SEND at Shooting Stars
Inclusive Care Shaped Around Every Individual Child
Every child belongs at Shooting Stars.
Children do not all communicate, play or learn in the same way. Our role is to understand the child in front of us, recognise what helps them feel safe and confident, and adapt our approach so they can take part in nursery life.
We work closely with families and other professionals to make sure support is thoughtful, consistent and shaped around the individual child.
Support begins with understanding the child.
What support looks like in practice
Support begins with getting to know the individual child. We take time to understand their strengths, interests, communication and the areas where they may need some additional help.
Notice
We observe how each child communicates, plays, builds relationships and responds to their environment.
Understand
We speak with families and bring together what they notice at home with what practitioners see at nursery.
Adapt
We adjust activities, routines, communication, resources and the environment around the individual child.
Review
We regularly consider what is helping, what has changed and whether any further support may be useful.
Small adaptations can make a big difference to a child’s confidence, participation and sense of belonging.
A continuous cycle of support
Assess, Plan, Do and Review helps us understand what a child needs, put thoughtful support in place and adapt it as the child grows. It is a repeating cycle rather than a set of steps to complete.
Assess
We bring together observations, the family’s knowledge and information from any professionals already involved.
Plan
We agree the support, the changes we will make, what we hope it will help the child achieve and when it will be reviewed.
Do
The child’s key person brings the agreed support into their everyday play, routines and nursery experiences.
Review
We consider what is helping, what has changed and what should be continued or adapted next.
Assess
We bring together observations, the family’s knowledge and information from any professionals already involved.
Plan
We agree the support, the changes we will make, what we hope it will help the child achieve and when it will be reviewed.
Do
The child’s key person brings the agreed support into their everyday play, routines and nursery experiences.
Review
We consider what is helping, what has changed and what should be continued or adapted next.
Our approach follows the Department for Education’s SEND guidance for early years settings .
Families and professionals working together
Families know their child best. We listen carefully to what parents and carers tell us, share what we notice at nursery and make decisions about support together.
If a child is already supported by another professional, we can bring their advice into the child’s everyday nursery experience. This may include working with health visitors, speech and language therapists, Portage workers, educational psychologists and local authority early-years teams.
If we feel that further advice may be helpful, we will speak openly with the family about what we have noticed and agree the next steps together.
Knowledge from home
Parents and carers share their experiences, concerns and the things that help their child feel comfortable and confident.
Everyday understanding
Practitioners observe the child, adapt everyday practice and keep their support under regular review.
Specialist guidance
Other professionals can provide additional knowledge, advice and strategies when this would benefit the child.
Everyone working in the same direction for the child.
Support shaped around every child
SEN Support Plans and EHC Plans
These plans serve different purposes, but both help everyone understand a child’s needs, the support they should receive and the outcomes everyone is working towards.
Support does not depend on a child having a diagnosis or an EHC plan. When a need is identified, we work with the family to put appropriate support in place and keep it under review.
SEN Support Plan
A practical working document created with the family to record the child’s individual needs and the additional support provided within nursery.
It may include:
- The child’s strengths, interests and individual needs
- Clear and achievable outcomes
- Strategies and adjustments used by practitioners
- Advice from families and other professionals
- A date for reviewing progress and agreeing next steps
Education, Health and Care Plan
An Education, Health and Care Plan, often called an EHC plan or EHCP, is a legal document issued by the local authority for a child whose needs may require more support than is ordinarily available.
It brings together:
- The child and family’s views and aspirations
- The child’s education, health and care needs
- The outcomes being worked towards
- The provision required to meet those needs
- The setting or type of provision the child will attend
Support begins with the child, not a diagnosis or document.
Most children with SEN receive appropriate help through nursery-based SEN support. If a child may need more specialist or coordinated provision, an EHC needs assessment can be considered.
Parents and carers can request an EHC needs assessment directly from their local authority. We can help gather observations, reviewed support plans and professional advice as evidence.
An EHC plan is not required before support can begin. We make appropriate adjustments and provide SEN support as soon as a child’s needs are identified.
Find further information in the government’s SEND guide for early years settings .
SEND Support
Meet Our SENDCo Team
Our SENDCo team works alongside families, key persons and other professionals to coordinate support and ensure it remains centred around each individual child.
Nabila Kamran
Organisational SEND Lead
Nabila oversees SEND provision across Shooting Stars, supporting both settings to provide a consistent and inclusive approach. She guides practitioners, works alongside families and helps coordinate support with other professionals.
Also SENDCo for Shooting Stars AshtonYour Local Contact
Find Your Setting’s SENDCo
Select your child’s nursery to find the SENDCo responsible for coordinating support at that setting.
