Arrange to visit some settings and have a chat to the staff about your child’s individual needs. Every setting has a Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), they have knowledge and experience of supporting children with SEND. Click here to find childcare.

Your health visitor can help you to understand what your child might need before they start at a nursery, childminder or pre-school. Health visiting service – telephone 0300 123 6629.

There is also an Early Years outreach team that can support parents to find the right childcare for their child and signpost to help with childcare costs.

Contact 2yroldfunding@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Some two-year-olds can get free childcare and education. This includes two-year-olds who are in receipt of disability living allowance, and also those who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. It also includes families on some income-based benefits, including working families on low incomes. Click here to find out more.

Once your child is taking their free early education funding at a setting the setting may be able to apply for Special Educational Needs and Disability Inclusion Funding (SENDIF).

If your three and four year old is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance their setting will be eligible to receive disability access funding, which is £800 per child per year, to help them make reasonable adjustments to their setting to support your child.

Speak to your childcare provider for more information on how they apply for this funding.

Pre-Schools tend to be open between 8am-4pm term time only. Some open for less hours or some for half-days each week. Pre-Schools are Ofsted registered and inspected regularly.

Nurseries tend to be open between 8am-6pm all year round. Nurseries are Ofsted registered and inspected regularly.

Childminders offer flexible care in their own home for up to 3 children under the age of 5. Some also care for older children before and after school. Childminders are Ofsted registered and work to the same standards and are inspected regularly in the same way as nurseries and pre-schools. Childminders often offer additional services such as earlier care, later care, weekend care and school pickups/drop-offs which can be invaluable to families.

Your choice of childcare depends on the hours you work, your transport options and other commitments you may have such as school-runs for older children or studying. You can place your child with more than one childcarer. Some parents use a combination of a childminder and a pre-school/nursery to suit their requirements.

Yes, there are a number of free early education funded places provided by Solent Acadamy Trust at Mary Rose Academy or Cliffdale Primary Academy. Your child does not need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to attend these nurseries, you need to talk to your health visitor to find out more. The Early Years Panel allocate these places.

You can find out more here. Have a chat to your child’s health visitor and early years setting. If you feel your child may need an EHCP once they are in school, it is recommended that request is made in the year before they are due to start school.

You will probably have lots of questions when choosing a new childcare provider – here are a few to get you started:

• Are the children happy, safe and playing together?
• Are the adults friendly and joining in with what the children are doing?
• Are there lots of activities on offer to help children learn and play?
• Are the premises and resources clean, well-kept and safe for children?
• Is there a fun outside play area (or will children go to parks and other places regularly)?
• Are the premises accessible for wheelchair use and do they have resources to support a child with a disability or special educational needs?

If your child has an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan, this should also include information on the things that will be put in place to help them move from their old setting to the new one.

The types of support activities that may be used are:

• Extra visits for your child to their new education setting.
• Visual supports – such as photographs, books or even short video clips of their new setting.
• Lots of information sharing between the old setting, the new setting and parents and carers.

Each transition plan of support will be different and developed around the individual child’s needs.