Special educational needs

8. Special educational needs/disability policy Statement of intent To provide an environment in which all children are supported to reach their full potential. Aims We have regard for the DfES Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. We include all children in our provision. We provide practitioners to help support parents and children with special educational needs (SEN)/disabilities. We identify the specific needs of children with SEN/disabilities and meet those needs through a range of strategies. We work in partnership with parents and other agencies in meeting individual children's needs. We monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments. Methods We designate a member of staff to be special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and give his/her name to parents. We provide a statement showing how we provide for children with SEN/disabilities. We ensure that the provision for children with SEN/disabilities is the responsibility of all members of the setting. We ensure that our inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and opportunity. We ensure that our physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children with disabilities. We work closely with parents of children with SEN/disabilities to create and maintain a positive partnership. We ensure that parents are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their children's education. We provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support. We liaise with other professionals involved with children with SEN/disabilities and their families, including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools. We use the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children's special educational needs. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all children with SEN/disabilities. We provide a differentiated curriculum to meet individual needs and abilities. We use a system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for children with SEN/disabilities. We ensure that children with SEN/disabilities are appropriately involved at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability. We use a system for keeping records of the assessment, planning, provision and review for children with SEN/disabilities. We provide resources (human and financial) to implement our SEN/disability policy. We ensure the privacy of children with SEN/disabilities when intimate care is being provided. We provide in-service training for practitioners and volunteers. We raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff. We ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. IEP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agency's views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually. We provide a complaints procedure. We monitor and review our policy annually. This policy was adopted at a meeting of Polstead Playgroup Oxford Held on Signed on behalf of the Management Committee Role of signatory