| Charterhouse Pre-School is an inclusive early years setting and offers the following range of provision to support children with SEND to meet their individual need. Who should I contact to discuss the concerns or needs of my child? The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) – The SENCo is responsible for co-ordinating the setting’s SEND policy and practice. We will ensure the setting is fully inclusive, and that any children with additional needs will access the support they need to fulfil their potential, and also provide support for the family. 1 How will the setting help my child to settle in? We welcome children with any special educational needs or disabilities into our pre-school. Information regarding the additional needs is collected on an admissions form prior to admission. The owners and EY SENCO, (Early Years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator), will then have discussions with the parents/carers regarding their child’s needs, making sure that parents/carers have as much time as they need to talk about their child’s individual needs, likes, dislikes and routines at home, so that we can work closely together with them. The registration form asks for details of other professionals involved, such as a speech therapist or paediatrician, as well as any other early years provider the child attends, and it also covers any allergies, medical needs, religious or dietary requirements. This information is collected well in advance so that all staff can be made aware and so that there is sufficient time to source any training surrounding specific medical needs or allergies. We also make sure that staff have read any existing reports and information relating to each child. Parents meet their child’s key person at an initial induction visit, offering further opportunity to share the child’s likes and dislikes, and we always take note of favourite songs, stories and toys. Since Covid, we have introduced a drop at the door policy, which has proved successful in supporting the children to settle quickly. We can introduce flexible admissions procedures, if appropriate, to meet the needs of individual families and children, and if the child can bring a specific comfort item if needed. Children follow consistent routines, supported by visual and verbal prompts and songs, to help them to feel secure and to become familiar with what happens at pre-school, and we use visual timelines so that everyone has the security of knowing what happens next. 2 What is the setting’s approach to supporting different children’s needs and how will that help my child? We provide an environment in which all children with special educational needs are included and supported to reach their full potential. All children are observed and assessed individually as every child’s needs are different. We use the graduated approach – assess, plan, do review – in line with the SEND Code of Practice, and our observations are discussed with parents so that we can then work in partnership to best support the child. All staff are involved in the provision for children with SEND, with support and guidance from the SENCo, and staff are skilled at adapting and differentiating the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, routines and activities to meet individual needs, meaning that every child is included. Specific activities and interventions are put in place. After discussion with parents, and where appropriate the SENCo will write an Individual Education Plan, comprising 3 targets to further promote progress which are agreed with parents. If a child is observed as having significant delays, the SENCo will work together with parents to produce a support plan, and refer the child to the Early Years Inclusion Team for advice and support. A child’s Support Plan will include a description of their strengths, needs, progress, long-/short-term outcomes and the support necessary to help them achieve those outcomes. In addition, we can refer children directly to other local authority services, such as Speech and Language, Community Paediatrics or Occupational Therapy, and we will seek advice from any other services that may be able to offer support or training. Our everyday practice includes the use of Makaton (signing), visual timelines and small group activities aimed at supporting language and communication, and group times are always kept interactive. 3 Who can I contact for further information within the setting? Open, honest communication is important to us. If a parent/carer has concerns about their child, the SENCo & Managers can always be contacted in person at the setting, as well as via email at charterhousepreschool.br6@gmail.com. 4 How accessible are the setting’s indoor and outdoor environments? Due to our premises being purpose built, all our indoor and outdoor environments are accessible to all children. All our facilities, indoors and outdoors, are wheelchair accessible, and there are disabled toilet facilities. We always make every effort to adapt or change the environment to ensure a child is fully included in all activities, meaning that advice from Occupational Therapists/ Speech & Language Therapists / Physiotherapists/ Hearing Team and the Visual Team to improve accessibility for individual children is considered and followed, where we can reasonably do so. We would use a sound field system if supplied to us for a hearing-impaired child. 5 What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting? At Charterhouse Pre-School, we work closely with the Bromley Early Years Inclusion Team, and we liaise and work with other external agencies to help improve outcomes for children with special educational needs. We have systems in place to assess and then refer children to agencies such as the Early Years Inclusion Team, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, and Community Paediatrics for further assessment, and where a child receives specialist support, either through local authority services or privately, we work with them, sharing their advice and recommendations with the relevant staff including their recommendations and targets into SEN support plans. We always facilitate any visits external agencies may need to make to the pre-school. All staff are trained in first aid and safeguarding. Staff also attend training courses organised by the Bromley inclusion team, as well as courses provided by Speech and Language UK, NASEN, and The Autism Education Trust, amongst others, and training is always cascaded. Additional training will always be sought if needed. In recent years, we have worked with: The Bromley Early Years Inclusion Team Health Visitors Speech and Language Therapists Physiotherapists Occupational Therapists Portage Community Paediatricians Complex Communications Service Educational Psychologists Griffins Sensory Support Service CAF team Bromley Children Project Social Services 6 How does the setting know if children need extra help? At Charterhouse Pre-School, we recognise the importance of the early identification of needs and early implementation of support strategies. All staff work in partnership with the SENCo and parents to identify children who are not making expected progress or who have needs which are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities. We use the assess, plan, do and review approach, in line with the SEND Code of Practice, observing the children carefully when they start and put in place any strategies that might be appropriate to support their progress and development. To further inform our practice in order to best support each child’s needs, we take into account information received from other/previous settings, and we read reports and contact any other professionals who may already be working with the child. By getting to know the children well, we ensure that our strategies and targets reflect the child’s interests, likes and preferences, meaning that their voice is heard and listened to. 7 How will I be involved in my child’s learning and overall wellbeing? We create and maintain positive partnerships, ensuring that parents/carers are involved at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their children’s early education and care, including all decision making processes. Our open door policy means that parents are able to speak to their child’s key workers, the SENCo and/ or the pre-school managers at any time, and parents are given feedback at the end of each session relating to what their child has enjoyed or anything they may have struggled with that session. A contact book can be provided, by agreement, to be filled in by both parents and staff to facilitate communication between home and pre-school, thereby supporting the child’s well-being and progress by implementing consistent strategies. We produce regular written reports – progress summaries – and targets, strategies and individual plans are discussed and reviewed with parents. We always work together with other agencies involved with the child, implementing strategies and working towards targets set by occupational therapy or speech and language, for example. Help is always on hand if parents need some help or support to complete forms, or to understand any appointments or information they may have received. Parents are always sent any relevant information on local sources of support, groups and information sessions organised by the Early Years Inclusion Team or other organisations. 8 What training and experience have staff had in supporting children with SEND? Charterhouse Pre-School is committed to the ongoing professional development of all staff members. We ensure that all staff are aware of our SEND policies and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for these children through training and staff meetings, and over the years, we have successfully supported children with wide-ranging needs. Staff have received the following training: Paediatric First Aid Safeguarding SEND code of practice Speech and Language Supporting Communication/working with children with communication differences Makaton Meeting the needs of every child Supporting SEND and well-being Early Years Autism Practice Sensory processing Focus Boxes & Sensory circuits Surprise boxes SCERTS Social stories In addition, we attend an annual SEND conference organised by the Bromley Early Years Inclusion Team and regular local meetings. All staff are encouraged to go on any training which will further enhance their Knowledge and Understanding of meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and to help and support them to reach their full potential. We will always contact the inclusion team should we need additional training. 9 How will the setting support my child at times of change, for example moving rooms or age groups, to a new setting or onto school? Many children are familiar with both rooms and all of the staff due to afternoon sessions operating as a mixed age group, using primarily the “older” children’s classroom. During the second half of the summer term, the children in the “younger” class have opportunities to visit their new classroom, in preparation for September. They are accompanied by staff who are most familiar to them, and can visit as often as they need to or would like to, often when some of the older children are visiting their primary schools, so that the environment is quieter and less busy initially. The routines in the two classrooms are very similar, which significantly reduces the level of change, and the same visuals are used in both classrooms. As children prepare to move on to their reception classes, we write detailed reports which are shared with parents and new schools, and we pass on SEND records, with permission from parents/carers. We ensure that the voice of the child is included in the documents we pass on. We arrange transition meetings with new schools, including parents, the SENDCo and reception teacher and, where appropriate, other professionals who work with the child, such as a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and a member of the Early Years Inclusion Team. We also invite reception teachers to visit children at pre-school, and we support parents to arrange additional visits to primary schools and then to follow any advice offered by the school to make the transition as smooth as possible. Before moving onto primary school, we set up and/or attend transition meetings. We write reports and submit evidence for EHC plans when needed. We arrange and attend meetings between parents and the new setting’s SENCo when appropriate. We will visit the next school with the child when necessary. All written SEND records are passed on with parent’s permission. Feedback from parents and carers: Hi – just wanted to say a huge thank you for your support. We are sure P wouldn’t have come on so much if it wasn’t for you both and all your fantastic staff! Big hello to everyone – just thought I’d keep in touch as you were all fantastic and so supportive to us all! We know you already go way above and beyond for C and us, as well as C. We really do appreciate everything you do. Thank you for all the support you have given to E. We are truly grateful for the time and effort you put in and cannot thank you enough. It is always a comfort sending him to school in an environment he is happy and secure in. Our heartfelt thanks for all you have done over the last 2 years. We will all miss you all at Charterhouse so much. Your love and support shines through everything you do with all the children but we have seen the passion you have first hand for those children that need more help and support. We are incredibly proud of L’s progress and development over the last 2 years. The dedication and guidance from pre-school have played a significant role in shaping his growth. We truly appreciate everything you have done for him. It’s heartwarming to see the relationships D has built. We are so grateful for all the support she’s been given and how much it’s helped. Words cannot express how much we’ve appreciated the love, support and dedication you’ve shown to ensure that L had a really positive year at pre-school. L has absolutely loved his time with you and I know I’ll be hearing him asking to go to “pre-school today” all Summer. He has come on leaps and bounds during his time with Charterhouse and we know that this experience will be hugely beneficial as he begins his journey at primary school. Thank you will never be enough. I want to express my gratitude to Charterhouse for their exceptional dedication to ensuring that D has fulfilling and enjoyable days at preschool. Your carefully crafted, structured plan, combined with engaging and playful interventions, has significantly supported his development and learning. It is evident that the staff genuinely cares about each child’s well-being and growth. The school truly deserves its outstanding rating from OFSTED, as the commitment to creating a nurturing and stimulating environment is remarkable and greatly appreciated. Thank you for making such a positive impact on D’s early educational experience! Date published: January 2026 Date of next review: January 2027 Bromley Local Offer: a source of information and advice to help support children and young people with disabilities or learning needs and their families https://www.bromley.gov.uk/LocalOffer |