Cold Ash Pre-school

Children who already have support from external agencies will be identified to us by those agencies and by parents. In other cases, if parents or staff are concerned about a child ability to access the opportunities at pre-school, we will work together to establish whether they may benefit from further support in line with our SEN policy and the SEND Code of Practice.

We will meet with parents to discuss their child's possible needs or SEND, seek permission to make a referral to CYPIT if necessary, and work together to create and review Support and Achievement Play Plans which detail targets for the child and ways in which we can help to achieve them

Depending on the needs of the child, we will establish the best course of action to adapt the EYFS.

We have a routine that children are used to, and we prepare children for any changes to routines accordingly. We can use visual timetables if it is beneficial and tailor group work sessions to those children who need extra support. We plan differentiated group work in order for all children be able to access learning at their own level. We are able to incorporate basic Makaton into our group and carpet sessions. The majority of the time at CAPS is dedicated to free choice and independent learning. Staff work to develop children's abilities and understanding through play, careful questioning and mentoring, moving children on at their own pace. In this way, every child's needs are catered for.

For those children with additional needs or SEND, we work with parents and external agencies to establish the best ways in which the pre-school can help the child. We write SAPPs to set targets for children to achieve with the support of pre-school staff. SAPPs are regularly reviewed and updated to monitor progress and keep up to date with the child's development. Depending on the type of need, we may seek additional funding which we would use to pay for extra staff in order to be able to devote more time to care for the child.

SAPPs will be reviewed and updated to record a child's progress in relation to their identified needs. Every child's progress is tracked through our online Learning Journey system. Any concerns will be shared with parents. Every child has a learning journey which is compiled by the child's key worker. Parents are strongly encouraged to contribute regularly to their child's Learning Journey which can be accessed online at any time. In addition to this, twice yearly formal meetings and regular informal contact ensure that parents are involved in the monitoring of their child's progress.

We plan our curriculum and extra activities carefully, always giving consideration to how children with additional needs or SEND can take part. If a particular activity poses a challenge for any child we will consult with parents and carers on the best ways to include them. For any visitors to the setting who may be delivering specific learning opportunities e.g. music, dance and drama sessions, we inform them of the needs of our children so that they can tailor their planned sessions accordingly. For trips out we will work with the family to ensure that the child can take part, whether it be with extra staff support or/and parents and carers coming along.

The Acland Hall is constructed on one level with gentle ramps leading to the entrances. The hall is a large open space which allows for easy travelling. There is a disabled toilet and we can provide toilet seats, steps and nappy changing as necessary. There are two slightly raised thresholds, the first in the doorway leading from the hall to the back corridor which we use to get to the garden, and the second at the back door. Wheelchair users may need a little help to get over these. Our garden area is largely covered in rubber chippings. This is great for soft landings for children when they take a tumble but it is not easy to negotiate in a wheelchair. In order to be able to enjoy the space, wheelchair users may need to consider using a chair designed for rougher terrain.

Once we know which school or setting your child will be attending we will offer visits for the staff to visit your child at pre-school. The Pre-school Leader, SENCo and the child's Key worker will offer verbal and/or written advice to the new setting regarding the education and care of your child. If desired we can also arrange a visit to the new setting for the family and key worker together. We will provide a written Transition Report to parents which can be shared with the new setting as well as sending on the child's Learning Journey.

Our SEN policy is reviewed annually. Before the review we welcome feedback from parents through an annual survey where specific comments about the children's and parents experiences of the pre-school are encouraged. We respond to any negative comments detailing what we will do to address any issues raised. We are open to any feedback at any time and will ask for ideas from parents during SAPP review meetings on ways to improve our SEN provision.

Please contact our administrator on 07780 664454 (working hours Monday - Wednesday 9.30am-12.30pm), term time only.

Parents/carers can speak to any member of staff at any time to give feedback, whether it be at drop-off and pick-up or at a meeting which we are happy to arrange. In addition to face-to-face contact, the Administrator and Leader can be contacted by telephone and they and Chair of the committee can all be contacted by email. If parents wish to give written feedback this can be delivered to the pre-school's post-box. As mentioned above, we also conduct an annual survey to get feedback from parents and carers.