Local Offer

1) How does Tiny Tigers setting know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs or disabilities?

At Tiny Tigers we do ongoing observations of all children in our care and by linking these with the Development Matters Ages and Stages we can keep an up to date progress review. This, along with the 2yr progress check can help us identify individual needs of the children. These observations will be discussed with the Room Leader, the Nursery SENCO (Special Education Needs Co-ordinator) and Manager.

We operate a Key Persons system at Tiny Tigers, with each child having a Key Person and a Buddy. Their role is to develop trusting, sensitive relationships with parents and children to enable respectful sharing of information. If you have any concerns about your child's development you can ask for time to discuss this in private with them. If your child's Key Person has identified a possible individual need they will discuss the matter with you in private and plan together to support your child's learning and development.

Our trained SENCO can offer advice and support to the Key Person and room practitioners. The SENCO will liaise with other professionals to seek advice and support in identifying individual needs if necessary with parents' permission. Support and advice from the Early Children Services can be sought with parent's permission. Their aim is to help early years and childcare practitioners provide the best possible experience for all children with Special Educational Needs in their settings.)

Reports from health care professionals such as health visitors and speech & language therapists identify children's individual needs. The Nursery welcomes parents and professionals, sharing these reports with them in order to plan appropriately to meet individual needs.

2) How will Tiny Tigers staff support my child?

During our settling in sessions the SENCO or Room Leader and parents share information about the strengths and needs of the child. We offer additional settling in sessions if required - the child will always be at the heart of all we do. We work with the parents and support the child together.

Observations, listening, assessments, evaluations all contribute to Individual Learning Provision Plans (ILPPs). We will listen to you as well as your child. Our SENCO will explain how children's individual needs can be met by planning support using an ILPP. The Key Person will work with the SENCO to oversee the ILPP targets for your child. (The Key Person will be with your child, if not then the SENCO would be present) They will identify individual needs and plan next steps, accessing additional support from others where necessary e.g. Speech and Language Therapist, (SALT) or applications for additional funding. ILPPs will be reviewed with parents.

The Key Person's role will foster relationships with and understand the individual child. Our SENCO will maintain an overview of experiences, progress and will also work with other practitioners to ensure provision is relevant / appropriate and seek support when needed.

3) How will the curriculum be matched to my child's needs?

The Room Leader and other staff in the room your child is based in will get to know the child through meeting the parents during their initial visits to nursery. Communication is key between parents and staff to support the child's care and wellbeing.

Once a Key Person has been chosen they will regularly liaise with the parents. During the initial meetings between parents and staff the parents will be asked to fill in 'all about me' form. If the children are older parents can discuss the questions or encourage them to draw pictures.

On-going observations are used to establish a starting point. The Room Leader observes the child for the first few weeks until the child forms a bond with a Key Person. The Key Person will then observe the child in the first few weeks to enable them to determine their 'starting development stage' which forms part of their Learning Journal, which is linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development. Activities, experiences, routine resources and provision are planned for the individual.

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?

Tiny Tigers gives opportunity for planned time to establish relationships between parents, child and staff when joining our homely nursery. We have in place an assessment system for all children such as ongoing observational assessments, two year progress checks and next steps which are completed every quarter. Each method of observation and assessment is linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development. Each child also has a learning journal file which is accessible to parents at all times.

On a yearly basis we hold a parents evening which allows parents/ carers to come and talk with their child's Key Person. We also have our SENCO available to talk to if required. On a daily basis we provide a daily handover for each child so that parents / carers can share which activities their child has been involved in during the day.

The Nursery has an 'open door' policy and encourages practitioners to develop strong liaisons with parents/carers at drop off and pick-ups as they are key to building parent partnerships and to help progress children's development. E-mails or telephone calls can be used to communicate with parents during the day if the parent prefers.

We have recently introduced WOW boards which are designed so that children can share those 'wow' moments, achievements that happen when they are not at nursery, so that as practitioners we can build the whole picture of development and to build on those home to nursery transitions. It is also a great way to develop the children's self-esteem.

Within the Nursery there are communication systems in place, for example; parents evenings, daily conversations with the parents when they collect / bring their child to nursery, quarterly newsletters and regular e-mails and phone calls. We invite parents to share their knowledge with the staff about their child's 'wow' moments which are displayed for others to see in their own rooms. This allows the children to share their achievements with their friends and develop a sense of self-esteem. Children's learning journals and planned next steps in learning are shared with parents at their request and at parent's evenings. ILPPS are reviewed every 12 weeks in line with next steps (ILPPS – are a detailed plan to assist the child's development) The Nursery SENCO and Key Person will discuss with you how to support your child's needs outside the setting and how they are supporting your child's learning and development within the Nursery. This will occur at parent's meetings or ILPP reviews. If your child has particular identified needs the Nursery will work in partnership with the team supporting your child and explain to parents how they are acting on the advice from the support of the professionals.

5) What support will there be for my child's overall wellbeing?

The staff approach is inclusive, positive and welcoming to all. On joining our homely nursery we provide parents with admissions policy, Safeguarding policy, SEN code of practice. All about me forms are given to parents to complete to help practitioners meet the individual needs of the children. All about me forms need to be reviewed at regular intervals as children's needs change as they develop/change in their home life. This also promotes parental involvement. Policies are shared with all staff and parents.

We provide a flexible approach to routine and environment which are based around the needs of the children. Open, transparent communication is encouraged from the start. Adults act as good role models for positive behaviour and a continual positive approach to behaviour management is maintained. The Key Person builds relationships with child and family and they provide personal care respectfully to all children. The staff are trained to administer medicine.

During the daily routine visual time tables are used to support children in understanding routine. Older children are supported to manage their own personal care and manage risks for themselves. Resources are accessible to the children for independent choice. There are sensitive, warm interactions between adults and children.

6) What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting?

Staff regularly attend child development training and have experience of working with children within the Early Years age range. The child / family can access a number of services available in the locality linked to the child's identified needs: Family Centres, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Portage Worker.

Within the Nursery there is a trained SENCO who attends training/network meetings to keep up to date. With parent's permission advice can be sought from the Early Children Services.

If the child is identified as having a specific need then the team with the expertise in this area will take up the support for the child and the Nursery in meeting the child's needs, for example the Speech & Language Therapist.

7) What training are the staff, supporting children with SEND had or are having?

Our SENCO completes regular SENCO training. We also have a member of staff who is there for support in the absence of the SENCO who has also attended SENCO training. The SENCO attends meetings to keep their knowledge and understanding up to date. The information at these meetings is then cascaded to other staff through staff meetings. Further courses such as behaviour training, equality, diversity and inclusion training, communication and language training have been attended by other staff members. Some staff members have attended training linked to specific needs.

8) How will my child be included in activities outside the Tiny Tigers and on trips?

All activities will be planned around all children's individual needs and abilities. Risk assessments are carried out beforehand to ensure it is accessible for all to access. Policies are shared with parents on admission to reassure them that we are inclusive.

9) How accessible is Tiny Tigers environment (Indoors and Outdoors)

Tiny Tigers is accessible to all on the ground floor, toilet/changing facilities are available. All policies and procedures are current and reviewed regularly. We provide multi-sensory experiences as part of our core provision. We provide sensory play equipment and use visual aids. Bi-lingual staff are employed - signs, posters and pictures with notes are used around the Nursery.

10) How will Tiny Tigers prepare and support my child to join the setting, transfer to a new setting/school

Joining the Nursery

When joining Tiny Tigers we offer settling in sessions help your child start to familiarise themselves and build relationships with key members of staff and get to know their environment. Staff liaise with parents; and parents complete a settling in form and 'all About Me'. Room Leaders observe children for the first few weeks until a child bonds with a Key Person. The Key Person is paired with a 'buddy' which in their absence ensures the child's needs are met. The Key Person will form a relationship of trust, support with the parent and the child during these sessions and will discuss 'all about me' forms which will help the practitioners identify the children's needs, interests and to discuss if any agencies are involved in the child's development.

If required staff will attend training related to a child's needs before they attend the Nursery. Meeting with the Health care professionals will help the child's transition into the setting. Ensuring any relevant documentation is shared in the Nursery if necessary, e.g. All About Me forms, previous ILPPs, paediatric reports, to ensure appropriate planning is in place. Parents and the Key Person should agree a consistent approach to ensure continuity of care from home to Nursery.

Transition to school or next setting.

If a child is transitioning to school, staff liaise with the school and invite the teachers to see the child at nursery, and Tiny Tigers visit the school with the child. The Key Person and SENCO are available to attend meetings and share targets on ILPP and minutes of review meetings.

When a child is transitioning their views and feelings can be shared through photographs reflecting what they have done, achieved and enjoyed. Learning journals, ILPPs, and other relevant documents are passed on to the receiving setting with parental permission. Photo books are created of the new setting /school that the child can share with parents / Key Person on a regular basis before the move. The use of role play with school uniform, books and lunch time practice is a good way to help a child become familiar with new routines.

11) How are Tiny Tigers' resources allocated and matched to children's special educational needs?

Inclusion funding and Two year old funding can be applied for to support the child being included in the setting. Delegated budget will be used to provide additional resources or to adapt existing resources.

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

Decisions made about how much support a child will receive is monitored through observations made by the Key Person of the child in the Nursery and then discussed with parents, SENCO and Owner. Observational assessment linked to the EYFS and knowledge of child development will be used to identify what support is required. The Early Children Services will offer support, advice and funding) where necessary with the aim of enabling the child to become independent within the environment. On-going partnership between parents and nursery and other professionals involved with the child/family will support the decision making process. The SENCO will advise on the process of applying for extra support. The inclusion funding process will identify the level of need based on the evidence submitted to the panel from the Nursery and other professionals working with the child/family. Reports from health care professionals or others working with the child and family will be used to plan support within the Nursery. The ILPP will be written with parents and will include how parents can support their child at home. Staff meetings within the Nursery will ensure all staff working with the child knows the child's need and how to support them.

13) How are parents involved in discussions about and planning for my child's education?

Parents are involved from the initial visits at nursery when they register their child. The child's strengths, needs, likes and dislikes are discussed at this point. Parents are encouraged to share information with members of staff from the on-set and on an ongoing basis about individual needs of their child and any agencies involved with the child/ family. Parent's knowledge of their child is important and partnership working is sought at every point including Individual Learning Provision Plans (ILPPs) and reviews. Their child's learning journal is always available to parents.

14) Who can I contact for further information?

The first point of contact within the Nursery is your child's Key Person. The parents can identify the SENCO from the photograph on the parents notice board situated in the hall. The Nursery's SENCO, Deputy Manager or owner will also be able to offer advice and will be able to signpost parents to other professionals that may be able to help such as the health visitor, children family centre, the inclusion officer and Speech and Language Therapist (SALT). The Nursery with parental permission can contact the Early Children Services.