Alliance launches new online training course on supporting children with SEND

The Pre-school Learning Alliance has launched a new online training course to help early providers to ensure they are giving children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) the best possible care.

The course, Supporting Children with SEND in the Early Years, launched in partnership with CPD-accredited online training provider EduCare, aims to help providers develop the attitudes needed to provide inclusive early years practice.

The course looks at what SEND is, how children with SEND may present in a setting and how providers can adapt their practice and activities to ensure that all children can participate, as well as how practitioners can develop partnerships to help ensure children receive the support they need.

Nicola Gibson, inclusion manager at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, explains:

鈥淕ood early years practice is inclusive early years practice, and any high-quality provider should be regularly reflecting to ensure they are delivering the best possible learning opportunities for all children in their care, including those with special education needs and disabilities.

鈥淒eveloping the necessary knowledge and skills, along with a positive attitude and the ability to make and maintain effective partnerships, is vital to ensuring good inclusive practice, and this EduCare course helps providers do just that.

鈥淥ur aim is that, by the end of the course, providers will have developed a more confident, 鈥榗an do鈥 approach to inclusive practice in the early years, which in turn, will provide a solid foundation for supporting both children with SEND and their families.鈥

Pre-school Learning Alliance members and their teams receive free access to up to 20 programmes every year.

Non-Alliance members can find out how they too can benefit at or by contacting the Information Service team on T: 020 7697 2595 E:info@pre-school.org.uk.