The early years are a crucial stage in a child’s development, laying the foundations for learning, language development and social interaction.
The Early Years SEND offer continues to grow to reach more pupils and families, responding to evolving needs.
Recently the Early Years Team launched The Curiosity Approach.
Early Years staff use this child‑led approach to develop a child’s curiosity and attention, gradually encouraging them to engage with adults and activities beyond their immediate interests.
The Curiosity Approach is offered in addition to All About Attention that gives practitioners strategies and resources to develop children’s communication, interaction, engagement, and attentional skills.
Adapting learning in this way helps children to engage more fully in everything their setting has to offer, broadening their experiences and enables them to get the most out of each learning day.
Feedback from settings has been fantastic. They say, “We are seeing children engage in ways we’ve never seen before.”
Participation from Early Years settings has been fantastic, with training sessions repeatedly fully booked and strong participation from nurseries, childminders, playgroups, and school reception classes.
As childcare funding has increased, settings are seeing more children identified with SEND at an earlier stage, alongside a rise in speech and language delays.
The Early Years Team has been proactive in ensuring settings and staff have the training, tools and resources required to identify needs early and deliver targeted intervention at the right level for each child.
Ann-Marie Matson, Director of Childrens Services at North East Lincolnshire Council said, “This is just a snapshot of our team’s robust offer.
“They host ongoing drop‑in events so SENCOs and early years staff can seek advice, discuss specific challenges, identify emerging needs and access skills and resources.
“The team also offers neurodiversity training- how to identify and meet needs, new‑to‑SENCO and refresher training, sensory training and much more.
“The Early Years Portage Service, which supports children with social and communication needs and their families, has also broadened its offer this academic year.
“This sits alongside the team’s day‑to‑day work visiting settings, and ensuring the right support, training and services are put in place to help children thrive.
“Together, this varied and layered offer supports children at all stages of development and across a wide range of needs.”
Early Years settings wanting to take advantage of this training can find out more by contacting the Early Years Team at [email protected].
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