Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
We meet the statutory requirements of the Revised Code of Practice which
include Kent’s ‘Local Offer’. You can view the Local Authorities offer below.
www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children
 

1. How does the early years setting know if children need extra help and
what should I do if I think my child may have special education needs or
disabilities?

“Children develop at their own rates, and in their own ways” taken from
Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
Families regularly raise concerns with practitioners at Scalliwags and most of
the time we can allay their fears and explain how this is part of a normal wide
range of development. If you have any concerns about your child’s development,
however minor, you can raise it with your child’s Keyperson. She will then share
this concern with the setting’s SENCO who will work with your child’s Keyperson
to monitor, investigate and react to the situation, implementing well developed
strategies. The Keyperson will communicate with the parent with any updates or
developments. This may result in Target Plans being compiled, or engagement of
outside agencies such as Speech & Language, Equality and Inclusion, Health
Visitor, or Specialist Teaching services through the LIFT process. Any of the
above would always be done in consultation with the family
We also keep track of each child’s personal development through using the
guidelines from the EYFS and the Keyperson completes a Progress Tracker for
each child three times a year. If this highlights a possible problem the
Keyperson will speak to the family and suggest activities that could be
encouraged at home and at the setting to develop this area of progress.

 

2. How will the early years setting support my child?

By completing the Progress Tracker three times a year, the Keyperson will
quickly notice if a child is not developing in any particular area. With children
under the age of three years we are particularly concentrating on the three
Prime Areas of development, their Personal, Social and Emotional Development,
their Communication and Language and their Physical Development. If all these
areas progress within the very wide range that is considered ‘normal’ in the
EYFS, then other Specific areas, i.e. Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the
World and Expressive Arts and Design, will develop naturally as the child grows.

Our daily activities continuously encourage the use of language and listening,
sharing with, and learning to empathise with their peers and understanding their
bodies and their physical abilities. The individual planning carried out by the
Keyperson is based on the recent observations of your child so that there is a
continuous circle of Observation, Assessment and Planning.
Should the Progress Tracker indicate that a child is not progressing for their
age/stage range then the Keyperson/SENCO will arrange to speak to the family
so that together, we can help your child by putting specific strategies in place.

 

3. How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
 

Through the Progress Tracker and the Individual Planning, the Keyperson will
devise activities around your child’s interests. They will share this information
with other practitioners so that everyone has the same expectations and your
child can grow in confidence.
Your child’s Learning Journal will indicate their successes and give examples of
observations and their creative work. All the Progress Trackers will be filed in
this journal so you can see their progress and discuss any entries with their
Keyperson at any time. The individual planning for your child is based on recent
observations so that there is a continuous circle of Observation, Assessment
and Planning.

 

4. How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help
me to support my child’s learning?
 

A combination of Parents’ Evenings and Reports which are sent home, enhance
the regular communication at drop off and pick up.
Scalliwags operates an open-door policy, parents are welcome to come into the
setting at any time to discuss their child’s progress or any concerns they may
have.
In our weekly Newsletter we outline the topics that will be focused upon in each
age group during the next week, as well highlighting what we have been up to
that week. You can then help to support your child by incorporating these topics
in your home activities/play should you wish to. Regular Facebook updates in the

secret groups for each age group also give a great insight as to what we have
been doing.
Parents are very welcome to speak to staff at any time be it at drop off, pick up
or on the phone during the session.

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5. What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?
 

Scalliwags has a strong family ethos and from your first visit we will want to
hear about your child and your family, his/her needs and interests, so that we
can start to get to know each other and plan for your child’s learning. Most
importantly, we want you all to be happy and confident in our service, progress
will then follow.
The Manager will go through your completed registration form with you,
ensuring that all the relevant information about his/her needs and preferences
are passed onto the right persons. ‘All about Me’ forms give your Keyperson
detailed information about your child’s likes and dislikes and is key in helping
ensure that your child settles well at Scalliwags. Your child’s Keyperson will be
there at your ‘meet and greet’ session.
Medication forms will be completed together so that we can be sure that we are
administering treatment according to your GP’s instructions.
Your child will be safe. The garden is fenced to a height of 6 foot, with a
securely locked gate. The front door is locked and only opened by a senior
member of staff who will then question the visitor if they are not recognised.
Your child will only be allowed to leave with you or another adult that you have
named on your Registration form, and only then if they can give us the correct
password.
Please ask to see policies on safeguarding, medication, staff training.

 

6. What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by
the early years setting?
 

We are proud of the level of staff expertise and experience at Scalliwags. Over
the last couple of years, we have built on our knowledge of SEND, working

closely with the Specialist Teaching Services, Speech and Language and SENIF
Practitioners. Our SENCO has a wealth of experience in compiling Target Plans
with the individual’s Keyperson and has completed and submitted many EHCPs.
Staff at the setting have experience in PECS and the use of visuals for
individual children, as well as the visual timetable used for all children.
All staff are informed of any SEND updates at our regular team meetings and
specific guidelines for individual children are shared between staff as they
occur. By working together as a team, the best possible care, development and
integration can be found for your child.

 

7. What training have the staff, supporting children with SEND, had or are
undergoing?
 

The Scalliwags’ team includes an experienced Primary School teacher with QTS,
our SENCO has a level 6 qualification in Childhood Studies and Our Setting’s
Manager is an experienced TEFL teacher specialising in the Early Years age
group. The rest of the practitioner team are qualified as Early Years Educators
at level 3, our two currently unqualified staff members will undertake Level 3
Training in the academic year 2019/20.
The whole team are qualified Paediatric First Aiders and all have undergone
Child Protection training. Two hold level 2 Food Hygiene and two are trained in
Health and Safety in the Workplace. We take full advantage of local training
courses and staff have been on courses for Behaviour Management, specialist
courses for 2-year olds, Social Story creation, ADHD Awareness in Early Years,
ASD awareness in Early Years, Reluctant Speakers, EAL in the Setting, Portage
and courses to develop early communication. Staff are experienced in using
PECS, visuals and Makaton.

In addition to training courses, we have 6-weekly staff meetings. These
meetings enable the team to discuss individual children, sharing best practice
and ideas, ensuring that we can get the best results possible for each child.

 

8. How will my child be included in activities outside the early years setting
including trips?

 

During the pre-school day we sometimes take children off site for walks, making
the most of the fabulous recreation ground on our doorstep, or to places of
interest in the town (e.g. library); we keep a note of which children go so that
we can include all children over a period of time. These outings are very
dependent on having sufficient staff and other adults to be able to accompany
the children to ensure everyone’s safety. We usually go out with ratios of one
adult to two children.
If we feel that a child’s safety can only be ensured through one to one attention
then we would only be able to take that child if enough adults were available.
Parents are always very welcome to join the outing and supervise their child.

 

9. How accessible is the early years environment? (Indoors and outdoors)
 

An individual’s needs would be accessed on an individual basis with full
consultation with the family to ensure that our building is suitable and that we
are able to provide the right expertise. Practitioners would access specialist
courses at the earliest possibility if this was advised by other professionals
involved in a SEN child’s care.
Scalliwags is a detached hall built circa 1950 and is not wheelchair accessible.
Inside there is the main hall, with kitchen and bathrooms adjacent to it as well
as a ramp leading to the enclosed garden. Once inside the building everything is
on one level and doorways are wide enough to accommodate a small wheelchair.
Outside the garden is on one level and it is possible to access the garden with an
adult wheelchair through a side gate if other members of the family are
wheelchair users and would like to attend family events held in the garden.
We presently have twelve children at Scalliwags for whom English is an
additional language (EAL). We take the time to ensure that the families have all
the information that they need and can help them to make contact with other
parents speaking the same language. We have a designated EAL and Inclusion
Officer who plans events each term to celebrate diversity and recognise the
traditions and festivals of all of our children. Parents of EAL children are
invited into the session to help celebrate such festivals, to read a story to a
group of children in their native tongue or to advise staff on pronunciation of

key words in their child’s mother tongue. We have a member of staff qualified
in TEFL who specialises in the Early Years age group.

 

10. How will the early years setting prepare and support my child to join
the early years setting, transfer to a new setting/school?
 

All children are invited to spend time at the setting before they start, these
visits can be extended to as many as needed depending on the individual child’s
needs. The aim, before starting, is that we have all the information that we
need about the child’s SEN, their diet and medication and the ways that he/she
communicates. We will have allocated a Keyperson and by the time the child
starts, we will have strived to build a relationship between the child and
Keyperson and at least one other practitioner so that the child will accept
‘comfort’ when needed. In our opinion, it is vital that there is also a strong
relationship bond between the Keyperson and the family, not just the child in
our care.

When the time comes to move onto school, we will make contact with the school
SENCO and FLO as soon as you have the school place confirmed by KCC.
Together (school, pre-school and family) we will agree visits by the school to the
pre-school and the child to the school, until we are all confident that all
information has been shared and the child is ready to make the next move in
their educational journey. Depending on your child’s particular needs, other
professionals named on the child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan may
need to be involved in this transition.
The Learning Journal will be passed onto the school. The SENCO from
Scalliwags will happily share information with the school SENCO during the first
school term, to answer any questions and offer any help to ensure that the
transition is smoothly completed.

 

11. How are the early years setting’s resources allocated and matched to
children’s special educational needs?
 

Since September 2014 there has been many changes in the ways in which early
years settings can access resources to support SEN children. The reforms are

set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, and the SEND Code of Practice:
0-25 years.

Scalliwags has experience in applying for SENIF (SEN Inclusion Fund) which
provides a limited amount of additional funding to support a child with SEN in a
mainstream stetting. If your child is in receipt of Disability Living allowance
there is an additional one-off payment (DAF) which can also be applied for by
the setting

 

12. How is the decision made about what type and how much support my
child will receive?
 

As with all our children, progress will be judged through the Progress Tracker. The
SEND Code of Practice allows for a revised system to identify, support and assess
children’s needs. Your child’s Keyperson and the SENCO at Scalliwags will work
together with the family to agree ambitious outcomes for identified children and set
clear progress targets, and be clear in their planning about how agreed resources are
going to support the child to reach the targets. The setting will work closely with
outside agencies such as Speech and Language and Specialist Teaching Services to
ensure the appropriate levels of support are in place for your child.

 

13. How are parents involved in the early years setting? How can I be involved?
 

Scalliwags encourages parents to feel like they are part of the pre-school by
facilitating special event days, parent-keyperson evenings, a parent’s rota for helping in
sessions and parent reps who put forward the views and ideas of parents at the
quarterly Trustees’ meetings.
Parents join us for some pre-school outings and also come into Scalliwags to share
interests or information about their jobs with the children, e.g. visits from a nurse, a
police officer, and a parent to tell the children about Chinese New Year and other
festivals and traditions.
Staff are always ready to listen to any concerns that you have or answer any questions.
We want you to feel that you are truly part of Scalliwags.

 

14. Who can I contact for further information?
 

If you have any questions about Scalliwags and whether this might be the most suitable
pre-school for your child, please contact the Setting’s Manager, Tracey. You will be
invited along for a pre-visit with your child, where you will meet the Children’s Manager,
Carly or her deputy, Sally who will show you around and discuss your child’s needs or any
worries you may have. Together we will agree whether we can fully meet your child’s
needs and research the help that may be available. You can contact us at Scalliwags on
01892 835980 or at admin@scalliwags.org
Once your child has started at Scalliwags you will be able to speak to his/her Keyperson
in the first instance or the Children’s Manager, Carly. Not all of our staff work 5 days a
week, but there will always be someone available to speak to you about any concerns.