Promoting Pre-School Inclusion Project

Support children aged 5 and under who have additional needs in mainstream school settings.

 The Project

Promoting Pre-School Inclusion is managed by the Lancashire Early Years Special Educational Needs Service Area North which offers a co-ordinated approach to Special Educational Needs in early years settings and the project worker is based with them. This project covers the Lancaster and District Area including Lancaster, Morecambe and the area north of Lancaster.


Aims and Objectives

They believe that every child is entitled to learn with peers of their own age, within their local community, to attend the local pre-school and have their needs met with no extra cost to their parents or carers.

Promoting Pre-School Inclusion will follow the Lancashire County Council Special Educational Needs policy statement of principles and values and support the LEA policy on inclusion.

Their task is to develop volunteer networks to help private and voluntary eligible providers provide access for children who have additional needs.


How Does The Project Work?

Before you start volunteering, the child will already be attending a pre-school setting or will have been offered a place there, and a member of the pre-school staff and the parent or carer will have agreed that she/he has additional needs and that a referral to the project would be beneficial for the child and the setting.

The project worker will then become involved and meet with the staff, parent/carer and the child to accept the referral and then offer the setting a volunteer helper.

The project worker will try to find a suitable volunteer for the pre-school setting.  The leader of the pre-school will be responsible for the volunteer and the day to day management of the volunteer will be coordinated by the pre-school, not the project worker.  The volunteer will be offering ‘an extra pair of hands’ to the whole setting to enable the child with additional needs to participate in the activities offered.


Who are the Volunteers?

All volunteers will have been approved before they are placed in the pre-school setting.  This approval includes interviews, references and an enhanced police clearance.

Your role will involve attending one session (2.5 hrs) a week during term-time in a pre-school-eligible provider. Here you will work alongside children between the ages of 2 and 5 both individually and in small groups helping them learn through play. Volunteering will not only help current staff give the children more one on one attention, but will also lead to the children feeling included and valued in their learning environment and directly contribute to them reaching their full potential and enjoying their pre-school years.

Other training courses are also offered according to the availability and interests of volunteers and the needs of the child/children, such as autism awareness, deaf awareness and speech and language development.

For more information on how to sign up, please come into the LUVU Office or email Martha or Laura at: luvu@lancaster.ac.uk