Name of Setting: Nightingale Nursery Castle Donington 
Telephone: 01332 850585
Email: castledonington@nightingalenurseries.co.uk
Name of person to contact: Gale (Manager)/ Jess (Deputy)/ Rachel (SENCo)
 
Name of Setting: Nightingale Nursery Sawley
Telephone: 01159 731414
Email: sawley@nightingalenurseries.co.uk
Name of person to contact: Kerry (Manager)/ Kayla (Deputy)/ Emma (SENCo)

My child has SEND. I would like to look around. What do I need to do?
All children and their families are welcome at our setting. We offer visits at 10am and 2pm each day. Visits can be arranged by calling us on 01159 731414 for Sawley or 01332 850 585 for Castle Donington. Alternatively you can email us at sawley@nightingalenurseries.co.uk or castledonington@nightingalenurseries.co.uk or message via our website www.nightingalenurseries.co.uk. During your visit a senior member of staff will show you around the setting, introduce you to the team and answer any questions you may have. 
 
How will my child and I be made to feel welcome and how will you get ready for my child coming? 
We are an inclusive setting. Since opening our first setting in 1997, we have supported countless children and their families. We have a highly skilled and experienced work force who have a wealth of knowledge to support the individual needs of our children. We have three qualified SENCO's who are supported by a qualified teacher with a Master’s degree in Education who has been working in the sector for 20 years. Our SENCo'S and regularly attend further training to ensure we are up date with all things SEND. Our SENCo's works closely with families to ensure the best outcomes are achieved and families are well supported. Staff have weekly meetings to discuss children’s progress and learning which allows us to identify needs and take swift action if a need is identified. 
Our Promoting Positive Behaviour Officer works closely with children, practitioners and families across our nurseries to promote positive behaviour, build strong relationships and support children's emotional wellbeing.
They provide guidance, advice and practical support to our teams and families, helping us to understand and respond to individual children's needs and to develop positive strategies wherever additional support may be needed.
Our aim is to help every child feel understood, supported and confident, while developing the skills they need to manage their emotions, build positive relationships and thrive.
We have 4 qualified Mental Health and Well- Being Aiders. They provide a listening ear, early support and signposting for practitioners and families. They help to create a culture where mental health and emotional wellbeing can be talked about openly, respectfully and without stigma. The role supports our wider commitment to creating a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where children, families and staff feel valued, supported and able to thrive.
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What should I expect when my child starts at nursery?
Prior to starting with us, you will be asked to complete registration forms and share information about your child, for example, if any other professionals are involved with your child, any other settings they attend or if you have any concerns about their development. We will ask you to complete and All About Me booklet, which asks for more detailed information about your child and assists us to create a smooth transition into the setting. We will arrange initial visits prior to your child starting nursery in which you will drop off your child for a short period of time over a few sessions to allow them to get to know the staff, peers and setting, and allow the staff to begin to make bonds with your child. We will add you to our educational platform Ovivio, on which you are able to share information from home, communicate with the your child’s key person and enjoy seeing some of the activities your child has been doing. 
When your child starts nursery, they will be assigned a Key Person who will spend lots of time with them and who will facilitate their learning and progress by assessing their starting points through observation and using these to identify their individual next steps. You child’s key worker will be available for you to speak to at handovers, over the phone and via Whatsapp and Ovivio. You are invited to arrange parent/ carer meetings with them and/or SENCo's as and when you wish. If your child’s key person notices that your child might benefit from any additional support, they will speak to you and the SENCo to agree on an appropriate plan of action. Your child’s key person and the SENCo will work alongside you as you are the person who knows your child best. 
We have long standing working relationships with lots of professionals in the local area. Our SENCo's work closely alongside the wide range of professionals working with children in our settings to implement recommendations and support our children and families. 
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How accessible are your premises?
Our nurseries operate over two floors. We have baby changing facilities on both floors. All of our units have low-level sinks to promote personal hygiene and independence. There are children’s bathrooms attached to the units, with low-level toilets and sinks. The bathrooms are well-stocked with paper towels, flannels, toilet paper, soap and mirrors to promote children’s independence with self-care.
 
How will you keep my child safe? 
Our nursery is a secure premises. We adhere to a strict Front Door Policy, which means that staff are only permitted to let people in or out who are known to us. People who we do not know are permitted to enter the nursery by appointment only. The implementation of this policy means that we are aware of who is in our nursery at all times, and unauthorised visitors are not permitted to enter the premises. All staff and volunteers have DBS checks. New staff must provide professional references and are given a detailed induction before they are allowed to commence employment.
Our staff are extremely highly qualified and experienced. The proprietor holds a Certificate in Education, and a BA (Hons) degree in Early Years and Early Years Professional Status. The Leadership and Management Team holds a wide range of qualifications including Masters in Education, PGCE, EYTS, EYPS, Honours Degree and Foundation Degree. Strong and experienced Leadership and Management within the setting means that all staff are supported and ensure high standards of safeguarding and safety are maintained at all times. All staff receive routine training in safeguarding and welfare along with paediatric first aid taught by a registered organisation. Staff are given any additional training considered to be suitable and beneficial. Daily risk assessments are completed to ensure the building and equipment is safe and suitable for use. Staff have experience of using specialist equipment and are able to support children’s individual needs.
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How will you communicate with me what my child has done, enjoyed and learnt? 
Your child’s key person will ensure you are kept up to date with your child’s achievements each day and share your child’s next steps with you regularly. They will work closely with any other professionals who support your child as well as our nursery SENCo's who will oversee your child’s learning and development, guide your child’s key person and make any recommendations and referrals where necessary. 
We encourage you to come into your child’s room at collection time to see them playing and to enable us to provide you with a detailed handover from your child’s key person. We also invite you to attend parent meetings throughout the year and offer these on an as and when basis too. We share your child’s progress with you via our educational program, Ovivio. This is a two- way process and we encourage you to upload and share information about the things your child is doing outside of nursery too.  
 
How do you work with other professionals? 
Nightingale Nurseries were established in 1997 and some members of our Management team have been with the nursery since it opened. We are very experienced with working and liaising with other professionals and have strong professional relationships with numerous professional agencies in the local area.
 
What training have you/your staff had in SEND? 
All staff have a good knowledge and understanding of children with SEND. They are competent at assessing children and identifying their needs, knowing to take action to refer to the SENCo's swiftly if they do have concerns so that we can ensure the best outcomes for our children and families. They ensure that parents/ carers are involved in this process and they recognise that you know your child best. 
We use a range of assessment strategies and tools to identify children’s needs such as Every Child A Talker, Every Child A Mover and the Small Steps document. We use the Graduated Approach to support children’s progress, attend SEND drop-ins, liaise with our Area SENCo and arrange additional support where necessary. Staff are supported in identifying and undertaking any specific additional training to support the children and families within our setting. 
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How will you adapt play opportunities for my child? 
Our nursery is often described as “homely”. We are a long- standing family- run nursery and your child’s care and well- being is paramount. Your child will benefit from a personalised care plan which has been put together with your child’s individual needs in mind to ensure that they can access all of the provision and learning opportunities available. We make relationships with our children and their families our priority and by doing so, we find ways to engage and support your child in the activities which they enjoy
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How will you get ready for my child going to his/her new school? 
We have lots of experience with helping children to transition smoothly into their chosen schools, whether this be a mainstream or specialist school. We arrange opportunities for your child’s teacher to come into our nursery to meet the children, as well as arranging visits to your child’s school. Where necessary we can arrange for you to take your child to their new school outside of school hours so they can see the school when it is quiet. 
We host frequent parent meetings throughout the year and in the run- up to school we will discuss your child’s school transition with you and talk about how you feel they can be supported. We can apply for transition funding to support this process if you would like us to.
We will use the information and observations from Ovivio to send a summary of your child’s learning and development to school. We follow the guidance provided by the local authority for school readiness and invite your child’s teacher into nursery to familiarise them with each other. This gives their teacher the opportunity to ask any questions and get to know your child. We can also arrange for your child to visit their school alongside their key worker. We provide the school with Transition Summaries, IEP documents and reports to help the school cater to your child’s needs. We will discuss your child with their new teacher and pass on all of our knowledge so that your child’s teacher is able to implement strategies immediately.
 
How will you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child's learning? 
We use weekly observations from your child's learning journey to assess your child’s progress. You will have access to these observations via Ovivio.  We encourage you to share observations of the things you do at home too so that we can provide consistency for your child. The content of the observations is evaluated to inform the next steps for your child. Next steps are discussed with you and strategies will be considered and implemented if we feel there is a way in which your child could be further supported both at home and within our nursery.