Early Years SEND and Inclusion Handbook
About the handbook
This handbook supports providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage within the private, voluntary, and independent sector, as well as practitioners within maintained school (particularly those working with children of nursery age).
Practitioners working with reception aged children will find much of the information within the early years handbook useful in supporting their practice (although will also need to consult the local procedures for supporting school aged children).
Please click on the following sections below to find the information you are looking for. The Handbook Contents page [PDF, 380Kb] shows what each section covers.
If you need any of the sections in paper format please contact eysendteam@northlincs.gov.uk
Ideas for activities, resources and home learning for children aged 0 to 5 years
As an EYFS provider, you might like to share these ideas and suggestions for things that parents and carers can do at home to support their baby or child’s learning and development.
Ideas for resources activities and home learning for children in the early years [PDF, 220Kb]
The purpose of the handbook is to:
- Provide information about the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2014) revised January 2015
- To show specific links and good practice in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- Guide providers through the process of the graduated approach
- Provide information for management, staff, students and particularly the designated SENCO
- Provide information relating to where and how appropriate advice may be sought and local support services for children with special educational needs and disabilities
- Provide guidance and give examples of good practice, promoting the inclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities
- Provide a practical resource to which the SENCO and others can refer
This handbook supports providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage within the private, voluntary and independent sector, as well as practitioners within maintained school (particularly those working with children of nursery age).
Practitioners working with reception aged children will find much of the information within the early years handbook useful in supporting their practice (although will also need to consult the local procedures for supporting school aged children).
Relevant Legislation and supporting documents-2019 [PDF, 129Kb]
- Children and Families Act 2014
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) revised (January 2015)
- The Special Education Needs and Disability Regulations 2014
- Children Act 1989
- Equality Act 2010
- Care Act 2014
- The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage
- Managing medicines in schools and Early Years settings
- Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions April 2014
- Working Together, Safeguarding Disabled Children – practice guidance
Information can also be obtained from.
- www.gov.uk
- www.northlincs.gov.uk
- www.localoffer.northlincs.gov.uk
- www.northlincscmars.co.uk
- www.everychildmatters.gov.uk
- www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
Acronyms [PDF, 59Kb]
Code of Practice – Role of the SENCO [PDF, 10Kb]- Code of Practice – Role of the SENCO
Code of Practice Early Years Improving Outcomes [PDF, 20Kb]- Code of Practice Early Years Improving Outcomes
Code of Practice Early Years Provision [PDF, 11Kb]- Code of Practice Early Years Provision
Code of Practice Equality Act [PDF, 10Kb]- Code of Practice Equality Act
- Code of Practice High Quality Provision [PDF, 14Kb]
- Code of Practice High Quality Provision
Code of Practice Medical Conditions and SEN in the early years [PDF, 129Kb]- Code of Practice Medical Conditions and SEN in the early years
Code of Practice Record Keeping Provision [PDF, 15Kb]- Code of Practice Record Keeping Provision
Complaints Procedure [PDF, 10Kb]- Complaints Procedure
Definition of vulnerable children and families [PDF, 78Kb]- Definition of vulnerable children and families (IS THIS INFO ONLINE SO I CAN LINK TO IT?)
1. Progress check at age two – assessment [PDF, 128Kb] Progress check at age two
2. Two-year funding criteria [PDF, 270Kb]
3. EYFS Two-Year Assessment [PDF, 77Kb]
4. Guidance for completing the EYFS integrated two year old assessment [PDF, 597Kb]
5. Physical Model flow chart integrated two year old assessment Sept 2023 SW version [PDF, 95Kb]
6. Virtual model flow chart integrated two-year-old assessment 6. North Lincolnshire Process for Integrated 2 Year Old Assessment Virtual Model SW version [PDF,97Kb]
7. EYFS integrated two year old assessment format [PDF, 213Kb] 7. North Lincolnshire Integrated 2-year-old assessment summary (EYFS) SW version [PDF, 99Kb]
- Code of Practice – early years identifying needs [PDF, 21Kb]
- Code of Practice – early years SEND support [PDF, 16Kb]
- Deciding on shared outcomes [PDF, 11Kb]
- How to approach a parent with a concern [PDF, 37Kb]
- Outcome plans using ethos of SMART targets[PDF, 14Kb]
- Parents as partners [PDF, 90Kb]
- Starting early [PDF, 17Kb]
- The Graduated Approach
- Early Years Multi-Agency Triage Panel Request for Involvement [DOC, 185Kb]
- Code of Practice – early years – P14 [PDF, 17Kb]
- Code of Practice – early years – P15 [PDF, 9Kb]
- Disability Access Fund [PDF, 80Kb]
- Early SEND and Inclusion Team contact details [PDF, 84Kb]
- Maximising early education funding [PDF, 33Kb]
- Inclusion funding request [DOC, 41Kb]
- Inclusion funding evaluation [DOC, 75Kb]
- What is the Local Offer? [PDF, 35Kb]
- Blossom Lodge leaflet [PDF, 131Kb]
- CDC early years brochurePDF, 266Kb]
- Children’s therapy teams [PDF, 404Kb]
- Code of Practice – early years – p10 [PDF, 9Kb]
- Cygnets leaflet [PDF, 45Kb]
- Direct payment leaflet [PDF, 46Kb]
- Early Years Multi-Agency Triage Panel Request Form for Involvement [PDF, 185Kb]
- Early Help leaflet for parents and young people [PDF, 686Kb]
- Early Help [PDF, 107Kb]
- Early Years Triage Panel – Team Overview [PDF, 173Kb]
- Early Years Multi-Agency Triage Panel – Terms of Reference [PDF, 117Kb]
- Early Years Request for ASD assessment – petal form [PDF,
- Family Information Service [PDF, 282Kb]
- Physical disabilities referral form [DOC, 28Kb]
- Physical disability team leaflet [PDF, 711Kb]
- Portage leaflet for professionals [PDF, 711Kb]
- Referral Guidance Early Years Neurodevelopmental Pathway [PDF, 133Kb]
- SENDIASS summary 2021 [PDF, 145Kb]
- Short Breaks leaflet [PDF, 159Kb]
- Short Breaks registration form[PDF, 537Kb]
- Useful information to support an ASD request Early Years [PDF, 274Kb]
- Virtual school and inclusion leaflet [PDF, 72Kb]
- Vision support leaflet [PDF, 87Kb]
- Education Health and Care Plan for looked after children [PDF, 17Kb]
- Education Health and Care Plans [PDF, 15Kb]
- Requesting an Education Health and Care Plan [PDF, 15Kb]
- Specific age ranges [PDF, 19Kb]
- Timescales for assessment [PDF, 42Kb]
- A social story idea [PDF, 1Mb]
- Behaviour monitoring chart [PDF, 62Kb]
- Communication record [PDF, 13Kb]
- Early Identification Assessment Summary [PDF, 120Kb]
- Early years inclusion audit tool [DOC, 122Kb]
- Individual health care plan [PDF, 111Kb]
- Local Offer my outcome plan [PDF, 168Kb]
- Outcome plan monitoring sheet [PDF, 67Kb]
- Parent carer letter [PDF, 59Kb]
- Record of medicines administered sheet for Care Plan [PDF, 32Kb]
- Safe food agreement [PDF, 45Kb]
- Early Years Transition Toolkit [PDF, 2Mb]
- Transition Headlines & Assessment – school readiness comments [DOC, 64Kb]
- Transition Headlines & Assessment – Blank [DOC, 61Kb]
- Transition Headlines & Assessment – Janet Smith [DOC 92Kb]
- Transition Headlines & Assessment – Word 97 [PDOC, 60Kb]
Useful professional information for supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health in the early years
- The Association of Infant Mental Health
- The Anna Freud Centre: Early Years in Mind
- The Solihull Approach
- The Parent – Infant Foundation
- PACEY – Early Years Mental Health
Early Years Behaviour Toolkit
The following PDFs contains tables that are not accessible. If you require this document in a different format, please contact us.
- Early Years Behaviour Toolkit [PDF, 3.5Mb]
Additional Support leaflets
- Biting leaflet [PDF, 1.05Mb] (this PDF is not fully accessible. If you require this document in a different format, please contact us on 01724 296971)
- Carpet time signs [PDF, 58Kb]
- Choices examples [PDF, 44Kb]
- Dealing with a situation [PDF, 26Kb]
- First then board [PDF, 61Kb]
- Help please script [PDF, 47Kb]
- Ignoring negative behaviour [PDF, 78Kb]
- Music to help with transition [PDF, 207Kb]
- Positive language [PDF, 53Kb]
- Tidy up time strategy [PDF, 113Kb]
- Tips for good listening [PDF, 36Kb]
- Top tips for responding to behaviour in young children [PDF, 124Kb]
- Turn please script [PDF, 51Kb]
- Turn taking rhymes [PDF, 215Kb]
- Using choices [PDF, 52Kb]
- Using the visual timetable [PDF, 89Kb]
- Visual timetable standard daily signs [PDF, 155Kb]
- Walking indoors strategy [PDF, 82Kb]
Step 1
- Behaviour monitoring chart [PDF, 51Kb]
- Early Identification Assessment Summary [PDF, 120Kb]
- Early years PVI inclusion audit [PDF, 110Kb]
- Environment audit [PDF, 32Kb]
Step 2
- Analysis of behaviour monitoring chart[PDF, 91Kb]
- Behaviour monitoring analysis [PDF,40Kb]
- Good practice behaviour strategies [PDF,121Kb]
- My outcome plan [PDF, 156Kb]
- Outcome plan monitoring sheet [PDF, 67Kb]
Communication Counts
Communication Counts is an exciting new integrated community and workforce strategy. It aims to ensure all our children in North Lincolnshire have access to high quality communication and language environments across the conception to five period and beyond.
For more information please visit our Communication Counts page
North Lincolnshire Communication Counts
Children’s communication and language underpins all of their learning and development. The earliest years of a child’s life, starting even before a baby is born, are crucial in how children’s communication, speech and language develops. Parents, carers and families have a big impact on this – talking with your baby and child, taking turns in conversations, sharing books and rhymes and giving them new words all helps them learn to communicate and talk well.
Our Best Start Communication Counts posters have important messages and tips that will support your baby and child’s healthy brain development, communication, speech, language and learning. Take a look at our posters on our Communication Counts page.
Resources to support referral to speech and language therapy
- Checklists introduction [PDF, 43Kb]
- Speech and Language Service – speech sound development [PDF, 34Kb]
- Speech and Language Measures – eighteen months [PDF, 57Kb]
- Speech and Language Measures – two years [PDF, 59Kb]
- Speech and Language Measures – two to six years [PDF, 58Kb]
- Speech and Language Measures – three years [DOC, 50Kb]
- Speech and Language Measures – three to four years [PDF, 60Kb]
- EAL referral tool guidance [PDF, 62Kb]
- Speech-and-Language-Referral-Form [PDF, 380Kb]
Read the NHS Speech and Language in early years [PDF, 186Kb] document for further information for parents.
Further information to support communication, speech and language in the early years
- Words Count
- Tots on Tour
- Makaton
- I Can
- Words for Life
- Talking Point
- Bercow 10 Years On
- NSPCC
- Hungry Little Minds
- Tiny Happy People
Supporting parents and carers
A wide range of information and resources for professionals to share with parents, families and communities are available below:
- Talking about television [PDF, 204Kb]
- Talking to your bump [PDF, 1.11Mb]
- Dummy awareness poster [PDF, 37Kb]
- Dummy bottle leaflet [PDF, 55Kb]
- Fun to Talk – 18 months [PDF, 391Kb]
- Fun to Talk – two to three years [PDF, 503Kb]
- Fun to Talk – three to four years [PDF, 437Kb]
- Playing and talking together [PDF, 118Kb]
- Sharing books baby [PDF, 642Kb]
- Imagination Library
- Book Trust
- NHS Start4Life Learning to Talk resources
EYFS ASET support and strategies toolkit [PDF, 1Mb]
ASET EYFS checklist to identify support needs [PDF, 161Kb]
ASET EYFS visual support checklist [PDF, 76Kb]
(These PDFs are not fully accessible. If you require these documents in a different format, please contact us on 01724 296971)
Contact Us
Further Information
- Early Years Providers (search the directory)
- Family Hubs
- Family Information Service