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

Little Birds Forest Nursery is a small nursery offering a maximum of 25 spaces per session per setting.

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As such our small, experienced and dedicated team of staff are able to effectively observe and assess every child on a daily basis.

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Regular staff meetings and the allocation of a Key Worker to each child ensures that we are able to share information about any particular child easily and to consistently implement our curriculum for each child.

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We work closely with families prior to children starting, so we can get to know your child, your family, your childs joys and passions, any developmental worries or additional needs that your child might have before they start with us by filling in an appropriate section on their registration forms.

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Each child is allocated a Key Worker soon after joining us, and we value this relationship as incredibly special.

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Your child will, where possible, have the same key worker throughout their time with us, as this close relationship enables your child to have a secure attachment with their key worker, whose job it is to have a specific and detailed overview of that particular child’s general well-being, progress and development and to liaise closely with you as parents during their time with us.

We have incredibly qualified and experienced staff, including our nursery SENCO in each setting, and our Operational SEN lead Victoria, who has a specialism in supporting children's individual rights and needs.

All our team work closely with you as parents, to truly celebrate the wonderful individuality of all children.

Parents are invited and encouraged to communicate with us daily time,more specifically during scheduled termly Progress Review meetings.

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How will the staff at Little Birds Forest Nursery support my child?

The education and care of each and every child at each of our settings is based upon their own specific abilities, needs and interests.

Where any additional needs, any support requirements or even any child that may require a little extra support in any area, have been identified our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), together with that child’s Parents, Key Worker and other members of staff will draw up a personalised plan (All About Me)to support that child and to help ensure their continuing happiness and well-being at our nursery.
Where appropriate we, with the Parents’ express permission, will look to draw upon the experience and expertise of professionals and agencies outside of our setting to assist with our planning and its delivery.
In certain instances, the staff team will undertake a full review of our areas with a view to decreasing the perceived and actual risks and/or barriers that may prevent a particular child from fully accessing the activities that we offer

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s needs?

At Little Birds Forest Nursery we follow a child led approach to curriculum which provides a wealth of opportunities for exploration, discovery and learning for every child. We are guided in all that we do by each individual child’s unique abilities, their specific interests and their particular style of learning. In a very real sense, every child in our setting is seen as an individual with ever changing needs, not just those deemed to require additional support.

We work in a whole team approach, so each team member is aware of strategies we can employ to support children and families as required.

Recognising the importance of emotional well being is a crucial to progress in a child’s learning, and we work in a therapeutic approach, where childrens holistic needs are met so they can thrive and reach their potential.
We are confident that our curriculum matches the requirements for early years education laid out in the Government’s Early Years Foundation Stage documents, and all of our records and assessments pertaining to a child’s progress and development at our setting are kept in line with this document and with the Tapestry Learning Journal that will follow that child through to the end of their reception year.

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

Inherent within our learning opportunities and curriculum and embedded within the Early Years Foundation Stage are specific means for determining how well a child is doing in specific areas of their growth, learning and development. These ‘checks and balances’ form the basis of all of our individual learning plans and of our Progress Review meetings (see above).

By encouraging and supporting parents to be actively involved with natural and organic daily conversations, these reviews and, where appropriate, with the development of an All About Me plan to determine specific learning and development goals, parents become empowered to take an active role in supporting their child’s learning.

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Our aim is for a two way street with parents, so they frequently will keep us up to date and celebrate their child with us, as we do with them. We are also here to support families that may need help at times, with training, information, signposting and an open door policy for conversations. 

Where it is deemed to be helpful we are very willing to share our method and approach with parents through various means including specific ‘training’ in particular areas of our curriculum, a lending library and more general discussions about our philosophy, methods and learning materials.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

If a child’s needs are being met, then the environment for wonder, joy, awe and of course development flourishes.

We work reflectively to ensure your child’s needs are not only met but where children’s general well being and engagement is of a high level.

Children benefit from strong and secure attachments, as well as the benefits of connecting with nature daily.

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We see all behaviours as a form of communication and an opportunity for us to be able to learn more about and from the child.

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We utilise Makaton at all our settings, to enhance communication for even our very youngest of children.

Our day to day practice at Little Birds Forest Nurseries has behind it a wide range of Policies and Procedures that the staff have developed to do our utmost to ensure the safety, happiness and well-being of everybody involved with our setting.

We conduct daily safety checks, regularly review our practices and seek feedback from both children and parents as to how we are doing.
The majority of our staff have Paediatric First Aid Training, which we update on a 3 yearly basis. Whenever the need arises our staff are more than willing to undertake further training to ensure that they can meet the needs of all the children in our care.
Our outside, natural environments are calm, we are confident that any behavioural issues that do inevitably arise from time to time can be dealt with in a positive and proactive manner so as to facilitate the best outcomes for all involved.