Welcome!
Hello, my name is Caroline Kelly, and I am the Assistant Headteacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at Ilminster Avenue Nursery School.
At Ilminster Avenue Nursery School, we believe that every child belongs. We are committed to creating a nurturing, communication-rich environment where every child is known, understood and supported to participate, learn and thrive.
We know that children develop at different rates and in different ways. As an inclusive nursery, we celebrate each child’s unique strengths, interests and personality, and we work closely with families to ensure that every child can access and enjoy all aspects of nursery life.
One of our greatest strengths is our focus on early identification and early intervention. If we have concerns about a child’s development, we act quickly. We do not believe in a “wait and see” approach. Instead, we work in partnership with families to understand children’s strengths and needs and put appropriate support in place as early as possible. We know that timely support can make a significant difference to children’s confidence, wellbeing and long-term outcomes.
Our experienced team uses a range of inclusive strategies to support communication, learning, emotional wellbeing, regulation and participation. These include visual supports, core boards, Makaton, sensory approaches and targeted interventions tailored to children’s individual needs. Communication is at the heart of everything we do, helping children to express themselves, build relationships and access learning.
We value the expertise of parents and carers and believe that the best outcomes are achieved when families and nursery staff work together. We take time to listen, share information and celebrate every step of a child’s journey.
To ensure children receive support as quickly as possible, we have termly Speech and Language Therapy drop-in sessions where nursery staff and families can seek advice, discuss concerns and access specialist guidance. We also have strong links with the Early Years Portage and Inclusion Team and work closely with a range of other professionals to ensure children and families receive the right support at the right time.
We are proud of our inclusive practice and continually reflect on how we can make our provision even better. Over the coming year, we will be welcoming professionals from other settings and services to visit our nursery and see our inclusive practice in action as we continue to develop and share effective approaches to supporting children with SEND.
Above all, we want every child and family to feel welcomed, valued and part of our community from the moment they join us.
At Ilminster Avenue Nursery School, every child belongs, every family matters, and every child can thrive.
Caroline Kelly
Assistant Headteacher & SENCO