SEND support in nurseries: A parent’s guide to inclusion

---

TL;DR:

• Many children in East London nurseries receive SEND support without needing specialist settings. Nurseries are legally required to provide inclusive, targeted support through a structured graduated approach. The quality of SEND provision varies, so active parent engagement and understanding nursery policies are key.

---

Far more children in East London nurseries receive SEND support than most parents realise, and the vast majority of them never need to leave a mainstream setting. The EYFS framework requires inclusive practice from all approved providers, meaning your local nursery is already equipped to support children with additional needs from day one. Whether your child has a formal diagnosis or simply needs a little extra help with communication, behaviour, or learning, the right support can be built around them within the nursery they already attend. This guide explains how that support works, what to look for, and how you can play an active part.

Table of Contents

• How SEND support works in East London nurseries
• The graduated approach: Steps to identifying and meeting SEND needs
• SEND provision in practice: What parents should look for
• Inclusion projects and real outcomes: What multi-disciplinary support achieves
• Our perspective: What most guides miss about SEND support in nurseries
• Explore SEND-inclusive nursery options in East London
• Frequently asked questions

Key Takeaways

Point	Details
Inclusive practice is the norm	All nurseries in East London must address SEND under the EYFS, so support is widely available.
Support steps are cyclical	SEND help follows the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process for continuous improvement.
Parents play a vital role	Your involvement and communication with nursery staff are key to effective SEND outcomes.
Provision quality varies	Types and quality of SEND support differ by nursery, so knowing best practice is essential.
Inclusion leads to real gains	Multidisciplinary projects like NIPA show inclusive nurseries improve outcomes for children with SEND.

How SEND support works in East London nurseries

With confusion cleared, let’s lay out what SEND support actually looks like in East London nurseries.

Every nursery in England that operates under the Early Years Foundation Stage framework is legally required to provide inclusive practice. This is not optional. The EYFS framework sets out that all approved providers must be inclusive, supporting children with additional needs without requiring specialist settings initially. For parents in East London, this means your child’s nursery in Ilford, Walthamstow, Barking, or South Woodford must already have processes in place to identify and respond to SEND needs.

What does ‘SEN Support’ actually mean?

SEN Support is the first formal tier of assistance for children with special educational needs and disabilities. It sits below an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and is delivered directly by the nursery, usually coordinated by a designated SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator). It involves targeted strategies, adapted resources, and regular monitoring to help a child make progress. You can read more about how SEND inclusion is structured within nursery settings to see what this looks like day to day.

Local nurseries in East London serve diverse communities, which means SEND needs can present across a wide range of areas. Common examples include:

• Speech, language, and communication difficulties
• Social and emotional development challenges
• Sensory processing differences
• Physical and motor development delays
• Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) traits identified early

Area of need	Common early indicators	Typical first response
Communication	Limited vocabulary, not following instructions	Speech and Language referral
Social and emotional	Difficulty with transitions, emotional regulation	Behaviour support strategies
Physical development	Fine or gross motor delays	Occupational Therapy referral
Sensory	Hypersensitivity to noise or touch	Environmental adjustments

East London nurseries vary in how quickly they identify needs and how well they communicate findings to families. Understanding the EYFS curriculum structure helps parents recognise which developmental milestones their child is being assessed against and where early support can make the most significant difference.

A key statistic that surprises many parents: far more children than expected are already in receipt of SEND support within the early years. This is not a concern limited to children with visible or severe difficulties. It reflects the broad, inclusive definition that nurseries are encouraged to apply when identifying and responding to need.

The graduated approach: Steps to identifying and meeting SEND needs

Understanding baseline support, it’s important to know the steps nurseries take to help children with extra needs.

The graduated approach is the structured framework nurseries use to identify, plan for, and review SEND support. It follows a four-step cycle known as APDR: Assess, Plan, Do, Review. According to the graduated approach for EYFS, this process is cyclical, beginning with quality first teaching and escalating to specialist input when needed. Support is documented in plans such as an Individual Support Plan (ISP) or a Child SEND Support Plan.

Here is how each stage works in practice:

1. Assess: The SENCO and key worker observe the child, gather information from parents, and identify areas of concern. This assessment is ongoing and draws on developmental data, parent observations, and professional judgement.
2. Plan: Based on the assessment, specific outcomes are agreed with parents. Strategies, resources, and any specialist involvement are planned and recorded in a support document.
3. Do: The agreed strategies are implemented consistently in the nursery environment. Key staff deliver adapted activities and monitor progress closely.
4. Review: At agreed intervals, usually each term, the plan is reviewed with parents to assess whether targets have been met, what has changed, and what adjustments are needed.

Stage	Who is involved	Typical timeframe
Assess	SENCO, key worker, parents	Ongoing, formal at least termly
Plan	SENCO, parents, sometimes specialists	Beginning of support cycle
Do	Key worker, all room staff	Daily throughout the term
Review	SENCO, parents, specialists if involved	End of each term

The role of parents throughout this cycle is significant. You are not a passive recipient of information. You should be invited to contribute observations from home, agree to the targets being set, and receive regular updates on your child’s progress. If a child’s needs cannot be met through the nursery’s own resources alone, external specialists such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, or portage workers may be brought in as part of the support plan.

Pro Tip: Ask your child’s SENCO for a copy of the support plan at every review. Keeping your own records of agreed targets and outcomes helps you stay fully informed and ensures continuity if your child moves to a new setting.

Understanding the foundations of quality childcare helps parents engage more confidently with the APDR process. Equally, knowing how to evaluate SEND support quality in a setting before you enrol can save considerable stress later on.

SEND provision in practice: What parents should look for

After understanding the support process, parents need to know how to spot SEND provision at a practical level.

Knowing the theory is one thing. Seeing it in action is another. The quality and consistency of SEND provision varies significantly between nurseries, and the difference is not always obvious at first glance. Research from the SEND Final Report 2024 shows provision varies by 60 to 69% across settings, with nursery entrants having higher rates of ongoing SEND need. This means the nursery you choose, and how well it implements its SEND responsibilities, can shape your child’s early educational experience substantially.

Signs of strong SEND practice in a nursery setting:

• A named SENCO who is available and easy to contact
• Clear SEND policies that are shared with parents and reviewed regularly
• Adapted activities visible in the learning environment (visual timetables, sensory corners, quiet zones)
• Staff who communicate proactively rather than waiting for parents to raise concerns
• Evidence of multi-agency working, such as regular contact with speech therapists or portage teams
• Keyworker continuity so that the adult who knows your child best remains consistent

Common gaps to be aware of:

• Vague language in support plans without measurable targets
• Reviews that are delayed or cancelled without rescheduling
• Limited communication between nursery staff about a child’s individual strategies
• No clear referral pathway when specialist input is needed

“The best SEND support in early years settings is not reactive. It is woven into daily practice so that every child experiences inclusion as standard, not as an exception.”

Parents can play a proactive role by reading up on practical parenting strategies for inclusion and by reinforcing strategies at home. When home and nursery align, children progress faster and more consistently. There are practical resources available for supporting learning at home that complement what nursery staff are doing during the day. If you feel your child’s needs are not being met and you are unsure how to challenge this, organisations such as Un1que2l3arn can provide advocacy and education support guidance.

Inclusion projects and real outcomes: What multi-disciplinary support achieves

To bring the discussion to life, let’s look at what can be achieved when nurseries and experts work together.

When SEND support is co-ordinated across disciplines, the outcomes for children improve measurably. Evidence from the Nursery Inclusion Project for All (NIPA) in Wandsworth demonstrates what can be achieved when nurseries work alongside multi-disciplinary teams. The project brought together speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, portage workers, and nursery staff to deliver joined-up support for children with SEND within mainstream settings. Outcomes showed meaningful progress in communication, social development, and readiness for school.

However, it is important to be honest about the limitations too. Some studies note that inclusion projects have not fully closed poverty-related gaps in outcomes. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including many in East London’s more deprived boroughs, can still face barriers that additional SEND support alone does not resolve. This does not diminish the value of inclusion; it highlights that SEND provision must be part of a wider family and community support network.

What multi-disciplinary support typically achieves:

• Earlier identification of developmental delays
• More consistent implementation of strategies across home and nursery
• Better communication between families and professionals
• Reduced need for more intensive support later in primary school
• Improved confidence and communication in children with speech and language needs

Support model	Key benefit	Limitation
Nursery-only support	Quick to implement, familiar environment	Limited specialist knowledge
Multi-disciplinary team	Broader expertise, joined-up strategies	Depends on referral speed
NIPA-style project	Evidence-based, community-rooted	Not universally available

“Effective inclusion is not about removing difficulty for children. It is about ensuring every child has the scaffolding they need to engage, learn, and belong.”

For East London families, it is worth asking your nursery directly about their links with local multi-disciplinary teams. Some settings have established relationships with NHS speech and language services, local authority early help teams, or voluntary sector organisations. Exposure to diverse experiences and perspectives through books and storytelling also supports social inclusion for all children. Similarly, outdoor learning environments have been shown to benefit children with SEND, offering sensory-rich and less structured settings where they can thrive differently.

The strongest inclusion outcomes happen when a child’s support team treats parents as equal partners rather than passive recipients of updates. If you feel that your child’s support is being planned without your meaningful input, raise this with the SENCO or the nursery manager directly.

Our perspective: What most guides miss about SEND support in nurseries

Most articles about SEND support in nurseries stop at explaining policy. They describe the APDR cycle, outline what SENCOs do, and list a parent’s rights. What they rarely address is the reality that two nurseries can be operating under exactly the same framework and producing completely different outcomes for children.

In our experience working with East London families, the difference almost always comes down to two things: the quality of the key relationships between staff and families, and how much genuine flexibility a setting is willing to apply. Some nurseries treat SEND documentation as a compliance exercise. Others use it as a living tool that genuinely shapes how every adult in the room supports a child on any given day.

Parents in East London are often surprised to discover how much local innovation exists. Some nurseries have developed resource libraries tailored to specific sensory needs. Others run regular parent workshops where SEND strategies are explained and practised. Understanding the full scope of SEND policies at a nursery before your child starts is one of the most effective steps you can take.

Your voice as a parent genuinely shapes the quality of your child’s support. Ask questions. Attend every review. Push for clarity on targets. The families who engage most actively with the process consistently see better outcomes for their children.

Explore SEND-inclusive nursery options in East London

If you want hands-on advice or local insight, it is worth seeing excellent SEND support in action.

Knowing what good SEND provision looks like is the first step. Finding a setting that delivers it consistently is the next. East London has nurseries that take inclusion seriously, with trained SENCOs, strong multi-agency links, and genuine commitment to every child’s individual progress.

At The Sunflower Nursery, we are proud of the inclusive environments we have built across our East London sites. Our staff understand the graduated approach and work closely with families to make SEND support meaningful rather than procedural. You can explore our parent support resources to find guidance, policies, and practical information to help you navigate the process. If you would like to see our provision in person, our South Woodford nursery welcomes visits from families who want to experience what inclusive early years education looks like in practice.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need a diagnosis to access SEND support in nursery?

No, a diagnosis is not required. The EYFS framework requires all approved providers to support children with additional needs inclusively, and this applies regardless of whether a formal diagnosis has been made.

How common is SEND support in early years?

It is more common than most parents expect. Approximately 15.8% of children receive SEND provision in Year 1 of primary school, with rates higher among boys, children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those born prematurely.

What happens if my child’s nursery cannot meet their needs?

Nurseries follow the graduated approach and will escalate support by bringing in external specialists or recommending additional services when a child’s needs go beyond what the setting can provide independently.

Are all nurseries in East London equipped for SEND support?

All approved nurseries must provide inclusive support as a legal requirement, but provision varies significantly between settings. The type, quality, and consistency of support can differ considerably, which is why it is worth asking specific questions when choosing a nursery.

Recommended

• Inclusion in nurseries explained: Support for every child
• Essential tips for a smooth first day at nursery
• Toilet training at nursery: A practical guide for Ilford parents
• Pre-schooler parenting tips: practical advice for Ilford families

In other news