SEND LOCAL OFFER
Puffin Pre-School Ltd

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Puffin Pre-School

 

SENCO: Neeley Toye | Level 3 qualified SENCO | Director / Owner-Manager

​

Every child belongs at Puffins

At Puffin Pre-School, inclusion is not something we add only when a child has a diagnosis or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). It is part of the way we work every day.

 

We recognise that every child develops differently and brings their own strengths, interests, personality, communication style and individual needs.

 

Our aim is for every child to feel safe, understood, valued, included and able to participate fully in life at Puffins.

 

We work closely with parents and carers because you know your child best. By combining what you see at home with what we observe at Puffins, we can build a much fuller picture of your child's development and identify support early where it may be needed.

 

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is Neeley Toye, Level 3 qualified SENCO and Director/Owner-Manager of Puffin Pre-School Ltd. Neeley works alongside each child's key person, their family, the Puffins team and, where appropriate, other professionals to coordinate SEND support.

​

What is Ordinarily Available provision?

Ordinarily Available provision, often referred to as OA, is the inclusive teaching, support, adaptations and strategies that we provide as part of our everyday early-years provision.

 

A child does not need a diagnosis or an EHCP before we begin adapting our approach to meet their needs.

 

At Puffins, our Ordinarily Available provision may include:

 

• predictable routines and familiar adults

• adapting activities, expectations and the environment

• clear, simple language

• visual prompts, photographs and objects of reference where helpful

• modelling communication and giving children additional processing time

• repetition and breaking instructions or activities into manageable steps

• small-group and individual opportunities

• support with attention, listening, interaction and turn-taking

• sensory and movement opportunities

• quieter spaces and opportunities to regulate

• preparing children for transitions and changes

• emotional regulation and co-regulation support

• adapting resources so children can participate successfully

• following children's interests to encourage engagement and learning

• supporting independence at a level appropriate to the individual child

• working closely with families so successful approaches can be shared between home and Puffins.

We continually consider what we can change around the child, rather than expecting the child simply to fit the environment.

 

This inclusive approach is part of everyday practice at Puffins.

​

How will you know if my child may need additional support?

Every child has a key person who gets to know them and their family.

 

Before children start, parents are encouraged to tell us about their child's interests, strengths, communication, routines and anything that helps them feel happy, safe and settled.

 

We use Tapestry to support this sharing of information and encourage families to contribute what they see at home.

 

Once a child starts, practitioners build a picture of their development through everyday play, interactions, routines and observations.

 

We consider the whole child and their progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage. We recognise that children may have significant strengths in some areas while requiring additional support in others.

 

We do not wait for a diagnosis before responding to an emerging need.

 

If a key person or another practitioner has concerns about a child's development, communication, physical development, sensory needs, emotional regulation, interaction or ability to access our provision, this will be discussed with our SENCO and, importantly, with the child's parents or carers.

 

Equally, if you have concerns about your child's development, you do not need to wait for us to raise them. Please speak to your child's key person or Neeley, our SENCO.

​

What happens if my child needs more than everyday support?

Sometimes our Ordinarily Available provision is enough to remove or reduce the barriers a child is experiencing. For some children, we may need to introduce more targeted support.

 

We use the graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do and Review.

 

Assess

We work with you to build a clear picture of your child's strengths, development and needs. We consider what your child can already do, where they may be experiencing barriers and what appears to help. Information may come from parents, the key person, the SENCO, observations at Puffins and, where appropriate, professionals already involved with your child.

 

Plan

Together we consider what we would like your child to achieve and the strategies, adaptations or additional support that may help them. Where appropriate, this is recorded through One Planning. Targets should be meaningful to the individual child and their everyday life rather than simply becoming a list of things they cannot yet do.

 

Do

The agreed support is put into everyday practice. Your child's key person remains central to supporting them, with guidance from our SENCO and the wider Puffins team. Wherever possible, strategies become part of the child's normal Puffins experience rather than unnecessarily separating them from their friends.

 

Review

We look at what has changed. What has worked? What has your child achieved? What continues to present a barrier? Is the support still appropriate? Do we need to try something different? Parents and carers are an important part of this review. We then use what we have learnt to inform the next Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle.

​

What is One Planning?

One Planning is a person-centred approach which brings together the child, their family, Puffins and, where appropriate, other professionals.

 

A One Plan helps us record:

 

• what is important to and for the child

• their strengths, interests and individual needs

• the family's views and aspirations

• what we would like the child to achieve

• clear and achievable outcomes or targets

• strategies, provision and resources being used

• who is responsible for providing support

• progress made

• what needs to happen next.

Parents are actively involved in developing and reviewing their child's One Plan. Where other professionals are involved, their advice can also be incorporated so that everyone is working towards shared outcomes for the child.

​

Does my child need a diagnosis before receiving support?

No. At Puffins, we support the needs we see.

 

Some children arrive with an identified SEND need, medical condition, diagnosis, EHCP or professionals already involved. For other children, differences or additional needs may become apparent during their time with us. A child may also be waiting for an assessment for a considerable period of time.

 

We will not wait for a diagnosis before making reasonable adjustments or introducing appropriate support.

 

A diagnosis can sometimes help families and professionals understand a child's needs, but our support is based upon the individual child in front of us.

​

How will Puffins support my child's communication?

Communication looks different for different children. Some children communicate using spoken language, while others may use individual words, sounds, signs, gestures, facial expressions, pointing, objects, photographs or by taking an adult to what they need.

 

We recognise and value all purposeful communication.

 

Depending on the individual child, we may use:

 

• clear and simple language

• modelling words and phrases

• repetition

• additional processing time

• visual or photographic prompts

• objects of reference

• signs and gestures

• songs and rhymes

• small-group communication activities

• attention and turn-taking activities

• the child's interests to create meaningful reasons to communicate.

Where Speech and Language Therapy or another professional is involved, we work with families to incorporate appropriate recommendations into everyday Puffins practice.

​

How do you support sensory and emotional regulation?

At Puffins, we recognise that behaviour is communication.

 

Rather than looking only at what a child is doing, we try to understand why it may be happening.

 

A child may be communicating discomfort, sensory overload, frustration, anxiety, tiredness, difficulty understanding what is happening, a need for movement or an inability to communicate something in another way.

 

Depending on the individual child, support may include:

 

• predictable routines

• preparing for transitions

• reducing language when a child is overwhelmed

• access to quieter spaces

• sensory and movement opportunities

• adult co-regulation

• clear physical or visual boundaries

• familiar comfort items where appropriate

• adapting group times or activities

• giving additional time

• observing patterns and possible triggers so we can adapt our approach.

We work closely with families to understand what regulation looks like for their child both at home and at Puffins.

​

Will my child be included in all Puffins activities?

Our starting point is always inclusion.

 

Children with SEND are part of the everyday life of Puffins, including indoor and outdoor learning, community experiences, outings, celebrations and other activities.

 

We consider what reasonable adjustments may be required to enable an individual child to participate safely and meaningfully.

 

This could mean adapting an activity, changing how it is presented, providing additional adult support, using different resources, changing the environment or providing additional preparation.

 

We recognise that fair does not always mean giving every child exactly the same thing. Some children need something different in order to access the same opportunities.

​

What professional support can Puffins access?

Where appropriate, and in partnership with parents, we work with professionals and services involved with the child.

 

Depending on the child's individual circumstances, this may include professionals from health, Speech and Language Therapy, specialist education services and Essex County Council's early-years SEND services.

 

We welcome professionals into Puffins where appropriate because seeing a child within their familiar environment can provide valuable information.

 

We also use professional advice to develop our own practice and incorporate recommended strategies into the child's everyday provision.

 

Where appropriate, Essex's Early Years Resource Panel may also identify professional support that could help us further develop our inclusive provision.

​

What additional SEND funding may be available?

Providing inclusive practice is part of our responsibility as an early-years provider. A child's support does not begin only when additional funding is awarded.

 

Where a child's needs go beyond what can reasonably be provided through our Ordinarily Available provision, we may consider whether additional resources or funding could help us meet those needs.

 

This may include Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) where the relevant Essex County Council criteria are met.

 

SENIF may contribute towards additional provision such as enhanced adult support, specialist resources, appropriate staff training or staff time required for SEND planning and meetings.

 

Applications require evidence of the child's needs and the provision already being made, usually supported through the One Planning process.

 

SENIF is not guaranteed and decisions are made through Essex County Council's Early Years Resource Panel.

 

Importantly, a child's access to their funded early-education entitlement does not depend upon Puffins receiving SENIF.

 

Eligible children receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and accessing funded early education may also attract Disability Access Funding (DAF). Where Puffins receives DAF for a child, we work with their family to consider how this funding can best support reasonable adjustments and the child's access to our provision.

​

What if my child needs an EHCP?

Most children with SEND can be supported through high-quality inclusive practice, Ordinarily Available provision and the graduated approach.

 

For a smaller number of children with more significant or complex needs, an Education, Health and Care needs assessment may be considered.

 

Where this is appropriate, Puffins will work closely with parents and the professionals involved to provide evidence about the child's strengths, needs, progress, support and provision.

 

An EHCP is not required before a child can receive SEND support at Puffins.

​

How will you work with me as a parent?

We believe successful SEND support depends upon a genuine partnership with families. You know your child best.

 

We want to know:

 

• what your child enjoys

• what they are good at

• how they communicate

• what they find difficult

• what makes them happy

• what may overwhelm or upset them

• what helps them regulate

• what you are seeing at home

• what matters most to your family.

You can speak to us at any time. Where a longer or more private conversation would be helpful, we can arrange a suitable time rather than trying to discuss something important at the door.

 

Tapestry also enables families to share experiences from home. This can be particularly valuable because children sometimes demonstrate skills confidently at home before they are ready to show them in a preschool environment.

​

How are Puffins staff supported to meet children's SEND?

SEND is a whole-team responsibility.

 

Our SENCO, Neeley Toye, leads and coordinates SEND practice at Puffins. Neeley is a Level 3 qualified SENCO and works alongside children's key persons and the wider team to ensure appropriate support is planned, implemented and reviewed.

 

However, inclusive practice does not sit with one person. All practitioners have a responsibility to understand and meet the needs of the children they work with.

 

Staff receive training, support and guidance according to the needs of the children attending Puffins, and we continually reflect upon our environment, interactions and provision.

 

Where a child has a particular need, additional training may be undertaken to help staff understand how best to support them.

 

Information that practitioners need in order to support a child consistently is shared appropriately within the team while respecting the child's and family's confidentiality.

​

How will you support my child when they start Puffins?

We want children to experience a transition that works for them, rather than expecting every child to settle in exactly the same way.

 

Before starting, we encourage families to tell us as much as possible about their child.

 

Our Tapestry All About Me information helps us begin to understand children's interests, strengths, communication and the things that help them feel happy and secure.

 

Settling visits give children an opportunity to become familiar with the environment, adults and routines.

 

Some children may benefit from additional visits, photographs, familiar objects, a gradual transition or liaison with professionals or another setting.

 

Where a child already has a One Plan, EHCP, healthcare plan or professional involvement, we encourage families to share this with us as early as possible so that appropriate arrangements and reasonable adjustments can be considered before the child starts.

​

How will you support transition to school or another setting?

For children with SEND, careful transition planning can make an enormous difference.

 

With parental consent, we can share relevant information with the receiving school or setting and work together to help them understand the child.

 

Depending on the individual child, transition may include:

 

• sharing their One Plan and relevant records

• conversations or meetings between Puffins, parents and the receiving setting

• visits from the new teacher or SENCO

• additional visits for the child

• photographs or other visual information about the new environment

• sharing successful communication and regulation strategies

• involvement of other professionals where appropriate

• planning how existing support can continue as smoothly as possible.

Our aim is for the receiving setting to understand the child as an individual, not simply receive a collection of paperwork.

​

What if my child attends more than one early-years setting?

We are happy to work with another setting where this is in your child's best interests.

 

With parental consent, we can share relevant developmental and SEND information and discuss successful strategies so that your child experiences as much consistency as possible.

 

Where appropriate, this may include liaison between SENCOs and a coordinated approach to One Planning.

​

Who can I talk to about SEND at Puffins?

Our SENCO: Neeley Toye

 

Level 3 qualified SENCO and Director / Owner-Manager, Puffin Pre-School Ltd

 

Neeley works alongside each child's key person, their family, the Puffins team and other professionals to coordinate SEND support, One Planning and the graduated approach.

 

If you are considering Puffins for a child with SEND, have concerns about your child's development, or simply want to discuss how we could support them, please talk to us.

 

You do not need to wait for a diagnosis, referral or professional report before starting that conversation.

 

Puffin Pre-School Ltd

 

Foakes Hall, 47 Stortford Road

 

Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1DG

 

Telephone / WhatsApp: 07712 858878

 

Email: puffinpreschool@hotmail.com

 

We would much rather begin a conversation early and work together.

 

Related information: This SEND Local Offer should be read alongside our SEND and Inclusion Policy and other relevant Puffin Pre-School policies and procedures.