Special Educational Needs

The preschool recognises that there are children who may require special educational needs provision whilst attending the preschool, due to learning, behavioural, emotional, social, physical, sensory or medical factors. We recognise that all children should be provided with a stable, secure learning environment. With this we are fully aware that learning resources and the preschool learning environment may need to be adapted to enable a child to reach their full potential.

Enchanted Wood Preschool will do itsutmost to inform parents/guardians about their legal rights from the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2015). The staff at the preschool will always be flexible and understanding with meetings and will regularly discuss a child’s development and progress both formally and informally with parents/guardians.

At Enchanted Wood Preschool we have two dedicated SEN Provision (Little Nest, Blackfen and Little Nest, Welling.)  Our Little Nest Area Manager Jamie Simpson is available to discuss what support we can offer for children with moderate or high needs. In addition to this, our Little Nest sites have a site manager, and each site has a specialist and highly qualified special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), who has the responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the preschool special educational need’s caseload. As a preschool we have supported many children with additional needs, and it has become an area that the staff have developed through training, experience and passion for giving the children the best possible start.

At Enchanted Wood Preschool we believe that partnership with parents is crucial in identifying and assessing the needs for all children, and that parents/guardians are the best knowledge regarding their child. Early intervention is crucial,and we will initially discuss any concerns we have about you child with you and form a pathway to provide the support and multi-agency route to get the best care for your child.

At Enchanted Wood Preschool we observe, plan and assess all children’s development through the child’s ‘Learning Journey’ document. If a child is assessed as having additional or special educational needs,they may need intervention within the session. This make take the form of small group sessions to build eye contact or sharing/ turn taking; other sessions may work on building vocabulary or sound pronunciation; other children may need to develop fine or gross motor movements, so providing activities to strengthen hand and arm muscles will lead to a strong pencil grasp or climbing and outdoor activities will gain co-ordination to improve balance, core strength and mobility. Using visual timetables enables the child to understand the routines and structures of the day, and those who are unable to communicate verbally will be taught to use objects of reference, picture exchange programmes (PECS) and Makaton.

For those with an identified need we work closely with multi-agency teams across the Bexley, Greenwich and Kent Borough:

• Health Visitors
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Portage
• Educational Psychologists
• Autism Services 
• Physiotherapists
• Dieticians
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS)
• Parenting Support Groups
• CDCS (Child Development Children's Service)

 We can support referrals to some of the above services with your consent such as Speech and Language and Educational Psychology services, but many may have been with you since birth, such as Portage or the Children’s Development Service, and we will use their guidance and reports to aid a smooth introduction to preschool. We very much want this experience to be a three-way journey between home, preschool educational setting and medical professionals.

When multi-agency teams are involved there maybe meetings that we can accompany you to or reports they share with us. They offer invaluable support, advice and targets and outcomes to work at within the home and setting to give your child the best possible start in life.

If a child needs additional support going forward into primary school, it may be necessary to apply for an Education and Health Care Plan to formally support their learning and development. Again,the preschool will fully support you in this process and help you get the best for your child. 

Some children with high or complex needs maybe entitled to additional support funding from the Local Authority, to support them in the setting (please see our ‘Branch Levels of Support’).

Once the child is ready to leave the preschool, we work closely with the primary school, special needs unit or special needs school, to ensure a smooth transition. We will accompany you to visits and help take photos and make transitions books with photos to make this step as easy as possible for the child, and you as a family.

If your child has additional needs,please call Jamie on 07592 514 631 or email her on info@little-nest.co.uk prior to completing the registration form so we can assess your child’s needs and support your funding application prior to a place being offered.