Our Local Offer

At Top Tots we are committed to the inclusion of all children. All children have the right to be cared for and educated to devlop to their full potential alongside each other through positive expereinces, to enable them to share opportunities and experences and develop and learn from each other. We provide a positive and welcoming enviroment where children are supported according to their indivudal needs. 

The aim of our Local Offer is to provide families with
information about what support is available to support children with Special
Educational Needs and Disabilty (SEND) and how to access it.

How will Top tots know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child has special educational needs? 

  • At Top Tots we use a key person approach, this role allows the key person to build a trusting relationship with both the child and parent/carer and find out the likes and dislikes of the child. The key person will carry out a range of observations and assessments while monitoring progress each term. If any areas of The Early Years Foundation Stage identify extra support a further assessment may be completed. Parents/carers will be invited in for a meeting with the Key person and made aware of any concerns by the settings Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO), if necessary an Indivudal support plan will be created with clear targets and reviewed in 6 weeks. If the SENCO is concerned about a child's progress (or the parent has concerns) an Early Help Assessment (EHA) is completed to create an holistic picture of the childs progress and their needs and help determine which services are best suited to meet the needs of the child. 
How will Top Tots support my child? 
The key person will use the child's interests and strengths to plan activities to encourage progress.The nursery SENCO will liaise closely with parents and outside professionals to crete a realistic plan to support the needs of the child. Any assessments and reports made by outside agencies are incorporated into creating targets in the childs Indivudal support plan. The key person will deliver such activities in small groups or 1:1 depending on the childs needs. If a child requires a high level of care/support the nursery SENCO may apply for addtional funding through the inclusion team in the Portsmouth City Council to help delivery the best possible service in meeting the needs of the child. The SENCO can also invite the Early years child services to provide addtional support and strategies which best fit the needs of the child. Parents will be invited into the nursery to dicuss these. If a child has addtional needs and is not making progress, a Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) is completed. A plan will be created where the child is reffered to the apprioriate professional and if needed a team around the child (TAC) made up of professionals from health and education is set up to support the child and family. Staff working directly with the child will recieve regularly relevant traning and support. The SENCO will also attend SEN forums where up to date SEN information is discussed and shared. The room leaders and key person will audit the learning environment and resoucres to ensure it is adapted to best suit the needs of all children in our care, various grants may be avaliable to support children with addtional needs.  
Additional information and support for parents/carers can be found at: http://www.portsmouthlocaloffer.org/