Children with Additional Needs

Pre-school Learning Alliance

Pre-school Learning Alliance works to enable the inclusion of children with additional needs in their local pre-school, crèche or day nursery. The Pre-school Learning Alliance work together with other professionals to offer advice, support and resources.

There is a small team of inclusion assistants who can, for time limited period offer a boost to staffing ratio in order to support inclusion. Their role is to promote the inclusion of all children by providing additional support for a set period of time. We will continue to assess and review the level of support offered.

The inclusion assistant may support settings by:

Working closely with Special Educational Needs Coordinators and key workers
Providing/developing resources
Increasing the staffing ratio to enable the child's key worker to promote full involvement in all activities
Undertaking some specific work identified in the child's targets
Modelling inclusive practice
Advising on strategies and activities

Assessment for additional staffing

Inclusion support will always be allocated according to the needs of the setting. In making their decision, the team will consider:

Current staff ratio
Action already taken
Staff training needs
Access issues
Information from other professionals
The child's needs including:
- Individual support for behaviour management
- Individual support to implement targets
- Support for physical needs
- Provision for medical needs

If it is not considered that extra staffing is appropriate, additional evidence in the form of observations or on-going monitoring and assessment may be requested.

Toy Library

Pre-school Learning Alliance have a small toy library available to early years settings to promote inclusive play activities.

These toys are for a wide range of adult led activities to support:

Language development
Turn taking
Story time
Role play
Exploring emotions
Physical development

Contacting the team

Early Years staff, parents or carers can contact any member of the team for advice and support.

Pre-school Learning Alliance:

Area Special Educational Needs Coordinator - Sue Pettit

Tel: 020 8227 5483

Tel: 020 8227 5470

Tel: 020 8227 5476

Deputy Special Educational Needs Coordinator - Ola Bashorun

Tel: 020 8227 5483

Tel: 020 8227 5470

Tel: 020 8227 5476

Contact

Family Information Service

3rd Floor

Bridge House

150 London Road

Barking

IG11 8BB

Supported by Barking and Dagenham Direct:

Tel: 020 8215 3004

Fax: 020 8227 5184

Minicom: 020 8227 5755

Email: fis@lbbd.gov.uk|

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm.