POLICY PAPER ON NEWLY ESTABLISHED NUSERY SCHOOL TO

Policy Paper on Newly Established Nursery School

Executive Summary

The success of the pilot project has established a framework for nursery inclusion that can be extended and developed further more. The principle behind the concept is to create maximum flexibility for pupils in receiving both specialist and inclusive mainstream provision. In the 'Darlington model', for example, (and other Authorities are developing along similar lines e.g. Telford), each classroom area incorporates enhanced provision with larger teaching rooms, fully equipped to meet a wide range of needs, alongside specialist resource bases for ASD, PMLD and learning support. A personalised approach enables individual pupils to spend time receiving specialist support in the base and in the mainstream class as appropriate. Therapies and multi-agency support are integrated into the provision. Play areas and dining facilities are discrete both between primary and secondary but also take account of individual needs such autism and PMLD. Secondary specialist facilities such as technology and science are similarly designed for inclusion.

The principle behind the concept is to create maximum flexibility for pupils in receiving both specialist and inclusive mainstream provision. In the 'Darlington model', for example, (and other Authorities are developing along similar lines e.g. Telford), each classroom area incorporates enhanced provision with larger teaching rooms, fully equipped to meet a wide range of needs, alongside specialist resource bases for ASD, PMLD and learning support. A personalised approach enables individual pupils to spend time receiving specialist support in the base and in the mainstream class as appropriate.

Therapies and multi-agency support are integrated into the provision. Play areas and dining facilities are discrete both between primary and secondary but also take account of individual needs such autism and PMLD. Secondary specialist facilities such as technology and science are similarly designed for inclusion.

Policy Paper on Newly Established Nursery School

Introduction

Local authority nursery schools are separate schools with their own head teachers. They are staffed by qualified teachers and nursery nurses, who work together as a team to develop high quality provision which meets children's need for combined care and education. Children between the ages of three and five years are admitted to full or part time places during school term time. Increasingly nursery school offer extended day places and holiday play schemes. In some local authorities nursery schools have closed and others are under threat. The National Campaign For Real Nursery Education Asserts That Closing Nursery Schools, Or Attaching Them To Primary Schools, Is Shortsighted And Counter Productive. In this paper we explain why nursery schools are important and provide a framework to help practitioners and policy makers evaluate existing provision.

Issue

Nursery schools are important to young children and their families because: They focus on 3-5 year olds and cater for them appropriately, addressing each child's individual developmental and cultural needs. The staff are experienced in providing learning opportunities for very young children, Nursery teachers understand how the Foundation Stage Curriculum links with the National Curriculum and can plan appropriately for children's progression, integrated ...