Beechdale Nursery School

We are a purpose built nursery school in Consett, We can accommodate up to 52 children each session, including provision for children who have special educational needs. Children attend either morning or afternoon sessions.

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

Who to contact

Contact name
Julia Graham
Contact position
Head Teacher and SENCO
Telephone
01207 505 752
E-mail
beechdale@durhamlearning.net
Website
Beechdale Nursery School

Where to go

Address
Beechdale Road
Consett
County Durham
Postcode
DH8 6AY

Other details

Cost description
Please contact us for prices.
Age range
3 - 5 years

Availability

Free 3/4 yr places
Yes
Free 2 yr places
No
Will be providing 30 hours

Special provisions

Wheelchair access
Yes - The entire school building is accessible via wheelchair.
Cultural provisions
Yes - The school provide support for any child with English as an additional language.
Special diets
Yes - Any child with a specific dietary requirement is catered for and all staff receive training on this if necessary.
Special needs access
Yes - Committed to the equal inclusion of all pupils in all areas of [type of school] life. The school recognise the diverse and individual needs of all of our pupils and take into account the additional support required by those children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Special needs experience
Co-ordinational difficulties
Challenging Behaviour
Premature Babies
Cystic Fibrosis
Sensory impairment
Social development impairment
Deaf
Diabetes
Special educational needs
Developmental Delay
Speech Delay
Down syndrome
Speech and language problems
Disabled
Dyslexia
Emotional needs
Dyspraxia
Visual impairment
Genetic disorders
Epilepsy
Hearing Difficulties
Hypertonic Muscle Disorder
Hyperactive
Language impairment
Hypoplastic (Heart Condition)
Low muscle tone
Learning difficulties
Aspergers syndrome
ASD
Autism
Motor impairment
Asthma
Behavioural problems
Autistic spectrum
Physically Disabled
Cerebral palsy
Celiax
OCD

Local Offer

Contact name
Mrs Julia Graham
Contact telephone
01207 505 752
Contact email
beechdale@durhamlearning.net

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?

Nursery staff will talk to parents/carers if they think their child has a special educational need and let them know what special help the school is giving.  In addition, they urge parents to talk to them as early as possible if they are concerned about their child's development.

The Special Educational Needs policy which gives further details of this process is available for parents on our website.

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?

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/ educational psychologist.

An Education Plan (E) / Provision Map details what the school, the class teacher 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.

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?

Each child’s key worker will be finding ways to adapt the curriculum to support the needs of each child 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.
  • Offer small group support to promote skills identified in the child’s Education Plan.

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?

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.

How will you support my child's overall wellbeing?

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

We aim to provide a happy, secure and caring atmosphere which encourages young children to flourish and grow as young learners. Our nursery environment is well resourced and stimulating, providing a rich diet of experiences to help each child develop a lively and enquiring mind.

We aim to support each child to establish their own sense of identity and self-worth, to grow in independence and confidence and become a responsible member of the school community. A creative curriculum ensures that all children thrive and achieve and we are responsive to individual needs and interests through our continuous use of observation and assessment.

We recognise the invaluable role that parents and carers play in their child's development and continually strive to develop a close relationship with families and the wider community.

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?

We actively seek the involvement of parents and carers and other bodies to educate and meet the needs of children with SEN including external agencies and initiatives. The professionals within these agencies offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise for us to draw upon and ensure we meet the needs of all SEND children, no matter how complex. 

Each year children with a wide range of SEND attend their school and we continually strive to cater for their unique needs and ensure they develop a range of skills during their time at the school. As a result we have built relationships with a large network of external agencies to consult with and offer support to children and staff respectively.  A list of the different types of agencies the school works with regularly can be found on our school website.

How are staff trained regarding SEND?

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

All SEND Teaching Assistants have the following specialist training:

  • Team Teach – This training enables staff to feel more confident and competent in their management of disruptive and "challenging" behaviour , reducing stress by increasing safety and security for all involved.
  • Makaton L1 - Makaton is a language programme using signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It is designed to help staff the support spoken language of children with communication difficulties and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order.
  • Paediatric First Aid Level 2 - This two-day paediatric first aid course focuses on emergency scenarios that their SEND Teaching Assistants may face when looking after and teaching children.
  • ELKLAN Qualification – Level 2 and 3 Speech and Language support for under 5’s. This training has given two of the teaching assistants the skills to support the communication and language development of children with speech and language difficulties, as well as developing strategies to support parents and families. These teaching assistants use their skill and knowledge to run a language group within school at least twice a week, focusing on children with a variety of speech and language difficulties.

In addition to the above, some staff are qualified in the following:

  • PECS - The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is used to rapidly teach communication skills to those with limited functional speech. PECS promotes communication within a social context. An added attraction for preschool children with autism and related disabilities is the high proportion of children who acquire independent speech.

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 ensure that all children are offered the opportunity to participate with activities outside of the classroom by making reasonable adjustments to the organisation of these. For example, SEND children have an appropriate level of adult support if going out of school, transport has the appropriate access, and staff complete a comprehensive risk assessment of any excursion to ensure all children are safe and included. In addition, SEND children are given the opportunity to participate in visits to settings that meet their specific needs for example sensory play.

How will you support my child's needs?

How accessible is the setting/school/college environment?

We have ramped access to both buildings directly from the school car park. Parents of children with SEND that require access of this type are permitted to use the school car park. There is a disabled toilet and a selection of specialist furniture within school to meet the needs of a variety of physical conditions. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility.

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?

We are committed to ensuring inclusion for all children no matter what their needs are. Our specialist SEND Teaching Assistants work diligently to include SEND children in all activities and experiences offered in school, working in consultation with parents and experts to make any reasonable adjustments 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 new SEND code of practice will be published and this will set out how decisions should be made for children and young adults with SEND. This is statutory guidance and all schools, local authorities and health providers must have regard to it when providing for SEND children/young adults.

We will be addng a link to the Code of Practice document on their website as soon as it's available.

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 are fully committed to encouraging parents to be involved with all aspects of school life. We welcome parents into school at the beginning and end of nursery sessions and they are welcome to arrange dates to “stay and play” with their child. We invite parents to attend their child’s birthday party, school performances, family fun days, sports events and a number of training sessions throughout the year. They are also encouraged to help with the school allotment and forest school sessions.

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?

Children with SEND are given an extensive level of support before they leave for a new school. Their key worker will discuss with parents how many transition visits can be arranged over and above those offered to children without SEND.

These additional visits to the new school will be carried out with the child, their key worker and parent in the summer term.

This ensures that bridges are built between schools, key information shared between staff and the child is given the opportunity to settle into a new routine with the support of a familiar adult.

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.

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Address: Beechdale Road  Consett  County Durham

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