Parent Testimonial for Hythe Bay Nursery from a parent who's child has Cerebral Palsy:

 

"Nursery staff have been very supportive of her and have proactively sought to integrate parents and professionals views into her nursery experience. In particular her feeding has come along so much and she really enjoys her food. It is so nice to see her involved in group activities and making friends. We really appreciate her being able to use her wizzybug at nursery and her skills using this have clearly progressed. Her key person is so passionate and enthusiastic and deserves great credit for the progress and enjoyment that she gets from nursery. Many thanks." Parent Questionnaire July 2019

​

​

Our Staff

​

Our staff have experience of working with children with a range of special education needs, disabilities (SEND) and additional educational needs (AEN), including speech and language difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Myotonic Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, English as an Additional Language and behaviour management. Staff members use their knowledge from past experiences, training courses, and from working with parents and other professionals, to put strategies in place to support each child. 

​

Our Environment

 

We have an inclusive nursery environment where all children can access learning and fun. We make appropriate adaptations to ensure children with special educational needs and disabilities can engage with resources, both indoors and outdoors. We have a friendly atmosphere where children are encouraged to share, respect others and challenge stereotypes.

​

​

Working in Partnership with Parents and Professionals

​

We work with many professionals, including Equality and Inclusion Advisors, Specialist Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Portage Workers and Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding Practitioners. Together with parents and professionals, we set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound (SMART) targets for each child and help them to achieve them. We have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator and Positive Behaviour Management Champion (Shane), and a Communication and Language and English as Additional Language Champion (Radka). Staff members and parents can meet with them for advice and support. 

 

​

At Hythe Bay Nursery Children’s Centre Nursery, we follow a Graduated Approach:

​

• We use universal strategies such as Makaton signing and visual timelines to support all children, but these can have an especially positive impact on children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We have disabled parking pays and our building has wheelchair access. We assess all children four times a year, to see how they are developing and learning, and to highlight areas which we could focus on to help them with. If a parent has any queries or concerns of their own, we encourage them to discuss these with their Key Person or Special Education Needs and Disabilities Coordinator.
   

• If we feel a child might benefit from further support at a targeted level, their Key Person will discuss this with the child's parents. The Key Person and/or the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator will work with parents to plan strategies more specific to the child’s needs. We will make suitable adjustments to support and include each child. We might ask parents for permission to discuss support for the child with an Equality and Inclusion Advisor and/or at a Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) Meeting, or to refer them to a Speech and Language Therapist, to ensure we are giving the best support.
   

• Finally, for children who would benefit from having personalised support, we work with parents and professionals to form a personalised plan and make appropriate adjustments to our environment and practice, to ensure our nursery is inclusive and meets the child’s individual needs. We will follow advice from professionals such as Equality and Inclusion Advisors, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service. We might also apply to receive Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding or Disability Access Funding, to help us provide the best service we can for the child. We can also work with parents and professionals to apply for a Educational Health Care Plan if appropriate. 

​

​