Additional Learning Needs Policy

Statement of intent

At Pitter Patter Play LTD we are committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to develop to their full potential alongside each other through positive and engaging experiences, to enable them to share opportunities and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming environment where children are supported according to their individual needs, and we work hard to ensure no children are discriminated against or put at a disadvantage as a consequence of their needs. Whilst we recognise that there is no longer a statutory role within settings for an ALNCO, we promote best practice and have a designated staff member as a Setting Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator (Setting ALNCO).

We believe that all children have a right to the same opportunities and to develop alongside their peers no matter what their individual needs. Each child’s needs are unique, therefore any attempt to categorise children is inappropriate.

To enable us to help each child develop to their full potential, we are committed to working alongside parents to support their child’s individual needs.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to enable every child to make full use of the nursery’s facilities. All children have a right to a broad and well-balanced early learning environment.

Where we believe a child may have additional needs that have previously been unacknowledged, we will work closely with the child’s parents and any relevant professionals to establish if any additional action is required.

Where a child has additional needs, we feel it is paramount to find out as much as possible about those needs, any way that this may affect his/her early learning or care needs and any additional help he/she may need by:

• Liaising with the child’s parents and, where appropriate, the child
• Liaising with any professional agencies
• Reading any reports that have been prepared
• Attending any review meetings with the local authority/professionals
• Observing each child’s development and monitoring such observations regularly.

All children will be given a full settling in period when joining the nursery according to their individual needs.

Aims

We will:

• Encourage children to value and respect others
• Challenge inappropriate attitudes and practices
• Promote positive images and role models during play experiences of those with additional needs wherever possible
• Celebrate diversity in all aspects of play and learning
• Include all children and their families in our provision
• Recognise each child’s individual needs and ensure all staff are aware of, and have regard for:

• The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales for children already in receipt of SEN identification prior to 2021
• The Additional learning needs (ALN) system and code for new identification and assessment of any needs not being met by the nurseries universal provision

• Provide well informed and suitably trained practitioners to help support parents and children with additional learning needs and/or disabilities
• As best practice, designate one staff member as the Setting’s Additional Learning Needs Co-Ordinator (Setting ALNCO)
• Help the local authority in the exercise of its ALN functions in relation to individual children following the identification of ALN by the local authority and the development of an Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• Work in partnership with parents and other agencies in order to meet individual children’s needs, including the Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EY ALNLO) from the local education authority, and seek advice, support and training where required
• Provide relevant information to the local authority and the Early Years ALNLO to support them in the creation, maintenance and implementation of a child Individual Development Plan (IDP).
• Accept invitations to contribute to Person Centred Practice (PCP) meetings about ALN or an IDP, this could be done by attending the meeting (in person or remotely) or by contributing outside of the meeting, for example, by providing evidence about a child’s needs or progress.
• Monitor and review our practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments, and seek specialist equipment and services if needed

Our Setting Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (Setting ALNCO) is Rhiann Bellew.

The role of the Setting ALNCO is to support consistency of messaging and act as a central point of contact for all matters relating to Special Educational Needs (SEN)/ Additional Learning Needs (ALN). The Setting ALNCO(s) will also act as the main contact between the setting and the Local Authority Early Years Additional Learning Needs Lead Officer (EY ALNLO). The Setting ALNCO should also ensure that appropriate records are kept. These include existing records of children at Early Years Action, Early Years Action Plus and those with statements. For those newly identified with possible ALN, this includes working with the EY ALNLO in the development and review of a child’s Individual development plan (IDP). The practitioner usually responsible for the child should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme. Parents should always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child, and of the outcome of this action.

The Setting ALNCO works closely with all staff to make sure there are systems in place to plan, implement, monitor, review and evaluate the learning needs practice and policy of the nursery, always making sure plans and records are shared with parents.

Methods

We will:

• Identify a member of staff to be the Setting Additional Learning Needs Coordinator (Setting ALNCO) and share his/her name with parents
• Provide a statement showing how we provide for children with additional needs and share this with staff, parents and other professionals
• Ensure that the provision for children with SEN/ALN is the responsibility of all members of staff in the nursery
• Ensure that our admissions policy is inclusive and  includes equality of access and opportunity
• Ensure that our physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children and adults with disabilities
• Work closely with parents to create and maintain a positive partnership which supports their child’s   learning and development
• Provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support
• Liaise with other professionals involved with children with additional needs and/or disabilities and their families, including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools. We work closely with the next school or care setting and meet with them to discuss the child’s needs to ensure information exchange and continuity of care
• Provide a broad and balanced early learning environment for all children with additional needs and/or disabilities
• Provide differentiated activities to meet all individual needs and abilities
• Support the local authority and Early Years ALNLO in the creation, maintenance and implementation of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for children with ALN. Discuss these IDPs with parents
• Use a system for keeping a record of the implementation of children’s IDPs.
• Work with the local authority to provide additional resources, where possible to implement our SEN/ALN policy
• Provide in-service training for practitioners and volunteers
• Raise awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff
• Ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/ALN provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. IEP/IDP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agencies’ views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually
• Provide a complaints procedure and make available to all parents in a format that meets their needs e.g. Braille, audio, large print, additional languages
• Monitor and review our policy annually.

Special educational needs code of practice

The nursery has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs code of practice for Wales (2004) only for those children having been identified as having ALN prior to September 2021 that continue to use the setting.

Additional Learning Needs Code for Wales 2021

On 1 September 2021, the ALN system commenced for all children up to, and including, Year 10 who were newly thought to have, or were newly identified as having, ALN on or after 1 September 2021. This means the ALN system applies to all children who are newly identified as having, or newly thought to have ALN, regardless of how their education is delivered.

The nursery will have regard to the Additional Learning Needs Code and Regulations as required in line with the implementation timeline.

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

An IDP is a statutory plan maintained by the local authority that sets out a description of a child or young person’s ALN, the additional learning provision (ALP) called for by their learning difficulty or disability, and other associated information. The IDP is intended to be a flexible document that will vary in length and complexity depending on the different needs of the child and the way in which an individual child’s needs develop and change over time.

This Policy was adopted on	Signed on Behalf of Pitter Patter Play Ltd	Date for review
15/06/2024		15/06/2025