In accordance with the SEND Code of practice (DfE, 2015), it is expected that high quality early education and care is inclusive. It is important that children’s special educational needs and disabilities are identified quickly and all children promptly receive any extra help they may need, so they can progress well in their learning.
Providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEN or disabilities. These arrangements should include a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEN. The benefits of early identification are widely recognised –identifying need at the earliest point, and then making effective provision, improves long-term outcomes for children.
As stated in the Early Years Statutory framework 2020, Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving. The main areas are communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development.
Still face experiment by Dr Edward Tronick
Where health services anticipate that a child may have SEND when they start school, they have a statutory requirement to notify the Local Authority (LA) by completing an Early Notification referral.
The Early Learning and Childcare Team (ELCC) support early years providers to follow the graduated approach in supporting and identifying children’s needs at the earliest opportunity.
A Portage home teaching service is available for children with a SEN or disability who are not yet accessing a nursery provision. Portage groups are also available with a nursery style environment, providing opportunities for parents to network while focusing on structured teaching, child led play and family focus elements of Portage.
Universal support in the Early Years
All children should have access to quality first teaching and high quality inclusive and accessible environments, both indoors and outdoors. Access to a differentiated curriculum using evidence-based tools such as Keys to Communication. The characteristics of effective teaching and learning that is woven through the prime areas of learning, personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development that underpin everything in the early years. Children should be given opportunities to consolidate prior learning, a child's learning is secure if they show it consistently and in a range of different contexts.
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Settings can access the Services for Schools portal to select any Early Years training that could further support staff to meet children’s needs.
Some children might need more support than others to develop their skills across the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, and the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle should be followed to monitor their progress.
Additional support in the Early Years
For some children, when following the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle, it may be clear that they require support additional to or different from what is needed for other children.
Settings should provide opportunities for children to be a part of small group time with developmentally appropriate resources and approaches.
Settings should have discussions with parents to share information on children’s progress and consider from the discussion how or if anything may be impacting on how they are presenting in the setting. It is important to consider children’s previous experiences.
Early Years settings must provide information for parents on how they support children with SEN and disabilities and should regularly review and evaluate the quality and breadth of the support they offer or can access for children with SEN or disabilities, including liaising with other professionals such as the Health Visitor and Speech and Language.
Early Years practitioners should make appropriate referrals to health services if needed and can access Speech and Language consultations to obtain further advice and/or a possible referral, if there are concerns in this area of development.
If a child continues to make little or no progress, settings can consider making a referral to the Early Years Inclusion Team with parental permission.
The Early Years Team will complete an assessment of the child in their education setting and meet with parents. Early Years support will then be considered at a panel held by the Early Years Team, which includes access to training, support visits from a SEND Officer using a modelling and coaching approach and/ or funding depending on the needs of the child.
The Early Years Team hold monthly meetings with professionals across education, health and social care to problem solve, plan and consider opportunities for joint assessment. Including consideration of involvement from the Educational Psychology Service.
Severe and complex/Specialist Support in the Early Years
For some children who are still receiving Early Years Support in their pre-school year consideration will be made for Early Years Additional Resources (EYAR) to support transition to school. The EYAR application is completed by the child’s early years setting.
A school age panel led by the SEND team determines levels of funding for school and consideration for an Education, Health, and Care Assessment.
The Early Years Team support children’s transition into reception in partnership with the Targeted Education Support Service.