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These sessions aim to:

• enable early years providers to identify and address special educational needs in their settings


• provide a range of strategies and approaches to further develop good inclusive practice in settings


• clarify roles and responsibilities set out in the SEN Code of Practice

Who should attend?

SENCOs and managers in early years foundation stage settings. Other early education practitioners interested in developing their SEN knowledge and practice with a view to considering a SENCO role in the future. Early years foundation stage school staff. All three sessions must be attended.

Session 1: Setting the Scene
General Good Practice
SEN Code of Practice and SEND Reforms
Benefits of inclusion
The Graduated Response (Assess) - Identifying children with SEND
Role of Senco

Session 2: Providing and Managing SEN Support

The Graduated Response (Plan, Do, Review) - providing support for children identified with SEND
Recording SEN support – looking at different examples of SEN Support Plans
Writing SEN Support plans including devising ‘SMART’ targets and planning strategies
Task analysis – making targets achievable by breaking tasks down into small steps
Using the Early Years Developmental Journals to help identify targets  

Session 3: The Wider Picture: Working with Others
Reviewing SEND legislation – The Children and Families Act 2014 and The Code of Practice 2014
Roles and Responsibilities in Early Years settings
Using the SEN and Disability in the Early Years Toolkit (Council for Disabled children)
Parent’s perspective - working in partnership; including the Kübler-Ross model ‘The Five Stages of Grief’
Working with other agencies
Statutory Assessment process and Education, Health and Care Plans
Equality Act 2010 - Disability discrimination and key duties

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Gather information to aid early identification of children with special educational needs


• Analyse a child’s strengths and needs to aid programme planning


• Use a range of strategies and approaches to effectively support children with special educational needs


• Record targets, support and outcomes for Individual Education Plans


• Understand the roles and responsibilities set out in the SEN Code of Practice and the implications for your setting

Please note lunch is not provided; you can bring your own lunch and eat it in the venue.  There are a couple of cafés and an M&S foodhall nearby

Tea/coffee and biscuits are provided at the mid morning break.