Last updated:

18th April 2024

Special Educational Needs and Inclusion

A Graduated Approach

All Early Years Settings must adhere to the SEND Code of Practice. This can be found below

SEND Code of Practice January 2015 

EY Guide to Code of Practice 

All Early Years Settings have a responsibility to provide a universal level of support to meet individual children’s needs. The Ordinary Available and Graduated Response document outlines what provision Wokingham expects settings to provide. 

Ordinarily Available and Graduated Response

Please see below provider guidance for the support available for Early Years Settings with children with special educational needs and disabilities. 

     

Requesting SEND Support

The Early Years Team provide EY SEND support to settings.

Support can be requested by completing the form below and will be triaged by the team on a weekly basis. All requests MUST be accompanied by a parental consent form if the request is regarding an individual child.

You may be offered

  • A surgery slot, via Microsoft Teams, with an Educational Psychologist
  • A discussion with the Early Years SENCo (via Microsoft Teams, phone call or face to face)
  • Setting visit to include an observation and consultation with parents and setting staff by the Early Years SENCo
  • Setting visit to include an observation and consultation with parents and setting staff by an Educational Psychologist
  • EHCP implementation meeting with staff and parents and Early Years SENCO
  • Support to chair an EHCP Annual Review
  • Signposted to training
  • Follow up advice/visit from the Early Years and Childcare team.

SEND Support request form

SEND Support request parental consent

Both of these forms should be sent to

CSEPA-EducationalPsychologyAdmin@wokingham.gov.uk 

You will be informed of the outcome via e-mail and contact will be made via the relevant professional. 

Early Years Inclusion Funding (EYIF)

The EYIF is a subsidy, intended to be used as a contribution towards additional support for children with identified additional and ongoing needs, where that support is recognised to be over and above that of their typically developing peers. 

The Early Years Inclusion Funding can be applied for by Early Years providers in the Private, Voluntary, Independent (PVI) sector, Maintained Nursery Classes (F1) and Childminders in receipt of Early Years Free Entitlement Funding to support children with additional needs to enable them to access the curriculum. 

Find below documents relating to how to claim for Early Years Inclusion Funding

EYIF Application form

EYIF - Example 

Early Years Inclusion Funding Guidance, protocol, rules for applying for EYIF (due to be revised in line with new application form)

All applications need to have parental consent and be accompanied by a completed EYJD Grid and Early Years Intervention Plan. 

Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Requesting Assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

In Early Years requests for a needs assessment are submitted by parents. Settings may support parents to do this but the form should reflect the parents view and the child’s strengths and needs at home. 

EHCP Request -  Parent Application form to request a Statutory Needs Assessment

Parents should complete the form above and submit to 

SENDEHCassessments@wokinhgam.gov.uk 

with any evidence to support their application. This could be health professional reports (e.g. paediatrician, Salt, OT).

They should also send evidence of the support needed at their child’s nursery/setting. 
This could be an EYIF form, an EYDJ grid and an EYIP. 

EHCP Assessment Flowchart 

EHCP-Annual Review

EHCP Annual Review - all children with an EHCP must have a review every 6 months if under age five - settings have a responsibility to plan and organise the annual review.

 KEY DATES

  • 6 weeks before the meeting: send out invitations, contact SEND for a word version of the EHCP for editing
  • 2 weeks before the meeting: circulate reports
  • 10 days after the meeting: send reports to SEND

Documents to support the annual review

1. Annual review model invitation

2. Agenda - person centered review agenda 

3. Parent's contribution template – to be sent to parents for parents to complete prior to review 
4. EYFS annual review report form to be returned to SEND together with an annotated EHCP outlining changes to be made and all reports submitted.

Early Years Developmental Journals (EYDJ)

Find below the Early Years Development Journals

Early Years Developmental Journal (EYDJ) - Prime areas - complete from birth

EYDJ - Grid - termly grid; must be used in conjunction with the EYDJ

EYJD for Children with Specific Learning Needs

Individual Education Plan's (IEP)

Find below a template and guidance for writing an early years intervention plan and completed example

Early Years Speech and Language 

Find below two versions of Early Years Language tracker. 

Early Years Speech and Language Tool Kit 

Speech and Language Tracker ECAT - This generic tracker is used for all children.

Specific Language tracker - additional details This tracker is used for children who have significant speech and language difficulties. It is used in addition to the generic tracker.

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