Spotlight on Jemma, our Nursery SENCO

You may have already met Jemma Gleave, our skilled SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and joint Deputy Manager.

Here, Jemma shares insights about her role and the expert support she provides for children with special educational needs.

How long have you been a SENCO at the Riverside Day Nursery?

“I’ve been here nine years. In addition to being a trained level 3 Childcare Practitioner, I recently qualified as a level 3 Early Years SENCO.”

What special skills do you bring to your role?

“I’m trained in Elklan, which equips me to provide specialised support for children with speech, language, and communication needs. I’m also proficient in level one and two Makaton, a communication tool that uses signs and symbols.”

What inspired you to become a SENCO?

“When I joined the Riverside Nursery, I naturally gravitated towards supporting children with special needs. Although sometimes challenging, forming positive connections with the children is incredibly rewarding.”

What special education needs do the children have that you work with?

“I support children with a diverse range of needs, from children with ASD who struggle with communication and understanding, to those with moderate to severe learning difficulties, including children diagnosed with Down Syndrome.”

How do you go about identifying if a child has special educational needs?

“When a child starts with us, we follow the ‘Every Child a Talker’ (ECAT) guidelines, creating a stimulating environment where learning and language exploration is fun. I also work closely with the children’s keyworkers who flag if they notice a child is having any delays or difficulties.

“If there are concerns, we get in touch with parents to share our observations and get their views.”

What happens next?

“Together with parents, we develop a personalised support strategy. This is called a ‘Play Plan/IEP’. I design these using the ‘Graduated approach’ which follows the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ cycle. This provides a continuous assessment of a child’s progress and can be adjusted if their needs change.

“We also create a document written from the child’s perspective which has lots of information about them, saying things they love to do, and their identified needs for at home and at nursery. For example, ‘I have difficulty listening, so when you talk to me, please come down to my level, use my name and simple words to explain things.’”

How do you measure progress?

“As part of the support plan, we set gentle individual targets of what a child might like to do next, for example, ‘sitting down at group time and listening to two songs’, as well as how the person helping, whether at home or nursery, can help support this. These actions are then reviewed to see the steps they’ve made.”

How do you tailor the setting for children with special needs and disabilities?

“All our rooms, from the baby room through to the pre-school room, are equipped to cater for children with SEN needs. This includes things like visual timetables, where children can see pictures of their day, so they know what’s happening without having to ask.

“We also set up cosy dens and tents. These are ideal if a child’s feeling overstimulated. They can go into a blackout pop-up tent with lights and sensory toys. It’s really calming when outside is too much.”

Do you do one-to-ones?

“Yes, one-on-one sessions are a big part of my day. I use various play techniques involving pictures, books, and objects to help foster speech development and other skills.”

What is your favourite activity?

“Bucket time! It’s an attention-building strategy originally designed for children with ASD but it works so well, we’ve rolled it out for all.

“I have a special bucket full of fun and exciting musical and light-up toys. The children sit in a semi-circle and I show them the toys one by one. The toys stay out all the time I have their full attention. The first time might only be one or two minutes, so the aim is to increase attention time each session.”

If you’d like to talk to Jemma, get in touch: info@riversidedaynursery.co.uk