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Nursery provision for children with special educational needs in Wandsworth

Some children may have special educational needs because of a disability or learning difficulty. They may need additional support.

All Early Years settings and nurseries in the maintained or private, independent and voluntary sector will have an identified special needs co-ordinator (SENCO).

The SENCO has responsibility for:

  • Ensuring liaison with parents and other professionals in respect of children with special educational needs.
  • Advising and supporting other practitioners in the provision.
  • Ensuring that appropriate Individual Education Plans (IEP) are in place.
  • Ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with special educational needs is collected, recorded and updated.

The majority of children will have their educational needs met by their nursery provider or school. If they have severe or more complex needs they may need more support or help than their setting can give.

For a very small number of children who need more help, the Local Authority, (LA) may need to make a statutory (legal) assessment of the child’s needs to find out what level of help is needed.

The assessment will, in some cases, lead to an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan), being created saying how the child’s needs must be met, either in an Early Years setting with extra help or in a suitable special school.

If you would like to know more you can obtain an information pack for parents of children with special educational needs from the Special Needs Assessment Service (SNAS), Wandsworth Council, Department of Education and Social Services, Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, SW18 2PU. Telephone: (020) 8871 8061 or email: cssnas@wandsworth.gov.uk

Placements at the special schools and resource bases are made by the council’s Special Needs Assessment Service in consultation with the provider and parents or carers.

For a list of Wandsworth's special schools click here

For a list of Wandsworth resource bases click here