The SEND Code of practice 2015 states:
‘5.59 Local authorities must ensure that all providers delivering funded early education places meet the needs of children with SEN and disabled children. In order to do this local authorities should make sure funding arrangements for early education reflect the need to provide suitable support for these children.
5.60 Early years providers should consider how best to use their resources to support the progress of children with SEN.’
Warrington has a commitment to the inclusion of children within their local early year’s settings by providing support, guidance and promoting high quality provision.
In Warrington there are a range of settings that provide education and learning during your child's early years (ages 0-4). This includes playgroups day nurseries, childminders and private nursery schools, all of which can increase your child’s social skills and enable learning through play.
If you need any advice or support about childcare and early years contact the council's Early Years Team by calling 01925 443131 or email [email protected] They have specialist workers who support parents, carers and practitioners to make sure early education in Warrington is high quality.
Any child, whether they are accessing an early years setting or not, can access their local children’s centres. Further information on the groups available including contact details and the centre timetables, can be found by following the link below:
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/childrenscentres
Children aged from 9 months – 4 years.
Many working families are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare the school term after their child turns 9 months of age until they attend a reception class or each compulsory school age (whichever is soonest). Parents must meet a set eligibility criteria. Applications are made to HMRC through Government Gateway with a childcare account.
In some cases, families who are currently out of work, and have a two year old child, may also be eligible to 15 hours of funded childcare. A child will be entitled to the two year funding if they are in receipt of Disability living allowance (DLA). Applications are made through the citizen portal at Warrington. Families who are considered to have no recourse to public funds and have a child who is 2 years old should email [email protected] for an application form.
Funded childcare places are available the term following the child turning nine months. For non-working families or families who are considered to have no recourse to public funds, and applying for a funded place for their two year old, the child can start accessing the funding the term following their second birthday. It is not possible to access more than one entitlement at anytime. For example, working families who have a child in receipt of DLA, are unable to combine the working parent and the DLA entitlement to get more funded hours.
All three and four year old children accessing the universal 15 hours and the 15 hour extended entitlement for working parents, start the term following their third birthday.
The number of hours is based on accessing term time only (38 weeks of the year) at a childcare providers discretion, they may allow parents to stretch the hours over the calendar year. This means children have less hours a week but for more weeks of the year, up to a maximum of 1140 hours over a year.
Early years term start days are 1 September, 1 January and 1 April, regardless of when school term dates start.
To access the working parent entitlement, parents need to apply to HMRC the term prior to their child being of eligible age and have their eligibility code in their possession by the cut dates below.
| Term child eligible from | Need to have eligibility code by | Best time to apply |
| Autumn | 31 August | July |
| Spring | 31 December | November |
| Summer | 31 March | February |
If you are unsure if your child has a delay in their development, the Foundation Years website has useful guidance and information. The “what to expect, and when” booklet on their website has been written as a guide for parents, to share what they should expect with their child’s development in the early years.
If you have concerns about your child’s development and your child attends an early years setting, you are able to speak to the SENCO (Special educational needs co-ordinator) in the setting. The SENCO is the lead person of the setting where your child attends, who can ensure support is in place for your child. If you prefer though, you may speak to your child’s key person who will seek further advice from the SENCO.
If a child attends an early years setting, they must follow the Graduated Approach, to support children with special educational needs and disability/developmental delay (please see below). Throughout this process they should work in partnership with parents and involve them in their child’s learning. Early years settings will follow this process for all their children, most children will move onto their next outcomes. Some children may need additional support to achieve their goals – this will be identified through the process of the Graduated Approach. If you child is in a setting you are also able to speak to your child’s health visitor if you would prefer, this may be addition to the setting.
All early years settings should deliver high quality teaching – this is identified in a document called the ‘Graduated approach descriptor’, settings may also know this as the ‘Ordinarily available’. This documents lists various strategies and documents that they can use to support children within the setting, for each area of a child’s development. Please visit the My Early Years Services website for the full document. https://www.myearlyyearsservices.co.uk/Page/12533
If the early years setting identifies your child may need additional support, they should discuss their concerns and gain information from yourself. From this they will put personal plans in place for your child, this is a document that will have individual targets on for your child. They should complete this with yourselves and share a copy so that you can also do these at home. This promotes partnership and consistency for the child. The setting will review the personal plans with yourself, so that they can see if the child has met their outcomes, or further support is needed.
A professional supporting may offer to complete an early help assessment in partnership with yourself. The purpose of the assessment is to gain information from yourself around your child and family and identify if further support may be needed. Parent/family views are key throughout this assessment and when completed there will be a team around the family meeting. You will be asked who you would like to attend and it is a chance for everyone to sit down together and
look at how they can best support. The professional may also discuss a referral to other services, who may be able to offer support. Visit warrington.gov.uk/early-help for more information.
Between the ages of two and three years old, if a child is attending an early year’s setting their key person will review their progress and share the information with parents. This can also be completed in partnership with your child’s health visitor. The review will focus on 3 main areas – Communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development.
A referral can also be made to the Child development centre (CDC) by using an ‘Under 4 complex case referral’, or the Neurodevelopmental pathway. Any professionals working with the child e.g. health visitor, or the early years setting can make the referral, if they have identified a delay and feel the child would benefit from further support.
Local authorities must ensure that all early years settings delivering funded early education places meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs, and disabled children (SEND). In order to do this, we need to make sure that funding arrangements for early education reflect the need to provide suitable support for these children.
The inclusion funding panel consists of a range of professionals, including Health and the Local Authority. Early years settings are welcome to send a referral into the inclusion panel for the following:
All children will be eligible for the Disability Access Fund (DAF) if they are attending an early years setting that provides the free early education entitlement, and meet a criteria (child is in receipt of Disability living allowance DLA). The Disability access fund of £ 910 is payable as a lump sum once a year, per eligible child. It aids access to early year’s places by supporting providers, in making reasonable adjustments to their settings.
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is an additional sum of money paid to childcare providers, for children of families in receipt of certain benefits. This funding will be used to enhance the quality of their early years’ experience by improving the teaching, learning, facilities and resources, with the aim of impacting positively on your child’s progress and development.
Sandy Lane maintained nursery school has specialist provision for children with complex additional needs. Admission to this provision known as the Rainbow room is made via a provision panel, with a variety of professionals similar to the inclusion panel. Please note if a child is attending the specialist provision for their full early years entitlement and attending another early years setting for additional hours, they will not be able to access the early year’s special educational need and disability inclusion funding.
Transitions are the big and small changes that take place throughout life. One main transition, for both the child and the parent is the transition from an early years setting to primary school. The child will have an opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences. The setting will work in partnership with parents and other professionals, to ensure the transition to school is as smooth as possible. The setting may access training from the Local Authority around this, if they would like further support.
If a parent has a disagreement on an inclusion panel decision they should speak to their early years setting. If the early years setting does not agree with the outcome, they are able to appeal the decision within 14 working days by email to:
We would encourage all parents to speak to their child’s early years settings in the first instance and if necessary follow their complaints policy (all early years providers must have a complaint policy and these should be available for you to request a copy).
For further information please contact: