Importance of inclusive practice for SEND

Inclusive practice – including appropriate, effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) – is a fundamental element of the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

This means that all providers have a responsibility to ensure that they have all the arrangements in place for identifying and accommodating children’s individual needs while promoting equal opportunities, including additional provision and different levels of support for each individual need.

The EYFS states that those working with young children should notice and respond to any emerging difficulties children may face, as well as any other concerns they may have about children’s developmental progress.

Don’t panic, though! While there’s a responsibility to identify and accommodate children’s individual needs, there’s no expectation that educators have a comprehensive knowledge of every single potential need or disability that a child may have – only that they provide a nonjudgemental, highly aspirational environment where all children are seen, valued, supported and safe, as well as celebrated.

Early years settings are also required to follow the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 0-25, which details the legal requirements that must, without exception, be followed in every setting. Part of this is the provision of reasonable adjustments and access arrangements for children as part of SEN planning and review.

A child has special education needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability that calls for special educational provision to be made for them. These additional needs can be summarised as falling in the following four broad areas of need and support: communication and interaction; cognition and learning; social, emotional and mental health; sensory and/or physical needs.

It’s important to note that there’s often an overlap with disability and special educational needs – which means that a child can be defined as disabled, having a special educational need (SEN), or having a special educational need and a disability (SEND).

Equality in an early years context means that all children, families and staff have a sense of belonging at a setting, their voices heard, understood and valued, and individual needs identified and supported.

Each child is an individual with unique interests, motivations and needs – and they should be treated as such. To ensure this is the case, educators should closely observe children, their families and familial interactions, and see what piques their interest to allow for planning to reflect these individual needs and motivations.

But how can we at the Alliance help?

The Alliance’s Supporting children with SEND in the early years toolkit has been written to support all early educators in offering additional, differentiated support in a positive way to enable children with an additional educational need and/or disability – whether diagnosed or undiagnosed – to reach their full potential and have an equal chance of success at their provision.

This toolkit provides a variety of ideas, strategies, information and links that educators can use to better support children’s progress at all stages of their learning journey – no matter their individual level or type of need – while creating an environment that’s warm, welcoming, nurturing and safe, extending a sense of belonging to all children and their families.

Toolkit sections: Enabling environments Learning and development Positive relationships Self-reflection The unique child.

Find out more or order your toolkit today, at bit.ly/U5SENDToolkit.

Join us in Bristol for the Alliance Connect Roadshow, 16 October, where we’ll be introducing a range of inspirational keynote speakers to share their knowledge, experiences, scientific findings and practical ideas.

Throughout the day, attendees will have the chance to find out more about supporting neurodivergent children in talks about responding to children’s sensory systems as well as challenges around feeding and mealtimes, and also delve into the neuroscience of neurodiversity, discussing cultivating inclusive practice through both approach and environment.

Get your tickets here: bit.ly/U5ConnectRoadshowBristol.