Norcot Early Years SCD Resourced Base Consultation

Overview

Meeting the needs of 3-4 year old pre-school children with social communication difficulties: Establishing an Early Years Social Communication Difficulties (EY SCD) Resourced Base at Norcot Nursery School, which is a part of Norcot Early Years Centre.

Reading Borough Council have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient childcare places available in Reading including children with SEND. There is an increasing number of young children across Reading who have been identified as having significant social communication difficulties, which makes it challenging for them to access early years education solely within mainstream provision.

To meet the needs of 3-4 year old children, with social communication difficulties, in West Reading, it is proposed that an existing informal resource base at Norcot Nursery School, which currently supports 12 children, is formalised as an EY SCD Resourced Base, supporting up to 20 children, from September 2021.

This will complement the established ‘Snowflakes’ Early Years Autism Resourced Base at New Bridge Nursery School in North Reading and the proposed EY SCD Resourced Base at Blagdon Nursery School, in South Reading.         

Why your views matter

There is an increasing number of pre-school children being identified as having social communication difficulties and they either have a diagnosis of autism or waiting for, or undergoing, assessments for autism. These children do not require specialist nursery provision but they do need additional support within a mainstream nursery setting. Research shows that providing appropriate support, at the first possible opportunity, is crucial for ensuring good outcomes for children with SEND.

Children in the EY SCD Resourced Base will have direct access to a low sensory room, a high sensory room and a sensory garden, specially designed to ensure that their needs are met. To provide positive learning experience for children with SCD, including autism, a suitable educational approaches and learning adaptations such as Intensive Interaction, Attention Autism, Food exploration and Tacpac will be implemented. In addition, they will share the mainstream nursery school environment, where appropriate, including the mainstream outside learning areas, for play based learning and activities.

Places in the EY SCD resource base would be allocated by the Brighter Futures for Children’s SCD Resourced Base Panel, following referrals being made to, and discussed with, The Head of Norcot Nursery School and/or the Inclusion Lead.

Indicatively, the funding needed to formalize the resourced base at Norcot Nursery School, from September 2021, is £100K.

The aim of the consultation is to give parents, the local community and other key stakeholders in Reading an opportunity to have their say on the establishment of a formal EY SCD resourced base at Norcot Nursery School.

What happens next

A report on the response to this consultation will be presented at Schools’ Forum on 24^th June 2021.