Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am the Lead SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) here at Acorn Childcare Centre.

I have over 15 years of experience working within the Early Years sector and have always had a strong passion for supporting children throughout their individual educational journeys. I believe that every child is unique, and I am committed to ensuring that each child feels valued, supported and able to reach their full potential.

Building positive, trusting relationships is at the heart of my role. I love getting to know not only the children I support, but also their families and the wider professionals involved in their journey. By working together, sharing knowledge and maintaining open communication, we can create a strong network of support around each child and help them thrive.

Within our nursery, we have a lead professional for SEND (Our Deputy Manager Sarah Blades), a second support professional (Emily Large, Little Acorns room lead) and several other members of the team who have also completed SEND training.  When a child is registered at our setting with SEND or when needs emerge during their time here, we work with the family to draw up a plan of support for both the child and family.  Our team supports the child and family through their individual journey and can offer expert advice and guidance through all stages including signposting to external agencies to the child’s transition to school.