The nursery staff team will observe and monitor your children’s learning and development closely from when they start nursery. They will collect written observations, annotated samples of work and annotated photographs. We will evaluate our observations in the light of information you have shared with us at your child’s home visit.
We recognise that starting nursery is a big event in the life of you and your child. It usually takes time, in the first instance, for a child to settle into a new environment with new people. Therefore, we give your child the time they need to settle and learn at their full potential.
During the first term, we like to keep the learning environment familiar for your child. We make only small changes to the nursery provision to support learning to reflect every child’s learning needs and interests.
2nd Tier – Targeted Support
Once your child has settled concerns may have been identified that your child may be having difficulties within an area of learning or several areas of learning. These will have been closely monitored by the team. They may have also been discussed with the SENCO. At this point we would like to meet with you and share our observations. Equally, we want to hear your observations of your child’s learning and development.
Tier 2 – a meeting will be arranged for you, the SENCO and your family worker to put together an ILP (Individual Learning Plan). Together we will write an ILP to highlight short term special educational provision to remove or reduce any obstacles to your child’s learning. The ILP will include: the aims for your child, the strategies to be used, who will deliver the support needed, and how often it takes place. Your child’s ILP will focus on their strengths and interests as well as their needs. We will draw on your knowledge and the nursery team’s knowledge of your child.
3rd Tier – Specialist Support
We recognise that children who know that their views will be heard and respected will be more secure and effective learners. Where possible, we will encourage your child to think and talk about their own learning and this will be reflected in their ILPs.
Your family worker will be responsible for ensuring that your child’s ILP is carried out with support from the SENCO and nursery team.
The ILP will be reviewed by you, the SENCO and family worker roughly every half term, or termly in the case of a very short half term (less than 6 weeks). They will draw on observations of your child at home, and at nursery to assess whether continuing support is needed, and if so, write a new ILP.
Tier 3, if your child continues to make little or no progress, it may be necessary to seek specialist advice. This may also include regular long term support from a specialist professional from outside of the school. This is so that we are able to plan for the best possible learning outcomes for your child. This may include educational psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, sensory advisory teachers and the child development service. This would be agreed between you and the SENCO – the SENCO would make the necessary referrals.
The SENCO will be responsible for ensuring that any support strategies or recommendations are reflected in your child’s ILP and incorporated into their provision at nursery.