Family Information and Services Hub
Local Offer

First Steps Nursery

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Day nursery

Who to contact

Telephone
01252 746963 01252 746963
E-mail
childcare@yateleys.com
Website
First Steps Nursery
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Where to go

Address
School Lane
Yateley
Hampshire
Postcode

GU46 6NW

View GU46 6NW on a map

Costs

Details
Age group - Costs age 0 - under 3: 5.99 per hour. Age group - Costs age 3 - 5: 5.67 per hour

Availability

Age Ranges
5 to 8 years
0 to 5 years

Inclusion Information

Special Needs provision
Yes
Details
Caters for children with special needs. Challenging behaviour,Developmental delay,English as additional language,Hearing difficulties,Physical difficulties,Soc. Interaction Difficulties,Speech and lang. difficulties
Can make special cultural provisions
Yes
Details
Cultural and Spec. Diet. Needs,Relig. and Cultural Awareness

Childcare Information

Funded Places

Offers 3 & 4 year old funded places
Yes
Offers 2 year old funded places
Yes

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 08:00 18:00
Tuesday 08:00 18:00
Wednesday 08:00 18:00
Thursday 08:00 18:00
Friday 08:00 18:00
Facilities
Messy Play Area
Sleeping Area
Outdoor Play
Computer

Local Offer

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

With the help of Outside Agencies, the child’s Key Person and parents an individual educational plan (IEP) will be set up for the child with measureable and achievable targets which all staff who work directly with the child will help to implement. The child’s Key Person and the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will be responsible for making sure the plan is followed and activities provided as necessary to help the child achieve the targets set. The relevant staff will also be responsible for communicating with the parents about which targets are being worked towards and how the child is progressing. A date is set for review and if targets have been met, new targets are set, if the targets have not been met either more time is given or new more measurable targets are set. A copy of the individual educational plan (IEP) will be given to the parents for them to sign this gives consent for the IEP to be actioned. We ensure that our practise is effective by following the special needs code of practise and also attending regular SENCo support groups, having a good relationship with Outside Agencies and by caring for children with special educational needs and seeing them learn and develop during their time with us. We will endeavour to provide the best possible care and education for all children including those with special needs.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

Any child with additional needs will have an individual educational plan as well as this we track all the children’s progress using a cohort tracking system, this allows us to monitor each child’s learning individually and detecting any areas that the child may be struggling with or any areas that that they are exceling in. We believe play is a fundamental tool for learning and an essential part of every child’s life and vital to its whole development. We observe all children and monitor their interests and then incorporate this into our planning and activities. We offer a curriculum which enables children to progress towards the early learning goals throughout the early years foundation stage. Observations are collated and are used to determine the child’s next steps and along with photographs and evidence to support their learning we compile a portfolio (learning journey) which is available to parents at any time and parents are actively encouraged to make a contribution to this by making comments and suggestions.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

First Steps encourages a working partnership between staff and parents/carers. When a child starts at the nursery we encourage parents to give us as much information as possible about their child and their home life and interests. Key Person questions help to give staff an insight into the child’s family and their learning and development up until their start at nursery. Daily diaries are completed for all children up to 3 years of age and should be completed by the Key Person when possible, this gives the parents an insight into how their child has been during the nursery day including feeds/meals etc There is also a space on each page for parents/carers to write comments on how the child has been at home. In the pre-school verbal feedback is given to each parent every day when they collect their child, this feedback includes any activities which the child has participated in and their meals throughout the day. Two year old progress checks are completed for each child during their time in the Toddler Room from 2-3 years old. This allows us to determine each child’s age and stage of development and helps to provide suitable activities to enable the child to progress developmentally, this is shared with parents. Through our good partnerships with parents any issues during the day are discussed with parents straight away and if necessary appropriate procedures are put in place to make sure that the child receives consistency in their care.

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

First Steps has a medication policy which states that only room leaders, deputy manager or nursery manager are permitted to administer medication. Prescribed medication is either kept in a closed container in the nursery fridge or locked in a first aid cabinet in the nursery office with the exception of inhalers and auto injectors which are kept in the same location as the child. All staff in the nursery are trained in safeguarding & first aid and this is updated every 3 years or when a legislation change is made. Senior staff have a responsibility to pass on important information relating to any medical conditions to the whole team so this can be managed appropriately. The setting aims to work towards a situation in which children can develop self discipline and self esteem in an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement. Both children and adults are made aware of the rules and boundaries within the nursery environment. All adults in the nursery will follow the behaviour management policy when dealing with unwanted behaviour. All adults in the nursery ensure that the rules are applied consistently, so that children have the security of knowing what to expect and can build up useful habbits of behaviour. Our behaviour coordinator (BECo) works with children in supporting them with their behavioural needs and where necessary strategies are put into place, this means a behavioural plan will be devised and shared with parents outlining ways to improve behaviour.

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

Although First Steps do not have any specialist staff working at the setting we are able to access a range of outside agencies relating to health, therapy and social care. If we have concerns about specific children we would contact our area inclusion officer who would either come to the setting to give advice and support or refer us to the relevant services. We are able to refer children to speech and language therapists who can come to the nursery to advise and support staff on techniques to develop their language. We have access to occupational health who assess children with special needs and advise the nursery on ways to make the setting more accessible by using specialist equipment for sleeping, sitting and toileting etc. Children with physical needs can have regular physiotherapy sessions at the nursery where staff can learn from experts, techniques and exercises that they can use on the children on a daily basis and this encourages working in partnership with outside agencies and shared care.

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

Both Senco’s in the setting have special educational needs training and both attend regular Senco support meetings to discuss any changes to regulations and a variety of SEN related topics including Autism, social communication, transitions to school where they can discuss any concerns. If a child has a particular need for example hearing impairment and uses sign language or has an allergy and requires an Auto injector we can source appropriate training for the individual or whole staff team. Some training is provided by services for young children and other training we have to source independently. All staff in the setting must familiarise themselves with the Special Educational Needs Policy which outlines aims and objectives of the setting.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

>Before we take the children out of the nursery a risk assessment is carried out to ensure the children will be safe on the outing. Whenever we take children out of the nursery we make sure we have the correct staff-children ratios, children with additional needs would have their own member of staff and in most cases this would be the key person, this is to ensure that the child’s needs are fully met & that they get a positive experience from the outing.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

The nursery building is fully wheelchair accessible with ramps up to the main nursery door and leading out from the baby room to our fully enclosed garden area. Many of our activities indoors and out are accessible to children in a wheelchair but if accessibility is difficult we have previously taken the activities to the child (on a tray which can be attached to the wheelchair) to enable them to still be included in the learning experience. Our Pre-School building is in a converted house over 2 levels so a child with a severe disability in a wheelchair would find the upstairs area difficult to access, however all the activities carried out upstairs can be brought downstairs to the child so they can learn in a fun and exciting environment. A child with a disability not so severe for example a visual or hearing impairment could quite easily access the rooms upstairs. The Pre-School house has downstairs disabled toilet facilities. The Pre-School Garden is accessed by a ramp and is all on one level so any child with a disability could access this area easily and enjoy the full range of outdoor activities. First Steps is prepared to make any reasonable adjustments necessary for a particular child’s/parents needs, we already have hand rails which have been installed previously for children learning to toilet train in the nursery building and we have hand rails all the way up the Pre-School stairs for help with access.

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

Once a child has been offered a place at nursery, parents will be invited to visit the nursery with their child to start the settling in period and establish the number and length of visits they will require, this could be up to several weeks before the child is due to start at nursery.Parents may also leave the child on later visits for up to one hour to help the child to adjust. For Pre-School children moving up to school, as soon as we know which school the children are attending we will contact the relevant schools and invite them to come and visit the children in the Nursery setting The term before the children go to school, staff will provide the children with dressing up clothes which include uniforms from different schools for school based role play. If a child has particular additional needs a transition meeting will be arranged, this will include the child’s parents along with other professionals including the child’s key person, nursery SENCo and a teacher from the child’s new school. Nursery staff complete a transitions form which includes the seven area of the EYFS and a brief summary of the child’s age and stage of development. Parents are required to read and sign this and a copy is sent to the child’s new school.

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

The area inclusion officer will visit the setting and assess the child to advise whether the child is eligible for SEN funding. If this funding is allocated it will be discussed along with the child’s parents and key person how best it would benefit the child and what resources would be appropriate. The majority of the time this funding would enable the child to have one to one support from their key person.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

A child with SEND who already has outside agencies actively involved with their life will start nursery with clear expectations of their needs and what we can do to support the child. Sometimes a child will start nursery and then parents or staff will start to have concerns about their development. After observing the child closely any concerns will be discussed immediately with the parents, nursery SENCo and key person. Parents may be advised to contact their GP or health visitor for more support. If it becomes clear that the child has additional needs the area INCo will be invited to the nursery to advise staff and parents about funding and what we can put in place to help the child, and any outside agencies that could be contacted. An individual education plan will be devised so the child has appropriate targets that they can work towards, this must include the key persons input about the child’s interests. The IEP is reviewed termly and parents are invited in to the nursery to discuss their child’s progress.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

First Steps Nursery actively encourages a working partnership between staff and parents/carers. First Steps recognises that parents are the first and main carers of their children. Staff must work closely with parents to reach common goals for each child and regular communication is encouraged. Partnerships can be enhanced by parents becoming involved with nursery life ( reading stories, talking about job roles and bringing in pets) First Steps encourages early discussion when concerns are raised to ensure that they do not develop into problems. Staff at First Steps have very good relationships with parents, parents can talk to staff on a daily basis about their child and how they are getting on at nursery. As well as this staff in the nursery building complete a daily diary for each child and this goes home with the parents each evening and has a section for parents to make comments. Staff in the pre-school building send out parents as partners forms which are completed by the parents each term and outline any trips the children have been on, any upcoming events in the child’s life and a section about development which has targets the parents might like the child to work towards. We have two parents evenings each year and have a number of events which take place during the nursery year which parents are invited to such as the toddle which raises money for Barnardo’s and the nursery and the preschool graduation for our nursery leavers.

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Day nursery

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Last Updated: 08 August 2023

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