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About early years aged 0-5 for children with special educational needs or disabilities

Financial support in early years settings

Some children will require additional financial support in early year’s settings to ensure that they are able to make progress. Find out more about top up funding.

3 and 4 year olds who are attending an Ofsted registered childcare provider and are registered for Disability Living Allowance will be able to claim the Disability Access Fund for their childcare provider of £615.

All early years settings in North Somerset will have identified an Inclusion Co-ordinator (INCCO), or in the case of maintained schools, a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

If a childcare setting thinks that a child has special educational needs or a disability they must work in partnership with parents to establish the support the child needs. If special provision is made for the child the parents must be informed

If a child has some additional needs it is helpful if they can be discussed at MAISEY (Multi-agency information and support in the early years). Please see our privacy notice.

You may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance for your child.  Contact, the charity for disabled children have information on their website about claiming disability living allowance for children.

Area Senco support for early years settings

All early years settings have access to guidance and advice from North Somerset Early Years Area SENCOs.

Support for children with special educational needs in early years settings

Any Early Year’s setting that a child attends must have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).  These arrangements should include a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEN.

All early years settings in North Somerset will have identified an Inclusion Co-ordinator (INCCO), or in the case of maintained schools, a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

Where any setting identifies a child as having SEN they must work in partnership with parents to establish the support the child needs. If special provision is made for a child with SEN the parents must be informed

30 hours childcare for children with SEND

Inclusion link programme

The purpose of the programme is to support pre-school children with SEND into school and to give them the best possible start to school life through:

  • parents, early years setting and school working together to plan a transfer programme that meets individual children’s needs.
  • sharing knowledge and information
  • ensuring a smooth and effective transfer to school

Funding for the inclusion link programme is allocated on a year by year basis. Our enhanced transistion support document gives more information about good practice for children with SEND transitioning into school.

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