'All children are entitled to enjoy a full life in conditions which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual, with their own cultural and spiritual beliefs.'
- EYFS, Principles into Practice card 1.1
Norwood Nursery in Hendon, north-west London, an inclusive nursery school run by a Jewish charity, actively embraces the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As part of the Jewish Norwood organisation (see further information) the nursery is committed to promoting the key values of Judaism, including celebrating the Sabbath, Jewish festivals and encouraging children to take pride in their Jewish identity. Non-Jewish children who have special needs are also welcomed into the setting.
The nursery, which has operated since September and was officially opened by Norwood's patron of children's services Cherie Blair last month, provides care and education for two- to five-year-olds, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and children with English as an additional language. Numbers of children are gradually being built up over the year to give staff time to get to know each child and so that staff can develop and be recruited every few months. There are now 14 children, with the capacity for 30. A third of them will have special or additional needs.
Nursery manager Diane Dickens says, 'The children all work and play alongside each other. Some of the children are aware of the others' differences and it is something that we embrace in the nursery. For example, a learning support assistant may take a child with special needs into the sensory room and ask a mainstream child to accompany them, too, to act as a role model and ensure that the children learn from each other. The mainstream children sometimes need to develop extra patience to play with the children with special needs. Through this they develop great consideration for others and learn empathy.'
Ms Dickens also believes the children benefit from being in a mixed age group. Staff think that the two-year-olds do not have as many tantrums because they are modelling how the older children manage their behaviour better, while the older children take responsibility for the younger ones.
Special services
The nursery is based at the Kennedy Leigh Children and Family Centre and Pears Wing for Children, which has recently been designated a children's centre by the Borough of Barnet. Children have free flow between the purpose-built nursery and an enclosed outdoor play area. They also have access to an adventure playground equipped with specialist facilities, a sensory garden, a sensory room and a soft-play ball pond area.
The centre provides a range of services for the children and families to access. These include:
- Binoh, a special educational service - the team can assess each child individually and develop a planned programme of support following consultation with parents, family members and carers (see Norwood website for further information)
- family support service
- well baby clinic
- parent and toddler groups
- recreational service for children with disabilities.
On site there is access to multi-disciplinary staff including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists, social workers and family support workers.
'It is great for the parents, because they do not have to come to the nursery, pick up their child and then take them to hospital for an appointment. It is extremely beneficial for busy parents, and it also helps because reports do not get lost in the post,' says Ms Dickens. 'It also makes treatments a lot more efficient and less disruptive for the children, because they get to stay with their friends in an environment that they are familiar with. For example, the speech and language therapist can be in the room playing games with them - the children see it as just another adult to play with.'
Information on each child is kept centrally so that all professionals are able to share information and parents do not have to keep repeating their child's medical history. The nursery receives referrals from the centre's family support workers when it is felt that a child will benefit from attending the setting. Staff are then able to get to know the family through the groups before the child starts attending.
The services do not only benefit the children with a diagnosed condition. Ms Dickens explains, 'Having the specialists on site is good for all the children because you never know when one of them may have a need, such as some extra issues because their mother has just had a baby or they have moved house and need to work through the change.
'This morning we had a parents' workshop where the educational psychologist talked to them about tantrums and sibling rivalry. All the parents can learn together. Those who have a child with a diagnosed condition can realise that they are also dealing with some of the same issues as other parents.'
Working with parents
Norwood Nursery received its first Ofsted inspection in February and was judged good overall, with an outstanding for its partnership with parents. 'A key aim of the nursery is to empower parents,' says Ms Dickens. 'For many children and parents, this is their first experience of an educational setting. We need to show the parents that they are valued regardless of their needs.'
A relationship with parents is established before the children start attending the nursery. Each child has a keyworker who conducts a home visit and then invites them to visit the nursery and attend an open morning before they start.
The nursery has an open-door policy and from 9 to 9.30am parents are encouraged to stay to settle their child in and talk to staff, rather than just drop their child at the door. Parents are invited to the nursery whenever Jewish festivals are celebrated and have consultations with their keyworker at least twice a term.
Rachel Shababo, whose two-year-old daughter joined Norwood Nursery in January, says, 'The nursery is very special. The facilities are exceptional and the carers are very sensitive, kind and well organised. There are higher ratios because some of the children have special needs, which leads to high quality care.
'Some of my friends were dubious because it is an inclusive nursery, but this is one of the things that attracted me to Norwood. The children learn to be comfortable around people who are different. The ethos they engender is children helping each other and accepting everyone.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
Norwood is a Jewish charity supporting children, families and adults who are coping with learning disabilities and social disadvantage. The charity provides specialised support to meet individual needs so that they can reach their full potential. See www.norwood.org.uk
