external agencies
- Maintaining the SEND register and records
- Monitoring and evaluating SEND provision
- Ensuring smooth transitions
6.3 Practitioner Responsibilities
Every Practitioner's Role
All practitioners are responsible for:
- Planning and delivering high-quality, differentiated teaching
- Monitoring the progress and development of all children in their care
- Identifying children who may have SEND at the earliest opportunity
- Working closely with the SENCO and other specialists
- Implementing support plans and interventions effectively
- Communicating regularly with parents about their child's progress
- Creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment
7. Our Approach to SEND Support
7.1 Early Identification
| Identification Method |
Process |
| Baseline Assessment |
Comprehensive assessment when children join our nursery |
| Ongoing Observation |
Regular monitoring of progress and development |
| Parent Partnership |
Listening to and acting on parent concerns |
| Staff Awareness |
Training staff to recognise early signs of need |
| Progress Tracking |
Monitoring against Early Learning Goals and developmental milestones |
7.2 The Graduated Approach
Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle
- Assess: Clear analysis of child's needs using observations, assessments and parent input
- Plan: Agreement on outcomes, support strategies and review dates with parents
- Do: Implementation of planned support by practitioner with SENCO guidance
- Review: Evaluation of impact on progress and adjustment of support as needed
7.3 Levels of Support
SEN Support
For children requiring support beyond quality first teaching:
- Individual Support Plans (ISPs) with specific, measurable targets
- Additional small group or individual interventions
- Regular review meetings with parents
- Involvement of external specialists where needed
- Funding from nursery's notional SEND budget
Education, Health and Care Plans
For children with more complex needs:
- Statutory assessment may be requested from Local Authority
- Legal document describing needs, provision and outcomes
- Additional funding from high needs block
- Annual review process involving all professionals
- Coordinated multi-agency support
8. Partnership with Parents and Children
8.1 Parent Partnership
| Partnership Activity |
Purpose |
Frequency |
| Initial Discussions |
Share concerns and gather information |
As needed |
| Support Planning Meetings |
Jointly plan and agree support strategies |
Termly |
| Progress Reviews |
Evaluate impact of support and adjust plans |
Termly |
| Home Learning Ideas |
Reinforce learning and development at home |
Regularly |
| Informal Updates |
Share daily successes and challenges |
Daily/Weekly |
8.2 Child-Centred Approach
Listening to Children
We ensure children's voices are heard through:
- Age-appropriate discussions about their learning and support
- Observation of children's preferences and interests
- Providing choices in activities and resources
- Using visual supports to aid communication
- Valuing and acting on children's expressed views
- Creating opportunities for children to demonstrate their strengths
9. Staff Expertise and Training
9.1 Training Programme
| Training Area |
Participants |
Frequency |
| SEND Awareness |
All Staff |
Annually |
| SENCO Training |
SENCO |
As required |
| Specific Needs Training |
Relevant Staff |
As needed |
| Intervention Training |
Practitioners |
Termly |
| New Staff Induction |
New Staff |
On appointment |
9.2 Specialist Expertise
Developing Staff Capability
We develop staff expertise through:
- Regular supervision focusing on SEND practice
- Opportunities to shadow specialists
- Access to relevant qualifications and courses
- Sharing best practice within the team
- Learning from external professionals
- Regular updates on new research and approaches
10. Working with External Agencies
10.1 Partnership Agencies
| Agency |
Role |
Contact Process |
| Speech and Language Therapy |
Communication development support |
Referral via SENCO |
| Educational Psychology |
Complex needs assessment and advice |
LA referral process |
| Health Visitors |
Early development and health concerns |
Direct liaison |
| Portage Service |
Home-based learning support |
Referral via SENCO |
| Social Services |
Safeguarding and family support |
Multi-agency meetings |
| Specialist Teachers |
Specific learning difficulty support |
LA service request |
10.2 Multi-Agency Working
We ensure effective multi-agency working through:
- Clear referral procedures and consent processes
- Regular multi-agency meetings where appropriate
- Sharing of relevant information with parent consent
- Coordinated support plans across agencies
- Joint training and development opportunities
- Clear communication channels between professionals
11. Admission and Accessibility
11.1 Admission Arrangements
Inclusive Admissions
Our admission process for children with SEND includes:
- Discussion with parents about child's needs during registration
- Assessment of how we can meet the child's needs effectively
- Planning for any necessary adjustments before the child starts
- Gradual settling-in period tailored to individual needs
- Partnership with previous settings where applicable
- Ongoing review of the child's placement and support
11.2 Accessibility
Physical and Learning Environment
We ensure accessibility through:
- Physical adaptations to the building where needed
- Appropriate resources and equipment
- Visual supports and communication aids
- Adapted activities and teaching approaches
- Staff training on inclusive practice
- Regular review of accessibility arrangements
12. Monitoring and Evaluation
12.1 Evaluation Framework
| Evaluation Method |
Focus |
Frequency |
| Progress Tracking |
Individual child progress towards outcomes |
Termly |
| Parent Feedback |
Effectiveness of support and communication |
Termly |
| Staff Supervision |
Quality of SEND practice and support |
Termly |
| SENCO Monitoring |
Overall effectiveness of SEND provision |
Termly |
| Policy Review |
Compliance and effectiveness of policy |
Annually |
12.2 Success Measures
Measuring Impact
We evaluate the success of our SEND provision through:
- Children's progress towards their individual targets
- Children's happiness and engagement in nursery
- Parent satisfaction with support and communication
- Successful transitions to next settings
- Staff confidence in meeting diverse needs
- External agency feedback on our practice
