At Kids Planet, in addition to the SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator) based in the nursery, we have a SEND team who provide support, advice and guidance to the Nursery SENDCo for those children who present with additional needs.
The SEND team is passionate about ensuring all children have the best possible start in life. Working with parents and children and alongside the nursery SENCo, they uphold high aspirations for those with additional needs and embed practices that improve outcomes. Additionally, the team offer in-house training to develop knowledge and practice of all practitioners relating to additional support.
Creating an inclusive environment
Attending a high-quality inclusive setting can help support young children who are at risk of or have faced inequality and discrimination. To be an inclusive provider Kids Planet setting must be proactive at removing the factors which act as barrier to inclusion such as negativity, bias, and stereotyping.
Effective inclusive practice provides all children with access to opportunities and support during the earliest and most influential years of their learning and growing. It also helps enable children to be confident in who they are and what they aspire to in the future. Kids Planet are well placed to provide a safe environment where parents, staff and children can learn about each other’s differences and similarities and learn to empathise and value each other.
Applications for Education, Health and Care Plans
In most cases, it is expected that a child with Special Educational Needs and Disability will be supported through the Kids Planet Graduated Approach with strategies and interventions from appropriate external specialist professionals. However, to ensure the best outcomes are being delivered for all children and the highest level of support is in place for children transitioning to school, settings can request for the Local Authority to carry out an assessment of the child’s needs and for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to be drawn up. The Nursery SENDCo at Kids Planet will lead this process, with involvement from parents and in conjunction with an Educational Psychologist. At this stage Kids Planet SEND Team can discuss with parents the various school options that are available in their local area and which may best suit their child’s needs.
Here at Kids Planet we:
Embrace and celebrate every child’s uniqueness
Treat all children and their families equally and with respect
Include and support every child, regardless of ethnic background, culture, language, gender, socio-economic background, or additional need/disability
Ensure that every child is able to participate in every activity
Provide resources that reflect the background of each child
Understand that every child’s presenting needs, or diagnosis will be unique to them