Heydays Pre-school

At Heydays Pre-School each child has a key carer who is responsible for monitoring your child’s development. (If your child is two, they will be given two key carers until they are three). Key carers are usually the first point of contact, if you have a concern about your child. Their role is to develop a trusting relationship with our children and parent/carers, and share any concerns about your child’s development with you. At Heydays, we have an ‘Open door’ policy where parent/carers are encouraged to speak to staff at any time if they have any worries or concerns.

Key carers, along with other staff, are involved in making observations and assessments, tracking progress, developing and planning activities and producing your child’s learning journey, which details evidence of development through written observation, photos and your child’s work, plus any parent/carers input, through sharing an ‘All about me’ survey, holiday diary or general development at home. There are also two trained Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENco) with a third member of staff training currently within the team who offer support and advice to staff. With your permission, they will liaise with other professionals, such as our Area Inclusion Co-ordinator, Speech & Language Therapist Assistant (SALTA) and Health Visitors. They offer their support by observing, assessing and then advising Heydays, in the form of play strategies, ideas for activities or referral to a specialist. Where needed, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is set up, so that all staff and parent/carers involved in your child’s care and education are aware of any specific needs. The plan is reviewed every half term (6 weeks) with the parent/carers, discussing progress and planning your child’s next steps and strategies together for the term ahead. Key Carers will also record your child’s development each term using a tracking system. This allows staff to monitor progress and enable the manager to evaluate and identify any concerns or additional needs.

Through information you provide on our admission/information questionnaire, prior to your child starting with us, or on a trial play session/home visit; this forms the basis to assess your child’s individual needs initially. Once your child has started with us, their key carer can get to know your child and make observations and assessments and plan activities based around their interests and specific needs. These written observations, photo’s and your child’s work, as well as a development tracking system covering the seven areas of development under the Early Years Foundation Stage(EYFS), will all form part of your child’s learning journal. An IEP will be set up, agreeing targets, strategies and next steps, which will be reviewed every six weeks. Your key carer and SENco will work together to ensure the environment, routines and activities support your child’s needs. All staff will be kept up to date, providing consistency and understanding within our team. With your permission, advice may be sought from professionals, such as our Area Inclusion Co-ordinator, and we will ask for copies of any assessments.

Our ‘Open door policy’, offers parent/carers the opportunity to speak to their Key Carer/SENco/Manager at any time. There are also various other ‘update’ opportunities, offering an informal consultation each term, at the parent/carers convenience and where all development areas under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are discussed, and parent/carers are encouraged to ask questions and share information. There is also a newsletter sent out via email every half term, with hard copies available on request. All other communications and updates are mainly sent out via email. An information board within the setting displays leaflets detailing health and safety notices, as well as parent information on local children’s centre drop in play sessions. The SENco has links with the information group Parent Voice, which updates Heydays on various activities & events locally and within the county for children with Special Educational needs. Any relevant information will be then passed on directly to the parent/carer.

Heydays provide a caring environment where all staff ensure each individual child feels safe and happy in their care. Each child has the freedom to explore indoor and outdoor environments, adopting a free-flow policy at Heydays. Children can involve themselves in activities of their choosing, with support from their key Carer and other staff. Staff are on hand to listen to a child's views anytime and are given group opportunities throughout the day, with ‘Circle & News time’ and ‘Chatterbox’ activities where children can share their views and opinions. Behaviour within the setting is supported by all staff adopting a positive attitude. Staff model behaviour with lots of praise and encouragement, have visual prompts, using well done stickers and achievement certificates for all children. Children are encouraged to use a sand timer with a 2, 3 or 4 minute duration, depending on age and activity they are waiting for. This helps children to take turns, limit conflict and be kind to others. The maximum number of children attending per session is limited to 20, with adequate staff to child ratios depending on the child’s age. If a child needs medicine administered, the parent/carer would need to fill out a consent form, detailing medicine dosage and frequency of medicine to be administered. Staff would also assist any child needing additional personal care, i.e; changing nappies/pull-ups, help with toileting, recording any details for medical purposes if required. A detailed medical plan is also completed before a child starts at Heydays if required.

To support Heydays qualified team, management & SENco’s in their professional development, staff attend regular training sessions, cluster meetings with other settings and professionals, and have SENCO support and Safeguarding training each term year that the Senco’s attend, and cascade information down to the rest of the team to keep all staff fully updated on all aspects of their role. The Manager/Senco’s liaise with health visitors, children’s Centre (Alresford), Speech & Language Therapist and Social workers when necessary, to support a child with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Personal Education Plan (PEP).

The two Senco’s have been trained specifically for the role and continue to develop their skills with on-going training courses such as Speech and Language development, Positive behaviour management, An Autism workshop, Supporting a child from a traveller community or supporting a child for whom English is an additional language. The Deputy Manager is currently training as an additional support with the SENco role. All staff are Paediatric first aid and anaphylactic trained. All training is cascaded down so that the team as a whole are consistent and up to date. Further training will be sought and accessed if necessary.

>All activities are made accessible to all children and will be adapted if necessary to suit all abilities. Activities are carried out within our indoor room and outdoor playground, incorporating the 6 acres of school grounds with nature walks through the school woodland and visits to the school pond. Local outings take place on occasion, eg; Singing Christmas songs to the residents of Belford House elderly care home. A risk assessment is carried out prior to any outdoor activities on the school grounds taking place. Parents are invited to share information or help with activities each term, such as coming in to talk to the children about their job or interests. Heydays currently have a parent who teaches French to the children.

The Heydays building is a mobile classroom unit, comprising of two classrooms on one level, with two separate cubicle toilet facilities and cloakroom area. There is currently no larger sized toilet cubicle to accommodate wheelchair access. Heydays have the use of one of the classrooms, with the other being used by the School breakfast/after School club. The entrance is reached via a ramp, and Heydays have a portable metal ramp that can be attached to the rear of the building for access to the playground facilities and field, providing wheelchair access to both the front and rear of the building. The indoor area has been adapted recently to create more space for movement activities. Currently the majority of our parents have English as their first language with some children with English as an additional language. Should a family need support with language, the SENco’s are trained on how to support a family under these circumstances, and can access the translation service, use visual aids and Makaton. Children are taught the importance of Diversity, as Heydays invite parents and visitors in to talk about the differences in culture and traditions and the ways in which they celebrate. Children also have the opportunity to taste food from another country on occasion with Chinese & Diwali celebration weeks. All staff encourage British Values on a daily basis, eg; being a good role model demonstrating kind and caring behaviour as well as showing the importance of using good manners and showing respect for others.

Heydays offers an ‘Open Day’ each year and a home visit, giving the opportunity to meet staff/Key Carer, ask questions and provide information that will be useful to share with the Pre-School. We also have a settling in period where we encourage parents, if they feel it necessary, to stay with their child for a short while when he/she first starts with us. We ensure that parents receive a text/phone call of reassurance soon after leaving and a 'My first day' update on collection. Many young children use some form of comforter and we have no objections to these being brought into Heydays. (to be kept in their bag if needed). When a child is moving up to school, a transition day on a Wednesday is encouraged in their final academic school year with us. This plan includes weekly visits for school lunch, the library and school reception class, to play and familiarise themselves with the new school environment and teacher. The Reception teacher also visit Heydays on occasion and over the year, we are invited to various school events, eg; Easter Egg Hunt with Reception class and the Christmas Nativity. A transition meeting would be arranged with the School during the last term, for any children needing continued support. Parent/carers, Reception teacher, Pre-School and School SENCo, Area Inco and other professionals are invited to attend. Support strategies are discussed and future support the school can provide.

• A dedicated budget is allocated to train our staff each academic year. • Inclusion funding can be applied for to support your child within Heydays, if required. • Early Year Pupil Premium (EYPP) can be claimed for eligible children from the term after their third birthday. This funding can be used towards training of staff to support the child’s needs and resources/equipment if required. • Heydays are registered for two year old funding for eligible children, as well as offering 15 hours entitlement from the age of three and four, across 38 weeks of the year, space permitting.

Once the Key Carer, Staff or SENco have identified the need for an IEP, the next step is inviting the Area Inclusion Co-ordinator to observe and assess a child, once written permission has been granted by the parent/carer. The Area Inco will then advise the SENco/Key Carer on strategies and activities to support the child further, and if any other professionals need to be involved. The parents are kept up to date with the whole process, having the opportunity to meet with the Area Inco if required. Then after the IEP is set up, parent/carers and SENco discuss and review progress every half term.

Heydays are always interested in parent/carer feedback with the opportunity to make suggestions to Heydays directly at informal consultations or via email or by leaving ideas in our comments box in the lobby area. You can also join our team of committee members and get involved that way. Parents are invited to share information or help with activities and fundraising each term, such as selling raffle tickets/refreshments at one of our fundraising events or coming in to talk to the children about their job or interests. Heydays currently have a parent who teaches French to the children.