How does the St Johns Preschool know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?
If you decide on St John’s Preschool for your child we will allocate them a key person who will be you and your child’s first point of contact and who will be there for your child to create that special bond. You and your child will be introduced to your key person who will undertake the initial parent induction, which includes a settling in procedure. We will sit down with you on their trial sessions and collate information to enable us to get to know your child, which will include any known or suspected special educational needs. After your child starts to settle in, we will complete an initial development assessment. We continue with on-going observations on all areas of the children’s development and if your child is under 30 months we will be involved in their two year check along with the Health Visitors, which again would highlight any additional needs areas.
How will the preschool staff support my child?
Through continual observations, using the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle we can plan for your child including accessing additional support from other professionals as appropriate. If we find that your child is making less than expected progress, with your permission, we will contact our Local ISEND Early Years team and other professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists for advice or to make a referral with any concerns. These professionals may be able to identify effective interventions and advise other strategies in order to enable your child to make progress towards the desired learning and development outcomes.
If your child is identified as having special educational needs we will set an Additional Needs Plan working in partnership with you the parents. This plan will be unique to your child’s needs and will identify the areas of support your child will need and monitor its effectiveness . Your child’s Key Person and the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator) will discuss the Additional Needs Plan with you and take your views into account.
How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
Using the Early Years curriculum, you, your child’s Key Person and the SENCO will identify any areas that need to be adjusted to enable your child to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development. This may mean that we all collectively make a decision to refer your child to an Independent specialist who deals specifically with your child’s needs.
How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
Your child’s Additional Needs Plan will be assessed every half term by their Key Person, the Manager/Deputy Manager, the SENCO and you as parents/carers in order to agree to your child’s next steps. Parents will be informed of their child’s progress after this assessment. We will also make sure that parents can speak to their Key Person at any time to discuss progress and needs. We use an on-line recording system called Tapestry and this is a two way communication between the Preschool and Parents/carers. Tapestry is a great way of taking part in your child’s development which includes photographs of your child’s time at preschool too. We can also offer suggestions as to what you can be doing with your child at home which will complement their experience at Preschool.
What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?
Our Key Person system helps your child to settle quicker, it is very hard to leave your child and entrust the care to others when they are so small, but we find they quickly form a bond with their Key Person and feel safe and secure knowing that special person they can go to for their needs to be met. There may be times when the Key Person is not in session, so we have a buddy key worker allocated for each child. Our staff are committed to ongoing training for specific needs and we can also seek specialist advice on specific needs if we do not have the experience from our staff at Preschool. All our staff undertake Safeguarding training.
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the Preschool and what training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having?
All our staff are parents and come with a wealth of personal experience and training. We have access to an outside Speech and Language Therapist and on-going training is always available in specific areas of need to further develop the skills staff already have. We can also call on many agencies such as Children’s Integrated Therapy and Equipment Services (CITES), ISEND Early Years’ Service (ESCIS) and the East Sussex County Council Website for SEND. We currently have a SENCO in place, Miss Rebecca Cook.
How will my child be included in activities outside the setting including any trips?
All activities outside of Preschool are planned with all abilities taken into account. Trips and external activities have a full risk-assessment and arrangements are put in place to ensure all children can be included. This includes extra staff and parental volunteers.
How accessible is the setting?
Unfortunately we do not have the facility for wheelchair access and do not have plans to change this in the foreseeable future. However we can accommodate for less physically disabled children.
How will the setting prepare and support my child to join the setting , transfer to a new setting or the next stage of education and life?
When you have decided that St John’s Preschool is right for your child we will invite you to come and visit us for a trial session. Your child can play and interact during this time and become familiar with the Preschool’s indoor and outdoor environments. The Key Person, Manager or Deputy Manager will be able to talk to you about your child’s needs and answer any questions you may have regarding starting at the preschool. When your child is ready to move on to Primary school we will have lots of consultations with you from deciding which schools to choose and through transition meetings with your elected school. We have visits to the new school with your child, and the teachers from Primary school come to visit to get to know your child. In the last term we play lots of games and read books relating to change, transition and new experiences to help answer any questions the children may have. We put the children at ease by talking about their experiences and what to expect. We practise changing into PE kits, uniforms and encourage helping each other at this time.
How are the setting’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?
If your child needs one to one support we will need to apply to the Local Authority for funding, if we are successful the funding will be used to meet any additional costs. As parents you will be involved in the process, with a view of how best to support your child.
How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
Following assessments, on-going observations and your input we will decide together what type of support is appropriate to meet your child’s needs. We will then write an Additional Needs Plan, taking into account any points made by outside agencies and specialists. We will review this Additional Needs Plan every half term to ascertain if changes need to be made, however we appreciate you informing your key worker or the SENCO of any concerns or improvements you have seen as soon as possible. This will aid us in helping your child with their needs.
How are parents involved in the setting? How can I be involved?
We would like you as parents/carers to feel part of your child’s development. We encourage and welcome parents to come in and play. We ask if any parents or grandparents have any skills that they could bring in to show the children because the children love this. Parents can also join the committee which enhances the Preschool and through fundraising, this helps us to obtain the resources we need. Joining the committee is also a great way for parents to meet other parents and we all get support in the process.
Who can I contact for further information?
For further information about St John’s Preschool please contact ;
Linda Scott – Manager
Becky Cook – Deputy Manger & SENCO Lead
Becca Gunn – Chairman
Email: stjohnspreschool-crowborough@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 01892 664214
Address: the Reading Room, School Lane, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1SB
This offer is accurate now, but could change from time to time. These changes will be updated as soon as possible.
Date of publication: 1st September 2023
Feedback
This offer is intended to give you clear, accurate and accessible information. If you would like to comment on the content of the offer or make suggestions to improve the information, please email: stjohnspreschool-crowborough@hotmail.co.uk
Find out more about support for children and young people with special needs and disabilities: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer
Our Local offer can also be downloaded here
