Tweseldown Playgroup

All of the children at Tweseldown Playgroup have a named Key Worker who works closely with the other members of the team to ensure that each child is supported to meet their individual needs within the setting. The Key worker not only has a strong relationship with the child but also with their parents/carers and will be their first port of call to ensure the correct support is in place for the child. We have regular progress meetings with parents/carers where we can discuss the progress and development made by the children.
If the Key Worker feels that a child requires early help or intervention to support their learning and development then this will be discussed with the SENCO and parents/carers.

With parental consent, the SENCO can signpost or refer children to external agencies and health professionals such as Speech Therapy or Health Visitors. The SENCO attends local network meetings and can request meetings with our Area Inclusion Co-ordinator to ensure the correct support is accessed.
We use visual prompts such as timetables and now and next boards and social stories to ensure the children are happy and settled in their environment.
We use an online learning journal to document the children’s progress and development. Parents/carers are encouraged to engage with their child’s learning journal and can add photos or observations about activities which children have taken part in outside of Playgroup.

At Tweseldown Playgroup, we use the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS 2021) curriculum as a guide for each individual child’s development. Through careful observations and assessments of our children, we are able to link the interests of our children to a varied and exciting curriculum, putting their needs and interests at the centre of their learning.
We ensure that we use our inside and outside environment to offer learning opportunities for all our children.
Through regular staff meetings and planning sessions, we work as a team to identify key areas of learning. We consider the intent of the activities we plan and what we want the children to get out of them, how these will be implemented and the impact they have on the children and their learning and development.
If a child requires extra support then the Key Worker will work with the SENCO and parents/carers to create an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which breaks down targets into small steps of achievement.

At Tweseldown Playgroup, we value the importance of communication between the setting, the Key Worker and the parent/carer.
We have an open door policy and parents are able to informally chat with staff in the mornings at drop off and at the end of the day at pick-up. If parents/carers require a more formal meeting then this can also be arranged.
Through the use of our online learning journal where we document our observations and assessments of children, parents can keep up to date with their child’s progress and development and see what their child has been up to at Playgroup. We also use our online learning journal to send out a weekly newsletter to parents with information about our learning and topics/themes we may be focussing on so that they can pick up on learning outside of Playgroup. This includes links to useful resources which parents can access at home.
Throughout the year we have themed open mornings for parents/carers to come in and learn with their children and see the sorts of activities we do. These vary from Literacy mornings to Oral Health mornings and Mother’s Day sessions.
We have formal Parents Evenings throughout the year where parents/carers are able to make an appointment with their child’s Key Worker to discuss their progress and development. We also provide parents/carers with written progress reports about their children.

At Tweseldown Playgroup, we believe that the relationships we build with our children and families help us to identify any areas of well-being which we may need to work on with our children. These may be specific to a particular individual and their needs or a more general issue. If we have any concerns about a child’s overall well-being then we would be sure to contact parents/carers.
We have a range of policies which support the overall well-being of the child. All staff are trained in Safeguarding and have a named DSL and DDSL.
We use social stories and small group activities to develop social skills of children. We use The Colour Monster to encourage children to understand their feelings and emotions and how to behave appropriately in different situations. We use ourselves and other children as positive role-models to highlight positive behaviours.
We support children through toilet training and encourage independent hand washing. We are able to administer prescribed medicines and are all first aid trained.
We work closely with external agencies such as Portage and have a member of staff completing ELSA training.

We will endeavour to provide appropriate support for all children, working in partnership with parents and external agencies where appropriate to ensure your child’s needs are being met and progress is being made. After consultation with parents/carers and with their consent, the SENCO can refer children on to a variety of specialists for appropriate support. These include speech and language therapy and portage. The Area Inclusion Coordinator supports the setting and can suggest other professionals if required. We have experience of completing applications for and following EHCPs.

At Tweseldown Playgroup, we have a team of seven members of staff who are all qualified to at least Level 3 in Childcare. In addition to that, the Manager has a BA Hons in Childcare Studies. The SENCO has a BEd (Hons) in Primary Education and has completed SENCO Induction, THOMAS (Autism) training and is completing ELSA training. Over this academic year, there are also members of staff completing Portage training and Military Matters training.
Through staff meetings and Inset days, the staff as a whole have recently completed Behaviour and Inclusion training provided by Hampshire and the Early Years Alliance.
All staff are Safeguarding trained and First-Aid trained.
We are an enthusiastic staff who are willing to complete training required to meet the needs of the children whether specific to an individual child or to benefit all of the children within our care.

We regularly take our older children out on trips within the local community for example to the local garden centre, to the post office, to local schools or parks. Parents are asked to complete a general consent form for these trips during the registration process.
All trips are risk assessed and planned accordingly to cater for the needs of individuals.
Trips further afield such as the farm or play gym require specific parental consent and we work in partnership with parents to ensure we can accommodate all children on these trips. We can provide social stories in preparation for children who are unsure about visiting new environments and Key Workers would support children on a 1:1 basis when necessary.

Tweseldown Playgroup has large, adaptable indoor and outdoor spaces which are accessible throughout the day. We also have a large wooded area. The whole area is secure.
Our inside space is all on one level and is wheelchair accessible. We have child specific toilets and sinks. We have space to accommodate equipment which may be specific to an individual child’s needs.
There is a large car park outside and we are set back off of the main road.
For EAL parents, we can provide contact with EMTAS, visual cues and translations.

When a parent/carer initially makes contact with Tweseldown Playgroup, we offer them an appointment to visit us for an informal tour of the setting. This provides the parent/carer with the opportunity to decide if the setting would be suitable for their child.  Further meetings can be arranged with the Manager and/or SENCO to discuss the specific needs of the child.  At this point, with the consent of the parent/carer further advice and information may be sought from external agencies regarding adapting the physical environment and any training which may be required for staff to meet the needs of the child.

Prior to a child starting at Tweseldown, they will be allocated a Key Worker who they can then meet during their settling in sessions.  Settling in sessions are offered to the child, initially with a parent/carer staying at Playgroup with them. 

Tweseldown Playgroup is a committee led Community Preschool. We are a charity non-profit organisation and rely on fundraising to raise additional funds for resources to support children's development.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or DAF (Disability living allowance) funding may be allocated to your child where appropriate. This will be put towards additional staffing for 1:1 time and resources appropriate to the age and stage of development for the individual child.
If a child starts our setting with additional funding or an EHCP then we would continue to work towards the targets set with the funding allocated to the child. If a child starts at Tweseldown without additional funding then we would work within our capabilities to support the child whilst trying to secure funding.
Within Playgroup, we create a range of visual timetables, choice boards, now and next boards and social stories which are used for all children. We have lots of play resources for both inside and outside which we use and adapt to meet the needs of the children.

At Tweseldown, we recognise the importance of communication between the setting and the parents/carers.   Working in partnership helps us to identify the strengths and needs of each individual child.  Together, we would identify the next steps in the child’s learning and development and what would need to be put in to place to achieve this.  Initially this would take the form of an IEP (Individual Education Plan) which would be created by the Key Worker and the SENCO and shared with the parent/carer.  If we felt that the child required additional help to meet their needs then we would refer the child to the relevant professional e.g speech and language support, health visitor, portage.  If relevant, we would work with external agencies to complete an EHCP request.  The amount and type of support given to each child is completely individual and based on identified needs. 

At Tweseldown Playgroup, we welcome parent/carer support and involvement. We are a community committee run group which means we have a parent management committee who are elected at an annual general meeting each October. The committee work in partnership with the staff to manage the setting. They also run fund-raising events. There is an opportunity to be actively involved with the committee on a formal level or informally by supporting different events.
Day to day, we enjoy conversations with parents/carers at drop off and pick up to share information about the children. We use an online learning journal to share information, observations and photographs of the children’s learning which parents can view and comment on. We also have a weekly newsletter which lets parents know what we have been up to.
We have termly parents evenings to discuss children’s achievements and progress and also drop in sessions and coffee mornings where parents/carers can come in and play with the children and see how they learn.
When you join Tweseldown Playgroup you will be asked to sign a parental agreement form which details what you can expect from the staff and the committee and in turn, what we expect from our parents/carers.