Tudhoe Moor Nursery

We are a Nursery School located in Tudhoe Moor, Spennymoor offering early years education for 2-4 year old children. We also have our own Breakfast and After School club so we are open from 7.45am till 5.30pm.

For two year olds, we offer 15 hour funded places and paying places for those who are not eligible.

For three year olds, we offer 30 hours childcare for working parents in partnership with other childcare in our area as well as 15 hours for all children.

We have lots of experience of supporting children with a wide range of SEND.

To find out more about help with childcare costs please visit www.durham.gov.uk/childcarecosts

When is it on?

Time of day
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Session information
School sessions are 9.00am -12 noon (Mon-Fri), 9.00am to 3.00pm (Mon to Fri) or 2.5 day option (Mon and Tues 9.00am to 3.00pm and Wed 9.00am to 12.00pm)
Children staying all day can access lunch with us or bring a packed lunch. Children doing either a morning do not have lunch at nursery school.

Who to contact

Contact name
Julia Hymers
Contact position
Head Teacher
Telephone
01388 436 000
E-mail
tudhoemoor.nursery@tudhoemoor.durham.sch.uk
Website
Tudhoe Moor Nursery

Where to go

Address
Tudhoe Moor
Spennymoor
County Durham
Postcode
DL16 6EX

Other details

Cost description
All places are free (depending on funding) apart from wraparound care.
Age range
2 - 5 years

Availability

Childcare availability
Closed bank holidays
Before school
Term time
After school
Free 3/4 yr places
Yes
Free 2 yr places
Yes
Will be providing 30 hours
Yes
30 Hours Partner Details (These are details of any other childcare provider(s) that this provider will work with to offer the 30 hours entitlement)
Jack in the Box Day Care are our partner. We already work in very close partnership with them to provide the flexibility that our families may need and this will continue and develop further as the 30 hours becomes more popular. Jack in the Box will deliver the stretched offer for parents that need education throughout the year.

Vacancy details

Immediate vacancies?
Yes
Other information
Two and Three year old places available. (Updated 2 May 2023)

Local Offer

Local Offer description

We understand that children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers and teaching assistants recognise this and use different teaching styles, resources and plan different levels of work in the classroom to cater for the various ways children learn. However, many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help.

We offer the following support for SEND children:

  • We talk to parents/carers if they think their child has a special educational need and let them know what special help we are giving.
  • Mrs Hymers is appointed as the Special Needs Coordinator.
  • We have a written Special Needs Policy – a copy is made available for parents.

Each child’s key worker will be finding ways to support them such as:

  • changing the way activities are planned and delivered
  • matching activities to the ability/need of each child (differentiation)
  • adapting learning materials such as equipment and activities to suit each child’s needs.
  • offering small group support to promote skills identified in the child’s Education Plan.

With the permission of parents, the nursery may seek additional advice from outside specialists such as health professionals, specialist teachers or educational psychologists who would:

  • Carry out further assessment of the child’s needs.
  • Provide advice to schools on how to best support the child.
  • Suggest resources that would help the child make progress.

Our teachers/teaching assistants work in partnership with parents and the SENCO to find ways to support each child with their needs, including giving parents ideas on how to help their child at home.

We will set targets for SEND children which will be shared with parents, either during Parents’ Evening or a Review Meeting.

If your child has Special Educational Needs the SENCO will:

  • Ensure the right support is put in place for each child.
  • Advise other teachers and teaching assistants on how to help each child and ensure they have an up to date Education Plan detailing how their needs will be met in school.
  • Arrange training for staff so they understand each child’s needs.
    Work closely with parents on a regular basis to talk with them about their child’s needs and listen to any ideas or concerns they might have.
  • Work with other professionals (if necessary) who may be able to help individual children, for example Speech and Language Therapist, medical professional or Educational Psychologist.

An Education Plan details what the school, the key person and the SENCO plan to do to help individual children learn. All teachers should be aware that children learn in different ways. Some need to work at a slower pace to ensure they fully understand one thing before they move onto something new.

An Education Plan will be written especially for any child with SEND. It should include:

  • short term targets for the child which are linked to their needs
  • details of any extra support the child will get
  • who will give the child help
  • how often the child will get help
  • how and when the school will look at the child’s progress again (usually at least twice a year)

It is good practice for schools to share copies of Education Plans with parents/carers.

If a child’s needs are very complex and/or severe we may ask the council to carry out an Education, Health and Care Assessment. This is a very detailed assessment of each child’s needs. Parents or carers, the school and a range of professionals will all be asked to provide written reports.

At the end of the assessment, the council will consider these reports to help decide whether or not to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for the child.

Parents/carers also have the right to ask the council to carry out this assessment, although it is usually best if you can do this with the support of the school. An Education, Health and Care Assessment is only appropriate for a small number of children. Your school SENCO or the Durham SEND Information Advice and Support Service will be able to advise you about this.

We understand that children learn and develop in different ways. Teachers and Teaching Assistants recognise this and use different teaching styles, resources and plan different levels of work in the classroom to cater for the various ways children learn. However, many children, at some time in their school life, need extra help.

If you have any questions about SEND, please contact us and we will try our best to help you.

Contact name
Julia Hymers
Contact telephone
01388 436 000
Contact email
tudhoemoor.nursery@tudhoemoor.durham.sch.uk

How do you identify Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)?

How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

If your child has been identified as having special educational needs prior to coming to our school, we will be informed by the council and support plans will be put in place.

If you think your child may have special educational needs then speak to your child's key person, the Head Teacher or your health visitor to express your concerns.

How will you support my child with their special educational needs and disability?

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

We will work very closely with your family and other professionals to decide the best way to support your child.  This will include writing targets that help your child make progress in specific, identified areas.  Your child may receive additional support from other staff if required.

How will you make sure my child's education meet their needs?

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's young person's needs?

The early years curriculum lends itself to being child friendly and follows children's own interests and works at their level. If additional support is required specialist staff will make changes to activities or provide physical support to allow children to access all of the early years curriculum.  We will make any environmental adaptations that we are able to as and when required and work with outside agencies to make SMART targets that allow children to make progress at their own pace.

How will we know my child is progressing?

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

Children have specific targets that they will work towards achieving over a specific length of time. These will be set with the family and any other professionals to ensure that we are all working towards the same goals. These targets will be regularly reviewed and new targets set. Our support staff have very good relationships with the familes of the children that they support and will be able to offer support with activities that may be suitable for the chidlren to do at home. Other professionals will also be able to provide examples of activities that can be done at home.

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall wellbeing?

Wellbeing is an integral part of the early years foundation stage and the care component of the early years curriculum carries equal weight with the educational expectations. Staff who support children with SEND are very experienced and have considerable knowledge of supporting children with a wide range of SEND. 

What specialist services and expertise is available at or accessed by the staff?

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

Our school has access to a wide range of services which include:

  • health visitors
  • speech therapy
  • educational psychology
  • family workers
  • occupational therapy
  • sensory team
  • ASD team

 

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

What training are the staff supporting children and young people with SEND have had or are having?

We have specialist staff that have many years experience working with children with a wide range of SEND. These staff and other nursery staff have had training in Makaton, British Sign Language, Elklan, managing difficult behaviour in children with ASD, physical handling of children with physical conditions, supporting children with hearing impairment, supporting children with impaired sight.

Staff have regular training through the Durham Early Years Special Needs team.

What activities outside the classroom will there be?

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

We are an inclusive school and no children would be excluded form school trips. Our main trip in the summer months is always a family event and a member of the family would be asked to accompany every child if possible. For children who require additional support there would also be a member of staff to support the family. 

For shorter visits there would be additional staff to ensure that the child was able to access the visit.

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

We work very hard to ensure that we comply with the Equality Act and the building complies with DDA.  We have ramps with handrails, wider doors for wheelchairs and disabled toilet facilities. Some of our outdoor environment may not be fully accessible to wheelchair users but alternative provision could be arranged in another, more accesible, part of the garden.

All indoor activities can be adapted to make them fully accessible.

What is available to help my child with their education?

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

There is an outreach service where nursery schools can access additional staff to support identified children. Where an outreach staff member cannot be provided by Durham County Council, funding is given to the school directly to hire a staff member. 

Once a child's needs have been identified and we have assessed that they may require additional support, a request is made to the SEN team and a decision is made based on submitted evidence as to the level of additional support that child can have. An additional member of staff is then sent to the school making the request for however many sessions of support is required.

What support can I expect for my child?

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

A panel at County Hall analyses the evidence submitted by professionals involved with the child, for example speech therapy reports, educational psychologist reports and educational reports. Based on this evidence, they decide upon the number of sessions of support that child will receive.

 

How will I be involved in my child's education?

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

We work very closely with our families and you will always be involved in any target setting for your child. You will be invited to complete a 'My Story' document if you haven't already done so - this is an opportunity to give your information, concerns and hopes for your child.

There will always be opportunities to discuss your child with the support worker. If you are unable to do so then a home/school record book can be put in place to keep you informed of any issues etc.

My child is going to be starting or leaving soon, how will you help them?

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

In the summer term we work very closely with the staff from the receiving school. There will be a meeting to introduce the family and new staff and we would arrange a series of supported visits if appropriate. 

Staff at the receiving school may take photographs of the new classroom/staff for the child to become familiar with over the summer break. Receiving staff would be part of the next target setting to ensure that there is continuity for the child and the family.

Disclaimer

Durham County Council's Families Information Service does not promote nor endorse the services advertised on this website. Anyone seeking to use/access such services does so at their own risk and may make all appropriate enquiries about fitness for purpose and suitability to meet their needs.

Useful documents

  • Tudhoe Moor Nursery School

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Address: Tudhoe Moor  Spennymoor  County Durham

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