Early Years Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) settings

Understand Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Coverage of Department for Education qualification specification:
1a. Explain what Special Educational Needs (SEN) are.

1b. Describe the four areas of need and give examples of the difficulties associated with each:
• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
• Sensory and/or physical needs

1c. Describe the characteristics of the different types of high and low incidence special needs you are likely to see in your setting and how these are identified.

1d. Be able to explain how any differences in a child's rate of progress are related solely to learning English as an additional language (EAL) and not SEN.

1e. Be able to explain how to identify when SEN is occurring in children with EAL.

1f. Explain the legal obligations that early years providers have towards disabled children.

1g. Explain what the Graduated Approach is and how each aspect helps to provide suitable SEN support, within the cycle:
• Assess
• Plan
• Do
• Review

1h. Explain how to actively engage the child and the child’s parents/carers in the assess, plan, do, review process.

1i. Explain the importance of the child and the child’s parents/carers, participating as fully as possible in decisions, and being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in those decisions

1j. Explain the role of the early years practitioner/key worker and that of the SENCO within the cycle.

1k. Explain how and why reviews of progress, including formal progress checks, should be used to inform the Graduated Approach, including who will do what/why/where/when.

1l. Explain what an effective support plan should include and why clear outcomes are important.

1m. Give examples of adjustment strategies and interventions for supporting the learning of children with different types of SEN to ensure positive learning outcomes.

1n. Explain what information can and/or should be shared with others within the setting and beyond to support the achievement of the agreed outcomes and effective transition.

4h. Explain how to share information with the receiving setting or school and how to involve children and their parents/carers in this.

2g. Explain what and how records should be maintained and used to track progress and achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes for children.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Explain the four broad areas of special educational need, giving examples of the difficulties associated with each.

• 1.2

  Explain how different types of high and low incidence SEN are identified, including in children with EAL.

• 1.3

  Explain the legal obligations of early years providers towards disabled children.

• 1.4

  Explain how to use the graduated approach in assessing, planning for, meeting and reviewing the needs of children with SEN.

• 1.5

  Explain the different elements of an effective support plan.

• 1.6

  Illustrate how the learning of children with different types of SEN can be met through different adjustments and interventions.

• 1.7

  Summarise effective practice in information-sharing in relation to SEN.

Understand the role of the Early Years SENCO in a PVI early years setting.

Coverage of Department for Education qualification specification:

2b. Explain the role of the SENCO in private, voluntary and independent early years settings, including for:

• ensuring all early years practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEN and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEN
• advising and supporting colleagues
• ensuring parents/carers are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting, and
• liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting.
• Gaining the views of the child.

3a. Explain own responsibility to support colleagues in their work with children with SEN

4f. Understand how funding can contribute to whole setting support to improve children’s SEN and disability outcomes.

2g. Explain what and how records should be maintained and used to track progress and achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes for children.

2a. Understand the principles, statutory guidance and legislation underpinning the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice’.

2f. Understand the principles underpinning Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans.

2c. Assess own skills and competencies, identify any gaps and next steps in professional development.

2d. Reflect on own practice

2e. Identify and use professional development opportunities, including training and other sources of support, to address own development needs.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Explain the role of the SENCO in a PVI early years setting.

• 2.2

  Summarise the importance of understanding the SEND CoP and of EHC Plans in meeting own responsibilities as a SENCO.

• 2.3

  Assess own skills, knowledge and competencies for the role, identifying gaps and ways to address these.

• 2.4

  Demonstrate ability to be a reflective practitioner.

3. Understand how to support colleagues in their work with children with SEN.

Coverage of Department for Education qualification specification:
3a. Explain own responsibility to support colleagues in their work with children with SEN

3b. Understand how you would identify and support practitioners to develop their expertise in relation to SEN to ensure practitioners have the relevant skills and knowledge, including:
• induction of new staff
• their responsibilities to children with SEN
• the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEN
• how the setting works in partnership with parents/carers to identify a child as having SEN,
• how the practitioner and the SENCO agree, in consultation with the child and the child’s parents/carers, the outcomes they are seeking for the child
• assessing their skills, competencies, and next steps in professional development in relation to particular impairments.
• Identifying and using training and other sources of support available locally help them in explaining the duties to colleagues.

2g. Explain what and how records should be maintained and used to track progress and achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes for children.

2f. Understand the principles underpinning Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans.

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Explain how key information will be shared with colleagues so that they are aware of their responsibilities and understand the setting’s approach to SEN and relevant policies and procedures.

• 3.2

  Explain how to assess the skills and competences of staff in relation to particular impairments.

• 3.3

  Explain ways to meet staff development needs through training and support.

Understand the importance of liaising with professionals and agencies beyond own setting.

Coverage of Department for Education qualification specification:

4a. Understand the local offer, including the provision that the Local Authority expects to be available from providers of all relevant early years education.

4b. Liaise with professionals, agencies and services beyond the setting, for example:

• SEN support or learning support services including ‘local offer’
• sensory support services or specialist teachers
• therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy
• support available to parents/carers to aid their child’s development at home, including such services as Portage
• Independent Advice and Support Services (IASS)
• Local voluntary agencies who provide support to children and their families
• Childminder Agencies/Networks
• Social Care Services
• Area SENCO, inclusion officer, or equivalent where available.

4c. Understand the support available including:

• Education
• Health and social care services for disabled children and children with SEN
• Services assisting providers to support young children with medical conditions
• • Childcare for disabled children and children with SEN
• Services providing parents/carers and children with information, advice and support on SEN and disability
• Groups who can support disabled children and their parents/carers.

4d. Explain how to signpost families for advice and services beyond the setting and encourage use of them.

4e. Link with the local authority to liaise over individual children and links on wider strategic issues such as securing sufficient expertise and experience on SEN and disability locally

4f. Understand how funding can contribute to whole setting support to improve children’s SEN and disability outcomes.

4g. Explain why SEN support should include planning and preparing for transition, before a child moves into another setting or school.

4h. Explain how to share information with the receiving setting or school and how to involve children and their parents/carers in this.

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1

  Explain the contribution of own setting within the context of the local offer for early years.

• 4.2

  Explain the range of support on offer to children with SEN aged 0 – 5 and their families within own local area.

• 4.3

  Explain the different reasons why an early years SENCO might need to liaise with professionals or agencies, including the local authority.