Salford Early Years Local Offer

How will the setting help my child settle in?

We have a settling-in process for children, the first settle is called an ‘induction’. During this first hour settle, key persons will focus on forming a positive relationship with the child as parents are asked to complete an ‘all about me’ form which helps us to gather important information about each unique child, from their likes and dislikes, to dietary requirements, sleep times and who is special to them. Once this information is collected, we then encourage the child to complete their own pathway of settles dependent on their individual needs, at this point we work with parents to discuss whether they feel their child is confident enough to be left at nursery on their own. There is an option of an extra settle session where the parent can stay if needed.

We then begin the child’s independent settles where they spend increasing periods of time at nursery without their parents, ranging from one hour to three hours, these settles are usually over key periods of the day such as mealtimes and sleep times to ensure all elements of the child’s day at nursery are secured before they officially start with us.

We provide children and their family with a welcome pack for each room, this contains an overview of the room, including photographs of the room and staff; as well as a short bio of each member of staff, an overview of the routine and answers to some key questions parents may require.

With babies and younger children, we encourage parents to help us create a memory box to help their child settle, this may contain comforting items such as a parent’s piece of clothing or a blanket from home.

Who can I contact for further information?

Sheridan Magne- Nursery Manager/ SENCO
Kerry Sharples- Nursery group support SENCO

Kids Adventures Salford- 0161 710 1077
salfordnursery@kidsadventures.org.uk

How does the setting know if children need extra help?

We have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-Ordinator who works in partnership
with parents and key persons to help highlight any areas where children show they are
emerging in their development, enabling measures of support to be put in place to narrow gaps
in development.

A parent baseline assessment is completed as part of the induction process and a starting points/baseline assessment is completed after four weeks of a child starting, this
is a basis for the staff to understand a child’s typical range of development across the EYFS
curriculum and how their individual learning needs can be facilitated and supported.

Further support can be put into place if a child is emerging in their development, staff will form a
support plan, which includes how we are going to support the child with targeted interventions.
Assessments are completed every four months after the starting points assessment. These are
shared with parents at the earliest opportunity.

Between 24-36 months, a two-year check will be carried out, a copy of this will be supplied to parents to take to a child’s two-year check appointment. This is also shared with a child’s health visitor should we feel they need additional support.

We have formed excellent partnerships with Salford local authority and work
harmoniously with external support agencies to ensure the highest level of support for each
child is obtained. We attend Salford SENCO clusters regularly to keep up to date with local and
legislative changes and access core training to ensure we are supporting children’s individual
needs effectively.

How will the setting support my child?

SENCO’s will have regular working in partnership meetings with a child’s parents and key
persons to ensure everyone is working collaboratively and consistently. We will work in
partnership with the local authority and any external agencies that are supporting a child and
their family.

We will invite other professionals in to support in observing and assessing a child
to ensure a full understanding of their development is collected. If any external support is in
place, we will begin to create a support plan for a child, where we plan, do, assess and review
every six to eight weeks alongside any other assessments being completed.

All information is shared and agreed with parents to ensure they have a clear understanding of their child’s learning and development. If there is a specific diagnosis of special education need or a
disability, staff will work with local authority and/or health services to undertake training to
support children within the setting from professionals who have worked with or understand the
specific needs of a child. We have previously undertaken staff training for medical conditions
and will make reasonable adjustments to our setting and practice to support a child’s individual
need, e.g. support plans, adapting environment layouts and use of visual resources.

How will I be involved in my child’s learning?

From the initial stage of settling in, we ensure parents complete the ‘all about me’ forms during
the induction settle and their inputs feel valued. We hold quarterly parents evenings to discuss
each child’s development, parents can also request a working in partnership meeting at any
time to discuss their child’s progress. If any assessments or support plans have been
completed, these will be shared with parents at the earliest opportunity.

We encourage parents to email their weekend news to nursery, this gives us an overview of what children are doing and learning at home which is added to their learning journey and is collated to support key persons to create a full overview of their development when completing assessments. Parents can support their child by attending parent events/training evenings; such as potty training or preparation for school events, as well as attending trips or outings.

How will the setting support my child at times of change, such as moving to a new setting or starting school?

We have transition co-ordinators, who oversee and support room-to-room transitions. Our
preschool room leader works with local schools to meet the teachers and discuss children’s
learning and development, gather information and photos of the school to share with parents.
We share information on how we support children with additional needs.

Parents are included in the decision of their child’s transition. Staff will discuss with parents
when transitions to older rooms are planned and this can be delayed for a little longer if
parents feel their child isn’t quite ready, unless deemed detrimental to a child’s progression.
Parents are invited to transition forums, e.g. ready for school evenings. We seek advice from
the teachers in local schools on how they feel the children need to be prepared for school and
this is delivered through our ready to school programme in preschool during the end of the
summer term. Any external agencies involved are given the opportunity to contribute to the
child’s transition assessment which is given to the new setting.

We exchange information with a new or previous setting, by phone or email to ensure there are
strong links between providers and a wealth of information sharing. This helps us to identify
any further areas of support that may be needed. If a child attends multiple settings, we will
work in partnership to support the child holistically, sharing assessments and other information,
this will happen roughly every three to four months.

Our SENCO is also a qualified early years teacher, she has a wealth of experience with
transitions and school readiness and oversees children’s smooth transitions.

What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing?

We have a robust key person system that ensures children feel well supported and their
individual needs are fully met. We have a wealth of company policies and procedures to ensure
children’s wellbeing is paramount throughout their time with us.

Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities policies and procedures ensure all staff are aware of how to support a child and their family. We have policies and procedures that will help us to plan for early intervention and seek help from external agencies. Staff complete mandatory induction training within their first three months, from learning how to keep everyone safe through courses such as childhood illnesses, introduction to child protections and diversity awareness.

All staff have full paediatric first aid training and senior management team also additionally hold emergency first aid. All staff hold a certificate valid for three years, although an online refresher course is completed every year as per company policy. Staff are invited for regular one-to-one’s and supervisions where they are encouraged to discuss any concerns or worries they may have, whether it be about a child or how they can support a child further.

We have behaviour management policies in place and have a behaviour management co-ordinator who works with staff to ensure children’s behaviour is managed effectively, She ensures that staff are able to find the right approach to deal with a situation and staff use effective strategies to deal positively with any challenges, whilst children are not excluded.

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting? What training have the staff supporting children with SEND had?

We have a SENCO and a Nursery Group SENCO who have a wealth of experience of working
with children who have additional needs, they attend regular SEND forums organised by
Salford council to keep up to date with any changes to practice.

We have strong links with our Area SENCO from the Local Authority and SALT who visit us to support children who require additional support. Staff have accessed external courses such as ADHD level 1&2, Understanding Autism to support children. We will work with external agencies and medical
professionals to ensure we have the tools and knowledge to support a child. Our SENCO and
Group SENCO have accessed play plan training to ensure highly targeted interventions for
children in line with the Salford THRIVE document.

How will my child be included in activities outside the room including physical activities and visits?

All children have accessed to a fully enclosed outdoor area, this gives children space to
express themselves freely. Children are encouraged to take part in activities that promote their
physical development daily to stay healthy. Reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure all
children can participate.

How accessible is the setting environment?

The building is accessible for all. There is ramp access at the front of the building and double
doors on the entrance. All children’s rooms are based on the ground floor. Doorframes and
corridors are wide for any persons who require wheelchair or equipment to support with
movement/walking. All rooms have ground level access to the garden.