Little Stars Pre School strive to meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the Local Authority to ensure all children, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in Pre School and with transition on to School.

All Pre Schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of children with Special Educational Need/s being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible, where families want this to happen.

How do Little Stars know if children need extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs or disabilities?

At Little Stars every child is treated as an individual and staff are experienced in observing, assessing and planning next steps for children.

If you have concerns regarding your child, you should speak with the Manager who will always liaise with the team and SENCO (Special Education Needs Officer) who will be able to help you.

Every child has its own Key Person who will work closely with your child and you. They will make next steps plans for your child, based on your child’s interest which they will share with you. In addition the SENCO will make an individual plan focused on your child’s area of need, which they will share with you.

The Pre School are able to call upon West Sussex Inclusion Team who are Teachers who come into the Pre School and suggest strategies that will support your child at Pre School. You will be invited to be part of their visit. Questions for Educational Setting
(From the parents/carer’s)

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?
Every child has an individual learning plan made for them by their key person based on the curriculum. They will also have a Learning Journal, which will contain observations and photographs of your child to support the staff to assess and make plans to progress your child’s development. You are welcome to see your child’s Learning Journal at any time.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?
All plans will be shared with you as they are developed and assessed for progress and apart from the termly parent consultations, there are regular meetings with families who have children with additional needs.

At Little Stars Pre School we operate an open door policy and are always available to spend time with parents to discuss their child’s progress and development, and to help you support your child.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well being?
Staff are very experienced and are able to access additional support from the West Sussex Inclusion Team when needed. Should your child require prescribed medication then a named member of staff will be responsible for the administering of this and you will be required to sign for this.

We promote positive behaviour and staff are trained to support this. Should your child display unwanted behaviour then we will work with you and your child to provide a consistent and planned approach to improve their behaviour. Your child will be involved in the development of this approach.

What specialist services and expertise are available at/or assessed by the early years setting?
Whilst our Pre School does not offer specialist services, we are happy to work alongside the specialist involved with your child and they are welcome to visit your child at the setting.

What training have the staff, supporting children with SEND, had or having?
Staff have attended speech, language and communication, and autism awareness, positive behaviour, SENCO and Inclusion coordination training. English as an additional language training and the SENCO regularly attends Senco network meetings. Staff continuously update their training.

How will my child be included in activities outside the early years settings, including trips?
All children are welcome to attend trips. Prior to the trip, the Pre School will discuss with parents the best way for their child to access the activity and a risk assessment will be undertaken. Additional staff can be included to give 1:1 attention and support to the child.

How accessible is the early years environment? (Indoors and Outdoors)
Our building and toilets are wheelchair accessible. We are happy to work with families to access any specialist equipment needed. We use visual timetables to support routines and communications.

How will Little Stars Pre School prepare and support your child to join the early years setting, transfer to new setting/school?
The Pre School is able to offer flexible entry where children can attend for limited times/sessions, with or without their parents as required, and where there is a need, parents and children can make several visits prior to starting. The type of entry is dependent on the need of the individual child.
When transferring to School the Pre school will liaise with the school to arrange the best transition for your child, this could include meetings with the school and parents, to discuss the best strategies to support the transition in several visits to the school by you Child, and Teachers visiting the Pre School, photographs of the school and teachers. The Inclusion team are also able to support school transitions until the end of the first term at school.

How will Little Stars Pre School resources allocated and matched to the children’s special educational needs?
We are able to apply for funding from West Sussex County Council to enable the Pre School to employ an additional member of staff to work with your child if needed, or we are also able to apply for a bursary to purchase specialist equipment or to access specific training for staff.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child will receive?
Initially the Pre School Manager and SENCO will meet with you to discuss your child’s needs. The Inclusion team may also offer support at this stage. A plan will be developed involving you for your child’s transition, and support needed will be put in to place.

Once your child has started, an Individual Educational Plan will be made which you will be involved with. This will be regularly reviewed and monitored.

How are parents involved in the early years setting? How can I be involved?
As a community Pre School we are happy to have parents involved with the group. This could be a parent helper (and does not have to be on a regular basis). We are always pleased to have parents stay for a session or part of a session to play with the children.

Who can I contact for further information?
More detailed information is available in our policies, specifically our “Achieving Positive Behaviour”, “Diversity and Equality”, “Supporting Children with Additional Needs” and “Working in partnership with outside agencies”. All our policies you can find out in the policies.

Daily Session at Little Stars Pre School
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