Nursery World - Conference report: ‘Being ambitious for all children’

Annette Rawstrone reports on the issues raised at Nursery World’s recent conference – 'EYFS: Supporting every child to thrive' – which focused on strategies to support the large rise in numbers of children presenting with additional needs across the sector.

Delegates gathered at the Hallam Conference Centre in central London, on 9 November.

Many attending the conference expressed feeling overwhelmed by the increase in children they care for with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). One delegate, a manager of a small nursery group, told Nursery World that she is considering introducing a charge for supporting families with Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) applications because they are proving so time consuming.

Delegates also expressed frustration at the current lack of basic training around caring for children with additional needs, referring back to the former NNEB qualification, and called for specific SEND training to be included in current education and childcare qualifications. They were reassured to hear Catherine McLeod, chief executive of inclusion charity Dingley’s Promise, saying that the National Council for Further Education (NCFE) has agreed to introduce this in the revised Level 3 qualification.

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