Pre-schools and Nurseries for Children with Special Needs
All pre-schools and nurseries follow the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice which provides a staged approach to Special Educational Needs. They all have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo). This person will be able to talk to parents / carers who want to discuss matters relating to a child’s special educational needs.
In Southampton, most pre-schools and nurseries are run by private, voluntary and independent organisations. A small number are also run by the Local Authority. The arrangements for support are slightly different in each.
Provision run by private, voluntary and independent organisations receive support from an Early Years Support Teacher. This is a qualified teacher with particular expertise in special educational needs. Early Years Support Teachers can recommend children or pre-schools / nurseries for Inclusion Support Grants to help in meeting children’s special educational needs.
Provision run by the Local Authority has qualified teachers as SENCos. Provision run by the Local Authority and attached to a school receives some money to support children with special educational needs as part of the school budget.
Most children with special educational needs will have their needs met through the systems outlined above. A small number of children will have more complex needs and might be put forward for consideration of additional funding from the SEN Team within the Local Authority. This funding is allocated via a panel of professionals who meet regularly. Children to be considered by the panel must have evidence of special educational needs, and this will be detailed in professional reports, one of which must be written by an education professional.
The support funded by the SEN Team comes in several forms:
1) Local SEN Support Package
Additional money will be allocated to the nursery or pre-school that the child attends and the child’s progress will be carefully monitored by qualified and experienced staff from the Local Authority (Early Years Support Teacher and / or Educational Psychologist).
2) A place at an SEN Funded Pre-school or Nursery
There are seven SEN funded pre-schools / nurseries, all of which have extensive experience of supporting children with special educational needs, alongside children with no developmental delays. The SEN Team funds these pre-schools / nurseries for an agreed number of children with special educational needs each year. These providers have good links with a range of professionals supporting children with special educational needs, including Speech and Language Therapists and Educational Psychologists.
The SEN Funded Pre-schools / Nurseries are:
Hardmoor Early Years Centre
Leaside Way
Bassett Green
Southampton
SO16 3EP
Fairisle Nursery
Fairisle Road
Lordshill
Southampton
SO16 8BY
Stephen’s Pre-school
Oakley Road
Shirley
Southampton
SO16 4LJ
Maytree Nursery
Derby Road
Southampton
SO14 0DY
Riverside Pre-school
Manor Farm Road
Bitterne Park
Southampton
SO18 1NX
Start Point Sholing
Wood Close
Sullivan Road
Sholing
Southampton
SO19 0SG
The Shore Pre-school
Foxcott Close
Weston
Southampton
SO19 9JQ
3) A place at a Specialised Provider
For example, Cedar School (physical difficulties), Rosewood (profound and multiple learning difficulties), Weston Shore Early Learning Group (specific speech and language difficulties).
Parent / carer preference will be an important (but not the only) factor that the panel will consider when deciding on the form of support offered to eligible children.
Often parents / carers will need to decide on expressing a preference between a local SEN Support Package or an SEN Funded Pre-school / Nursery. In making this decision, they might find it helpful to consider the points below.
Possible Advantages and Disadvantages of using a Local SEN Support Package:
Advantages
Increased likelihood of a very local placement.
Child likely to progress to same school as other children at the pre-school / nursery.
If child already attending when issue of extra support is raised, the child may be able to receive support without moving.
Many pre-schools / nurseries have a positive attitude to developing their expertise.
Disadvantages
The child may have to attend a clinic in another area/location in order to access some Health support required, e.g. Speech and Language Therapy.
Practitioners in a pre-school / nursery may require training to meet your child’s needs.
SEN Funded Pre-school / Nursery
Possible advantages and Disadvantages of using an SEN funded pre-school or nursery:
Advantages
Sometimes a child who requires certain Health support, e.g., Speech and Language Therapy, is able to receive this at the SEN Funded pre-school / nursery.
SEN Funded pre-schools / nurseries have built up expertise in working with complex special educational needs.
Disadvantages
Unless the child lives close to an SEN funded pre-school / nursery, the child may later go to a different school from the other children and so have to make new friends.
Useful Contacts:
Early Years Support Teachers
Start Point Sholing
Wood Close
Sullivan Road
Sholing
Southampton
SO19 0SG
Tel: 023 8036 3309
E-mail: sally.griggs@southampton.gov.uk (admin)
Specialist Teaching and Advisory Service
Cedar School Annexe
Redbridge Lane
Southampton
SO16 0XN
Tel: 023 8073 2903
E-mail: maureen.richards@cedar.southampton.sch.uk
Southampton Psychology Service
5th Floor, Frobisher House
Nelson Gate
Southampton
SO15 1BZ
Tel: 023 8083 3105
E-mail: isabella.robinson@southampton.gov.uk
SEN Team
4th Floor (South)
Marland House (off Civic Centre Road)
Southampton
SO14 7PQ
Tel: 023 8083 3270
E-mail: amanda.smith@southampton.gov.uk
Southampton Parent Partnership
187a Portswood Road
Southampton
SO17 2NF
Tel: 023 8055 7607
E-mail: admin@southamptonmencap.co.uk
Southampton Children and Young People's Information Service
www.youngsouthampton.org
Tel: 0800 169 8833
E-mail: cypis@southampton.gov.uk
